Robert Borst
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 466th Bomb Group
Shot down on 8/15/44 in B-24 'Ramblin Wreck' #41-28932. Crashed at Gelderingen, Evaded (EVD).
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Robert W Harrington
Military
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2LT Robert W. Harrington Pilot - Crew #747 466th BG - 787th BS Shot Down 15 August 1944 Successfully evaded
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The nose art of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-95067) nicknamed "Trouble Maker" of the 466th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '466 BG, Trouble Maker, 42-95067 D 27, 110 Msns. 787th A936E.' Originally named and flown by Robert W Harrington crew; Harrington shot down in another aircraft on 8/15/44; RC Greenwood replaced him as Pilot of Trouble Maker. One of the longest serving B-24 aircraft in Europe.
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B-24H-15-DT #41-28932 Ramblin' Wreck Code: 6L-E 466th BG - 787th BS Shot Down 15 August 1944
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Crew #739 Robert W. Harrington/R.C. Greenwood Crew 466th BG - 787th BS Standing Left to Right: William A. Moore (BTG), Frank B. Grimes (NTG), John Spillman (R/O), Wilford D. Perkins (WG), Roy Johnson (FE), Fred E. Davis (TG) Kneeling Left to Right: Robert W. Harrington (P), Thomas J. Welch (CP), Lloyd L. Ennis (N), Herbert S. Leopold (B) Robert W. Harrington was shot down when flying with a make up crew (Crew #747) on 15 August 1944. R.C. Greenwood took over this crew. Herbert Leopold actually flew with at least 3 different crews.
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Bob Harrington discusses the crew of his B-24 "Troublemaker" in a 2004 interview.
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Bob Harrington describes his final mission, August 15, 1944, in a 2004 interview.
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Bob Harrington describes his aircraft and flying combat missions, from a 2004 interview.
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Bob Harrington describes the attack on his substitute aircraft, "Ramblin' Wreck," on August 15, 1944, following a successful bombing attack on a Luftwaffe airstrip in Vechta, Germany. Interview from 2004.
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Bob Harrington describes bailing out of his crippled B-24, "Ramblin' Wreck," and evading capture in occupied Holland with the assistance of Dutch helpers, August 15, 1944. Interviewed August 2004.
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HARRINGTON, Robert W. 2LT O-817669 Air Medal Certificate GO# 185 12 Aug 1944
Bob Harrington piloted the B-24 "Troublemaker" (#42-95067), stationed at Attlebridge in the summer of 1944. After nine missions with Troublemaker, on August 15, 1944 he was called up to fly an unfamiliar aircraft, Ramblin' Wreck (#41-28932), with a crew he did not know. They successfully bombed a Luftwaffe airbase at Vechta, but on the way home were shot down by Me-109 fighters and crashed at Gelderingen, Netherlands. Most of the crew managed to bail out and were captured as POWs; he and Bob Borst successfully evaded. Harrington was sheltered by various Dutch families in Steenwyck until the town was liberated in April 1945. He returned to the US, married Betty Elscott, became a building engineering consultant, and lived a long life in San Francisco, California, passing away in October 2009 at age 89.
Service
People
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Fred Davis
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Tail Gunner | 466th Bomb Group
26 Missions AM -
Lloyd Ennis
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 466th Bomb Group
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Frank Grimes
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Waist Gunner | 466th Bomb Group
AM/ ETO -
Roy Johnson
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Flight Engineer | 466th Bomb Group
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Tice Jones
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Top Turret Gunner | 466th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) Shot down by fighters and crashed at Gelderingen in B-24 Ramblin' Wreck #4128932. He had escaped death 3 days before when his regular crew, Crew #744 - Hammond, had been shot down with everyone onboard were KIA. Jones had... -
William Julian
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 466th Bomb Group
Shot down by fighters and crashed at Gelderingen in B-24 'Ramblin Wreck' #41-28932, Killed in Action (KIA). -
Lloyd Kelley
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 466th Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) Shot down by fighters and crashed at Gelderingen on 8/15/44 in B-24 Ramblin' Wreck #4128932 POW -
Herbert Leopold
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 466th Bomb Group
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zal_-ZkNqo -
William Meyer
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Togglier/Nose Gunner | 466th Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) Shot down by fighters and crashed at Gelderingen on 8/15/44 in B-24 Ramblin' Wreck #4128932 POW
Units served with
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466th Bomb Group
Group
The 466th Bomb Group flew B-24 Liberators from Attlebridge, Norfolk, during the last year of the war in Europe. The Group flew 232 missions in the course of the year and celebrated the 100th one by inviting local people onto the base to mark the... -
787th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Aircraft
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41-28932 Ramblin' Wreck
B-24 Liberator
This aircraft's last mission was on August 15, 1944, when it was flown by a makeshift crew led by pilot Robert W. Harrington from Attlebridge air base. The target was a Luftwaffe airfield in Vechta, near Bremen, Germany. The target was successfully... -
42-95592 Black Cat
B-24 Liberator
On 21 April 1945 B-24 Liberator "Black Cat" became the last heavy bomber to be shot down in the European Theatre of Operations. ... -
42-95609 Ghost Too
B-24 Liberator
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44-10499 Dixie
B-24 Liberator
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42-95067 Troublemaker
B-24 Liberator
This B-24 was stationed in Attlebridge and was named and flown by the Robert Harrington crew from June-August 1944. After Harrington was shot down in another aircraft, RC Greenwood piloted this B-24. It flew close to 100 missions in Europe. -
42-95511 Lady Too
B-24 Liberator
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42-94807 Carioca-Bev
B-24 Liberator
Missions
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501
28 July 1944
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503
29 July 1944
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507
31 July 1944
Flak knocked out #2 engine, the interphone system, the VHF plus other damages. We got back to the base before the formation. -
508
1 August 1944
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515
4 August 1944
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518
4 August 1944
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527
7 August 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): 4 missions are flown: ... -
541
11 August 1944
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548
13 August 1944
We led the entire Division in a tactical mission. The target: Roads to Paris. Colonel McKnight flew Pilot; Lt Houser was Co-Pilot. Results of bombing A1. -
8th Air Force 554
15 August 1944
Airfields in NW Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium are the primary targets for this mission. 8th Air Force despatches a total of 932 aircraft. The raid is coordinated with 1,000 Royal Air Force (RAF) heavy bombers and Mosquitos attacking 9 airfields...
Associated Place
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Attlebridge
Military site : airfield
Attlebridge was constructed for RAF use and completed to that standard in 1942. However, with news that it was to be assigned to the American Air Force, the runways were extended and additional hardstandings and outbuildings constructed for the heavy... -
Gelderingen
Crash site
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Newton, IA 50208, USA | 17 November 1920 |
| Enlisted | Des Moines, IA, USA | 6 July 1942 |
| Shot Down | Gelderingen, Steenwijkerwold, Netherlands | 15 August 1944 |
| Evaded | Steenwijk, Netherlands | 15 August 1944 – 17 April 1945 |
| Died | San Francisco, CA, USA | 9 October 2009 |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 05 July 2020 23:02:34 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 22 May 2020 23:20:11 | 466thHistorian | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
466th BG Archives - Report on Mission No 155, Gerolstein, Germany - 24 December 1944 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 May 2020 23:12:39 | 466thHistorian | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Report on Mission 150 - Bielefeld, Germany - 6 March 1944 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 23 April 2020 21:31:07 | 466thHistorian | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
466th BG Archives - Report on Mission No. 146, Neunkirchen, Germany - 30 Nov 1944 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 23 April 2020 01:44:46 | 466thHistorian | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
466th BG - Report on Mission No 144, RR Viaduct, Bielefeld, Germany, 26 Nov 1944 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 April 2020 03:54:10 | 466thHistorian | Changes to highest rank and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
466BG Archives - Mission Report for 14 October 1944 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 23 May 2017 11:13:29 | Clark B | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
C Beyer |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 21 May 2017 05:36:33 | Clark B | Changes to media associations |
| Sources | ||
Clark Beyer |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 May 2017 14:45:03 | Clark B | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Clark Beyer |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2017 09:07:04 | Clark B | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
C Beyer (nephew) |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2017 09:02:23 | Clark B | Changes to media associations |
| Sources | ||
C Beyer |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2017 08:57:41 | Clark B | Changes to media associations |
| Sources | ||
C Beyer |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2017 05:35:58 | Clark B | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
as told to C Beyer by R Harrington (uncle) |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 October 2015 00:09:16 | 466thHistorian | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
466th BG Historian |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 12 July 2015 02:05:40 | 466thHistorian | Changes to events and place associations |
| Sources | ||
466th BG Historian |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:24:16 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 8430 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / self, 8th AF News, September 1999, MACR 8430, nephew Oct. 2010 |
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