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Military
2Lt. Robert E Geiss - KIA in the B-24D, BIRMINGHAM BLITZKRIEG. Shot down by an ME-110 fighter plane after a bombing mission to Bremen, Germany, Nov 13 1944
93rd Bomb Group Roll of Honor at Hardwick Airfield Memorial Museum.
The B-24D, 42-40608, The Vulgar Virgin, with Lt. Claude A. Turner, SSgt Robert E. Geiss, SSgt. John P. Rudell, and crew, flew on Operation Tidal Wave to Ploesti, Romania, - Interned in Turkey. 1 Aug 43
The B-24D, 41-23661, Black Jack, one of two B-24Ds, named, Back Jack. This one, 41-23661, was from the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, shown with the vertical fin markings of a fin robbed from, Valient Virgin, from the 8th Air Force, with, Valient Virgin' s olive drab painted tail fin and it's (hidden in this photo) abbreviated serial number, This fin was, apparently, robbed from the, Valient Virgin, for installation on, Black Jack. August 5-7, 1943, when these color photos were taken.
Lt. Robert Geiss was signed to the 328th Bomb Squadron, the 93rd Bomb Group, in the 8th Air Force, USAAF, in the U.K. He was shot down and killed (KIA) with his pilot, Lt. Claude A. Turner and his entire crew in the B-24D, 42-63988, named, Birmingham Blitzkreig. The plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA). 13 Nov 43. MACR 2180
Awards: AM, PH.
2Lt Robert E. Geiss :
BIRTH : Jan 20, 1918
DEATH : 13 Nov 1943
BURIAL : Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial
Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England
PLOT : Tablets of the Missing
MEMORIAL ID : 56289976 · View Source
2Lt. Robert E. Geiss MIA/KIA
Hometown: Kansas Missouri
Squadron: 328th Bomb Squadron - 93rd Bomb Group
Service Number: O-676463
Awards: Air Medal - Purple Heart
Pilot : Lt. Claude A. Turner - Silver Star - MIA - KIA
Target: Bremen, Germany Port Area
Missing Air Crew Report Details
USAAF MACR 2180
Date Lost: 13 Nov 43
Serial Number: 42-63988
Aircraft Model B-24D
Aircraft Letter:
Aircraft Name: Birmingham Blitzkrieg
Location: North Sea
Cause: Shot down - 11 MIA - KIA,
Notes: On this date the the 8th Air Force carried out a raid on Bremen Germany. The 93rd Bomb Group lost 5 of 8 effective ships with over 52 airman unaccounted for - MIA.
None of the crew members from this ship, 42-63988, Birmingham Blitzkrieg, were recovered from this mission. Their names appear on the Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery. One is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery Margraten, Netherlands. Most likely, 42-63988, was lost at sea. 13 Nov 1943
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | B-24 Navigator | 93rd Bomb Group
Lt. James E. Marquis was born on February 6, 1922. After completing his navigator flight training in the U.S. Lt. Marquis, was assigned to the 8th Air Force, the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 328th Bomb Squadron in the United Kingdom, and was temporarily...
Military | First Lieutenant | B-24 Command Pilot | 93rd Bomb Group
Lt. Claude A. Turner was born in Travis Peak, Texas, on Oct 22, 1919. He trained as an aviation pilot at Kelly Field and other air bases in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. After receiving his pilot's wings, Turner was assigned to the 8th Air Force,...
Group
The 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 1 Mar 42 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. On 15 May 42. the Group moved to Ft. Myers, Florida, to continue advanced flight training and also to fly antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico. They...
Squadron
B-24 Liberator
...
B-24 Liberator
NOTE - The B-24D, named, The Vulgar Virgin, 42-40608, was originally in the 8th Air Force, the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 328th Bomb Squadron. It was temporarily detached (TDY) to the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bomb Squadron, in...
Military site : airfield
Planned as an RAF bomber airfield, Hardwick was used first by the 310th Bomb Group, equipped with B-25 Mitchells. B-24 Liberators of the 93rd Bomb Group moved in briefly in March 1943, then returned in June 1943 remaining until the end of the war and...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Kansas City MO | 20 January 1918 |
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Son of Peter Jacob and Irene F Geiss. |
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| Based | Hardwick | 1943 – 13 November 1943 |
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Assigned to 328BS, 93BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Died | North Sea | 13 November 1943 |
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Shot down and killed (KIA) in the B-24, 42-63988, named, 'Birmingham Blitzkreig'. The plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA). 13-Nov-43. MACR 2180 |
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| Buried | 1946 | |
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Tablets of the Missing |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 21 October 2021 21:03:56 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Details added. - Kickapoo |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 21 October 2021 21:01:03 | Kickapoo | Changes to middlename, nickname and biography |
| Sources | ||
Detail corrections for accuracy. - Kickapoo |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 August 2021 13:36:14 | Al_Skiff | Changes to middlename, biography, events, unit associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/310763388 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 August 2021 12:40:51 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
1Lt. Robert E Geiss - FindAGrave Memorial |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 August 2021 12:31:27 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Best Web - B-24 - BIRMINGHAM BLITZKRIEG |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 August 2021 11:21:55 | Kickapoo | Changes to role, biography and person associations |
| Sources | ||
2Lt. Robert E. Geiss - FindAGrave Memorial |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 August 2021 11:05:20 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Best Web - B-24 - 42-62988 - BIRMINGHAM BLITZKRIEG |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 August 2021 11:01:48 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography and awards |
| Sources | ||
Best Web - B-24 - 42-63988 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:23:14 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
ABMC; MACR 2180 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2180 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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