Robert L Mays

Military
Second Lieutenant Robert L. Mays and Captain William N. Frost, both of the 303rd Bomb Group, play a game in the officers club. Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 16 Dec 1942. [stamp] and ‘238752.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: '35A and 35A. Playing shove ha'penny in the officers club at the British airfield where they are stationed are (standing) 2nd Lt. Robert L. Mays (2nd Pilot) AND (stooping) Captain William N. Fleet (pilot). media-378907.jpg FRE 1039 Second Lieutenant Robert L. Mays and Captain William N. Frost, both of the 303rd Bomb Group, play a game in the officers club. Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 16 Dec 1942. [stamp] and ‘238752.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: '35A and 35A. Playing shove ha'penny in the officers club at the British airfield where they are stationed are (standing) 2nd Lt. Robert L. Mays (2nd Pilot) AND (stooping) Captain William N. Fleet (pilot). Both fly in the same Flying Fortress. Lt. Mays, aged 26, lives at 411 West 8th Ave., Cary, Indiana. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.F. Mays are at 602 Belleview St., Junta, Colorado, and before the war he worked for the Carnegie Illinois Steel Corp., Gary, Indiana, as a mechanical engineer. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado. Captain Frost, whose home address is 726 N. Kenilworth Ave., Oak Park, Ill. sends best wishes to his parents , Dr and Mrs G.N. Frost, at this address. Educated at Knox College, Galesburg, Ill., he told the canerman that he was having a lot of fun and found, on arriving at the airfield, that a teller at the Oak Park Trust - Mel Kenwall - was serving in the Officers Club. "It's a small world", says Captain Frost.' Handwritten on reverse: '303BG.' Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 1039 - Second Lieutenant Robert L. Mays and Captain William N. Frost, both of the 303rd Bomb Group, play a game in the officers club. Image stamped on...

Bailed out of B-17 41-24582 'One O' Clock Jump while serving as Co-Pilot. Aircraft went into a flat spin near Fontainebleau, France and crashed. He evaded capture. Flew 2 Operations (see Biography events). First pilot to escape Occupied Europe.

Connections

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Units served with

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: One O'Clock Jump
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Mission #1 2LT Robert L. Mays, 2/41-24582, 303BG/358BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 23 November 1942 Served as Co-Pilot of 41-24582 "One O'Clock Jump", 303BG/358BS on mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France (RTB OK)

Other

Evaded Capture

Fontainebleau, France 12 December 1942 - 14 January 1943 Baled out of B-17 41-24582 near Fontainebleau, France and managed to evade capture. He returned to England on 14-Jan-1943. His evasion account may be seen at: http://media.nara.gov/nw/305270/EE-06.pdf

Other

Mission #2 2LT Robert L. Mays, w/41-24582, 303BG/358BS EVD

Rouen, France 12 December 1942 Served as C-Pilot of 41-24582 "One O'Clock Jump", 303BG/358BS on mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France. EVD

Revisions

Date
ContributorLee Mays
Changes
Sources

Lee Mays

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 6-Aug-2015 Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 12-Dec-42, Gray Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 6-Aug-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 23-Nov-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 9-Nov-2014. Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) 16031; National Archives Records Administration (NARA) Escape & Evasion Report #6, http://media.nara.gov/nw/305270/EE-06.pdf.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor, MACR 16031, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey p. 53

Robert L Mays: Gallery (2 items)