Robert Francis Applin
Military
Robert F. Applin Crew
466th BG - 787th BS
Standing Left to Right: Robert F. Applin (P), Richard Joyce (CP), Carl Herbst (B), Leon Appel (N), Earl Rau (FE)
Kneeling Left to Right: Barkev Hovesepian (R/O), Henry Ciocci (G), Donald Brooks (G), Arthur Huggins (TG), LaVern Young (G)
This crew completed a 33 combat mission tour
5 October 1944 - 24 March 1945
Attlebridge Arsenal - Brassfield & Wassom
Object Number - UPL 6941 - Crew #758 Robert F. Applin Crew 466th BG - 787th BS Standing Left to Right: Robert F. Applin (P), Richard Joyce (CP), Carl Herbst (B), Leon...
Our pilot, Bob Applin, was a natural leader and an excellent pilot. - Barky Hovsepian, R/O
Complete a 35 mission tour
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
- Role/Job: Flight Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39199493
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Role/Job: Gunner
Aircraft
Places
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Marlboro, Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA | 27 April 1919 | |
|
Other 466th BG Combat Tour |
Attlebridge, Norwich, Norfolk NR9, UK | 5 October 1944 - 24 March 1945 | |
|
Other Mission |
Manston, Ramsgate, Kent CT12, UK | 21 February 1945 | Received a flak hit on #2 engine. Landed at an emergency field in France. Ground personnel there would only allow them a small amount of fuel and then made them take off. Flying at 1200 feet at the Channel coast small arms fire knocked out #1 engine and the prop couldn't be feathered. Too low to bail out, being trailed by an RAF crash boat across the Channel, the crew cranked down the landing gear by hand and the pilots crash landed successfully at RAF Manston. Found out later we had overflown Dunkirk at 1200 feet, thus the huge amount of small arms fire. |
|
Died |
Hanover, Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA | 27 June 1971 | (aged 52) |
| Keene, NH, USA | 114 Marlboro Street |
Revisions
Updated Middle Name and Died event per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 193166302.
Added a Born event per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 193166302.
SOURCE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/193166302/robert-francis-applin
466th BG Archives - Report on Mission No 135 Castrop, Germany 2 November 1944
NARA research by Brad Sullivan
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit roster in the book 'Attlebridge Arsenal' by Wassom & Brassford, page 343