Skip to main content
Edit entry 

Robert Oxley Barker

Military

  • Lt. Col. Robert Oxley Barker, Commanding Officer, 456th Bombardment Squadron

    Lt. Col. Robert Oxley Barker, Commanding Officer, 456th Bombardment Squadron

    Show caption About this image
  • WT-O

    WT-O "Buckeye Battle Cry" was reserved for the crew ( usually Barker or Stirling) leading other 456th BS aircrews on combat missions. The aircraft was named after the Ohio State University fight song and Lt. Col. Robert Oaxley Barker's alma mater. Lt. Col. Barker, the Commanding Officer of the 456th BS, is picutred standing, third from left.

    Show caption About this image
  • Lt. Col. Robert O. Barkerker, Commanding Officer of the 456th Bomb Squadron, letter to Mrs. Dorene V. Rush expressing his condolences for the death of her husband, Lt. Leo Dale Rush, Jr., a lead bombardier, who died of wounds sustained in action.

    Lt. Col. Robert O. Barkerker, Commanding Officer of the 456th Bomb Squadron, letter to Mrs. Dorene V. Rush expressing his condolences for the death of her husband, Lt. Leo Dale Rush, Jr., a lead bombardier, who died of wounds sustained in action.

    Show caption About this image
  • Short Snorter The signatures are from top to bottom - Lt. Col. Robert O. “Bob” Barker Commanding Officer, 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group From London, Ohio, a graduate of Ohio State University. Lt. Thomas “Lemon” Lemmon Pilot, 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group Flew with Guldemond as his co-pilot in 778 WT-K Patty’s Pig in the right-wing slot off of 033 WT-A Ole 33 Gal, whose crew was leading the flight of six Marauders, on your father’s(Rush's) last mission. Shared an Officers’ Quarters with your father (Rush) and the others noted in Guldemond below. Lt. Bird / Capt. Paul E. Warf 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group Lt. Gen. John O. Moench’s book, Marauder Men, lists a Donald L. Bird and an A. L. Bird. The first and middle name are illegible, and the surname is almost illegible. It could be the signature of Capt. Warf, the pilot leading a flight of six in Ole 33 Gal. Lt. John Guldemond Co-Pilot and Pilot, 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group From New Jersey, Guldemond shared Officers’ Quarters No. 8 in Site Area No. 13 at the north end of Earls Colne Airfield with your father (Rush), Lt. Charles H. Stirneman, Lemmon and Foster and their puppy, Burma, who was one of the puppies of Gin Fizz, the dog written about by Ernie Pyle in Brave Men. Their Quarters was dubbed “The Black Hole of Calcutta”. See Lemmon above regarding your father’s last mission. Lt. Stanley G. Sussman Co-Pilot, 46th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group Flew as a co-pilot on 861 WT-N Weary Willie, Jr. in one of the other flight leads on your father’s last mission. Lt. Raymond J. Lishka Pilot, 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group Flew in 81- WT-U Klassie Lassie in a different flight of six on your father’s last mission. Lt. Walter E. “Walt” Foster Lead Bombardier/Navigator, 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group From Spencerport, New York, shared Officer’s Quarters with your father. See Guldemond above. Lt. Theodore J. Witt 456th Bomb Squadron, 323d Bomb Group Flew in 964 WT-L Hades Lady in a different flight of six on your father’s last mission. Some of the signatures are very legible, such as those of Guldemond, Lishka and Foster. (You have an excellent example of Guldemond’s signature from the letter he sent to your mother. I’m familiar with my father’s (Foster's) signature. Lishka’s was easy to identify, having seen it on dozens of loading lists.) After identifying the easy ones, I looked for any of the other officers who shared a living quarters with your father, which led me to Lemmon’s signature. Next, I identified Witt’s signature by looking in Marauder Men for a surname that ended in “itt” with the first name of “Theodore” --- I’d seen the surnames of Pruitt, Cruitt and Witt on loading lists, but only Witt had the first name of Theodore. Guldemond, Lemmon, Lishka, Witt and Sussman were on the loading list for your father’s last mission, which helped me identify Sussman’s signature. The signature at the top of the bill was difficult to make out at first. The clue came from the clipping of the letter Lt. Col. Barker sent to your mother, which was published in a local newspaper. In it, Barker writes that he and other members of the 456th Bomb Squadron attended your father’s graveside service at Cambridge American Cemetery. That made me wonder whether the short snorter was signed by the officers who attended it in lieu of a guest registry --- it would have been a touching tribute and a way to wish a fallen colleague good luck on his journey that could be sent to loved ones. Studying the top signature (with a surname that clearly ended in “er”) with that possibility in mind, I realized it was Barker’s, having seen it on certifications of my father’s combat service records. There’s one signature about which I’m mostly uncertain. It looks like the surname of the third signature from the top is “Bird”. There is a photograph of an airman named “Bird” sitting on a motorcycle among my father’s (Foster's) collection. I believe there is also a photograph of a “Donald Bird” in Marauder Men. I cannot make out the first or middle name of the signature. So, Lt. Bird is an educated guess. However, Bird was not on your father’s last mission. The last name appears to be four letters, with the third being “r”. The middle name looks like it could be “Edward”. I believe Capt. Warf, the pilot on your father’s last mission, would have attended his graveside services. If I had to guess, I would go with the signature as being that of Capt. Warf, particularly given the number of times your father flew with him. Over the nine years I’ve been researching my father’s service and the history of the 456th Bomb Squadron, I’ve discovered that by spending time with these records and photographs, they begin to come to life and tell a story. Ah-ha insights emerge with patience. For example, among my father’s collection is as photograph of him with four other officers and a puppy. On the back of the photograph, he had written “me, Rush, Stirneman, Lemmon, Guldemond, Burma”. One day, it dawned on me (like it dawned on me that the signature at the top of the short snorter was Barker’s and that it was signed by your father’s colleagues possibly at your father’s graveside service) that it might be a photograph of a proud “family” posing with their newest addition to the family, a puppy. It would have been just like my father to round up the guys for a picture to commemorate the happy occasion. Similarly, there’s a photograph in my father’s collection of him leaving an officers’ quarters that had a sign over the door that said “Black Hole of Calcutta”. On the back of the photograph, he or my mother had written “March 31 - only snow of winter.” Although it stood to reason that it was my father’s living quarters, there was no way to know with any certainty. When I saw the photograph in your father’s collection of an officer (Stirneman) taking photographs in a snow storm outside of an Officers’ Quarters with a sign over the door that said “Black Hole of Calcutta”, it confirmed the suspicion. Although it’s likely we will never know with certainty whether the officers listed above signed the short snorter at your father’s graveside service at Cambridge American Cemetery, I am relatively certain that it was. “Short snorter” is written at the top of the dollar bill in my father’s handwriting. Examining the evidence of the writing instruments used by each of the officers, it looks like Barker and my father used the same one. I can see my father taking the dollar bill from his wallet, writing “short snorter” on the top edge of the bill and asking Barker to sign it first as their commanding officer. It would stand to reason that my father would have been the last to sign as the originator, although he signed second to last.

    Short Snorter The signatures are from top to bottom - Lt. Col. Robert O. “Bob” Barker Commanding Officer, 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group From London, Ohio, a graduate of Ohio State University. Lt. Thomas “Lemon” Lemmon Pilot, 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group Flew with Guldemond as his co-pilot in 778 WT-K Patty’s Pig in the right-wing slot off of 033 WT-A Ole 33 Gal, whose crew was leading the flight of six Marauders, on your father’s(Rush's) last mission. Shared an Officers’ Quarters with your father (Rush) and the others noted in Guldemond below. Lt. Bird / Capt. Paul E. Warf 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group Lt. Gen. John O. Moench’s book, Marauder Men, lists a Donald L. Bird and an A. L. Bird. The first and middle name are illegible, and the surname is almost illegible. It could be the signature of Capt. Warf, the pilot leading a flight of six in Ole 33 Gal. Lt. John Guldemond Co-Pilot and Pilot, 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group From New Jersey, Guldemond shared Officers’ Quarters No. 8 in Site Area No. 13 at the north end of Earls Colne Airfield with your father (Rush), Lt. Charles H. Stirneman, Lemmon and Foster and their puppy, Burma, who was one of the puppies of Gin Fizz, the dog written about by Ernie Pyle in Brave Men. Their Quarters was dubbed “The Black Hole of Calcutta”. See Lemmon above regarding your father’s last mission. Lt. Stanley G. Sussman Co-Pilot, 46th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group Flew as a co-pilot on 861 WT-N Weary Willie, Jr. in one of the other flight leads on your father’s last mission. Lt. Raymond J. Lishka Pilot, 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group Flew in 81- WT-U Klassie Lassie in a different flight of six on your father’s last mission. Lt. Walter E. “Walt” Foster Lead Bombardier/Navigator, 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group From Spencerport, New York, shared Officer’s Quarters with your father. See Guldemond above. Lt. Theodore J. Witt 456th Bomb Squadron, 323d Bomb Group Flew in 964 WT-L Hades Lady in a different flight of six on your father’s last mission. Some of the signatures are very legible, such as those of Guldemond, Lishka and Foster. (You have an excellent example of Guldemond’s signature from the letter he sent to your mother. I’m familiar with my father’s (Foster's) signature. Lishka’s was easy to identify, having seen it on dozens of loading lists.) After identifying the easy ones, I looked for any of the other officers who shared a living quarters with your father, which led me to Lemmon’s signature. Next, I identified Witt’s signature by looking in Marauder Men for a surname that ended in “itt” with the first name of “Theodore” --- I’d seen the surnames of Pruitt, Cruitt and Witt on loading lists, but only Witt had the first name of Theodore. Guldemond, Lemmon, Lishka, Witt and Sussman were on the loading list for your father’s last mission, which helped me identify Sussman’s signature. The signature at the top of the bill was difficult to make out at first. The clue came from the clipping of the letter Lt. Col. Barker sent to your mother, which was published in a local newspaper. In it, Barker writes that he and other members of the 456th Bomb Squadron attended your father’s graveside service at Cambridge American Cemetery. That made me wonder whether the short snorter was signed by the officers who attended it in lieu of a guest registry --- it would have been a touching tribute and a way to wish a fallen colleague good luck on his journey that could be sent to loved ones. Studying the top signature (with a surname that clearly ended in “er”) with that possibility in mind, I realized it was Barker’s, having seen it on certifications of my father’s combat service records. There’s one signature about which I’m mostly uncertain. It looks like the surname of the third signature from the top is “Bird”. There is a photograph of an airman named “Bird” sitting on a motorcycle among my father’s (Foster's) collection. I believe there is also a photograph of a “Donald Bird” in Marauder Men. I cannot make out the first or middle name of the signature. So, Lt. Bird is an educated guess. However, Bird was not on your father’s last mission. The last name appears to be four letters, with the third being “r”. The middle name looks like it could be “Edward”. I believe Capt. Warf, the pilot on your father’s last mission, would have attended his graveside services. If I had to guess, I would go with the signature as being that of Capt. Warf, particularly given the number of times your father flew with him. Over the nine years I’ve been researching my father’s service and the history of the 456th Bomb Squadron, I’ve discovered that by spending time with these records and photographs, they begin to come to life and tell a story. Ah-ha insights emerge with patience. For example, among my father’s collection is as photograph of him with four other officers and a puppy. On the back of the photograph, he had written “me, Rush, Stirneman, Lemmon, Guldemond, Burma”. One day, it dawned on me (like it dawned on me that the signature at the top of the short snorter was Barker’s and that it was signed by your father’s colleagues possibly at your father’s graveside service) that it might be a photograph of a proud “family” posing with their newest addition to the family, a puppy. It would have been just like my father to round up the guys for a picture to commemorate the happy occasion. Similarly, there’s a photograph in my father’s collection of him leaving an officers’ quarters that had a sign over the door that said “Black Hole of Calcutta”. On the back of the photograph, he or my mother had written “March 31 - only snow of winter.” Although it stood to reason that it was my father’s living quarters, there was no way to know with any certainty. When I saw the photograph in your father’s collection of an officer (Stirneman) taking photographs in a snow storm outside of an Officers’ Quarters with a sign over the door that said “Black Hole of Calcutta”, it confirmed the suspicion. Although it’s likely we will never know with certainty whether the officers listed above signed the short snorter at your father’s graveside service at Cambridge American Cemetery, I am relatively certain that it was. “Short snorter” is written at the top of the dollar bill in my father’s handwriting. Examining the evidence of the writing instruments used by each of the officers, it looks like Barker and my father used the same one. I can see my father taking the dollar bill from his wallet, writing “short snorter” on the top edge of the bill and asking Barker to sign it first as their commanding officer. It would stand to reason that my father would have been the last to sign as the originator, although he signed second to last.

    Show caption About this image
  • Earls Colne Airfield Dispersal Areas Aerial - War Time The photograph has been annotated with the dispersal sites within view and certain building numbers, all but one of which are within Site No. 2 Communal. Please refer to the Earls Colne Site Plan - Schedule of Buildings for the legend, which is reproduced to the extent possible below.. Building 498 is likely the Nissen hut shared by Lts. Foster, Rush, Stirneman, Guldemond and Lemmon with their puppy, Burma. SITE NO. 2 COMMUNAL 166 Picket Post 167 Grocery Store 168 Tank Tower 169 Ration Store 170 Breakroom Ration Store 171 Tailors and Barber Shop 172 Latrines Sergts. 173 Sergts. Showers 174 Sergts. Mess 175 A/IN’s Dining Room & ___ 176 Post Office 177 Latrine Block A/IN’s 178 Showers & Ablut. A/IN’s 179 Fuel Compound 180 M & E Plinth 181 Stand-By Set House 182 Gymnasium & Chapel 183 Institute 184 Officers’ Bath House 185 -186 Officers’ Mess 187 Squash Racquet Court 188 C/O’s Quarters SITE AREA NO. 3 COMUNAL 194 Picket Post 195 Sergts. Mess 196 Sergts. Showers 197 Officers’ Baths 198 Boiler House 199 Officers’ Mess 200 Latrine Block A/IN’s 201 – 202 Showers Blocks A/IN’s (2) 203 M & E Plinth 204 Dining Room 205 Institute & W.A.A.E.T. 206 Education Block 207 Local Produce Store 208 Ration Store 209 Fuel Compound SITE NO. 4 QUARTERS 215 Picket Post 216 - 219 A/IN’s Barracks (4) 220 A/IN’s Latrines 221 Sergts. & A/IN’s Dining Room 222 Sergts. & A/INS Ablutions 223 A/IN’s Barracks 224 Fuel Compound 225 A/IN’s Latrines 226 - 231 A/IN’s Barracks (4) SITE NO. 5 QUARTERS 237 Picket Post 238 Officers’ Quarters 239 Officers’ Ablutions & Latrines 240 - 342 Officers’ Quarters (3) 243 A/IN’s Barracks 244 -245 Sergts. Quarters (2) 246 Sergts. Latrines & Dining Room 247 – 249 Sergts. Quarters (3) 250 Sergts. Latrines & Dining Room 251 Sergts. Ablutions 252 Sergts. Latrines & Dining Room 253 - 257 Sergts. Quarters (5) 258 Sergts. A/IN’s Ablutions 259 M & E Plinth 260 – 262 A/IN’s Barracks (3) 263 A/IN’S Latrines & Dining Room 264 - 259 A/IN’s Barracks (6) 270 M & E Plinth 272 – 277 A/IN’S Barracks (7) SITE No. 6 QUARTERS 282 Picket Post 283 A/IN’s Barracks 284 Officer’s Quarters 285 Static Water Tank 286 – 287 Officers’ Latrines & Ablutions (2) 288 – 294 Officers’ Quarters (7) 295 M & E Plinth 296 – 297 Sergts. Lat. & Dining Room (2) 298 – 302 Sergts. Quarters (5) 303 A/IN’s Barracks 304 Sergts. Barracks 305 Sergts. & A/IN’s Ablutions 306 – 307 A/IN’S Lat. & Dining Room (2) 308 – 310 A/IN’S Quarters (3) 311 A/IN’S Latrines & Dining Room 312 – 317 A/IN’S Barracks (4) SITE NO. 7 QUARTERS 323 Picket Post 324 – 327 Officers’ Quarters (4) 328 Sergts. Dining Room 329 – 324 Sergts. Quarters (5) 325 Sergts. Latrines 326 -527 Sergts. Lat. & Dining Room (2) 328 - 230 Sergts. Quarters (3) 331 - 332 A/IN’S Latrines (2) 332 -351 A/IN’S Barracks (20) 352 A/IN’s Latrines & Dining Room 353 Sergts. & A/IN’S Ablutions 354 -358 A/IN’S Barracks (5) 359 A/IN’s Latrines & Dining Room 360 Officers’ Latrines & Ablutions 361 Sergts. Ablutions SITE NO. 8 W.A.A.F. 265 Picket Post & Reception Room 366 Lavatory 367 Institute 368 Static Water Tank 369 Sergts. Mess & A/IN Dining Hall 370 Sick Quarters (6 Bed) 371 Officers’ Mess w/ Show. & Ablu. 372 – 375 A/IN’s Barracks (w/o Lat.) (4) 376 – 377 Sergts. & A/IN’s Barr. (w/ Lat. & Baths) (2) 378 Sergts. & A/IN’s Baths & Decontam. 379 Sergts. & A/IN’s Lat. & Ablutions 380 – 386 A/IN’S Barr. (w/ Lat. & Baths (7) SITE No. 9 W.A.A.F. 392 Fuel Compound 393 Ablutions Block 394 Latrine & Bath Block 395 Sergts. Quarters (w/ Latrine) 396 Static Water Tank 397 – 400 A/IN’s Quarters (w/ Lat.) (4) 401 M & E Plinth 402 403 – 405 A/IN’s Quarters (w/ Lat.) (4) SITE No. 10 Sick QUARTERS 412 Picket Post 413 M & E Plinth 414 Sergts. A/IN’s Quarters 415 Sergts. & IN’s Lat. & Dining Hall 416 Ambulance Garage & Mortuary 417 Static Water Tank 418 Sick Quarters 419 Sick Quarters Amen. 420 Pump House 421 L. C. Reservoir & Suction Tank SITE No. 11 QUARTERS 427 Picket Post 428 Static Water Tank 429 – 430 A/IN’s Barracks (w/ Lat.) (2) 431 – 432 A/IN’s Latrine & Dining Room 433 Sergts. & A/IN’s Ablutions 434 A/IN’s Barracks 435 - 440 A/IN’s Barr. (1 w/ Lat. & 4 w/o Lat.) SITE No. 12 QUARTERS 446 Picket Post 447 Officers’ Latrines & Ablutions 448 – 452 Officers’ Quarters (5) 453 454 Officers’ Latrines 455 – 456 Sergts. Quarters (2) 457 – 461 A/IN’s Barracks (5) 462 A/IN’s Latrines & Dining Room 463 – 464 Sergts. Lat. & Dining Room (2) 465 Sergts. Quarters 466 Sergts. Latrines 467 Sergts. Dining Room 468 Sergts. Ablutions 469 – 474 Sergts. Quarters (14) 475 A/IN’s Barracks 476 Sergts. & A/IN’s Ablutions 477 M & E. Plinth 478 – 481 A/IN’s Barracks (4) 482 A/In’s Latrines & Dining Room 483 A/I’S Latrines 484 - 488 A/IN’S Barracks (5) 448 Static Water Tank 490 Fuel Compound SITE No. 13 QUARTERS 496 Picket Post 497 - 503 Officers’ Quarters (6) 504 Officers’ Ablutions & Latrines 505 Latrines 506 – 510 Sergts. Quarters (5) 511 – 512 Sergts. Lat. & Dining Room (2) 513 Sergts. Dining Room 514 – 515 Sergts. Quarters (2) 516 Sergts. Ablutions 517 – 518 Sergts. Quarters (2) 519 Ablutions 520 – 521 Officers’ Quarters (2) 522 Airmen’s Latrines 523 – 528 A/IN’s Barracks (6) 529 A/IN’s Barracks 530 – 531 A/IN’s Lat. & Dining Room (2) 532 A/IN’s Barracks 533 – 539 A/IN’s Barracks (7) 540 A/IN’s Barracks 541 Canteen SITE No. 14 SEWAGE DISPOSAL 446 Sewage Drain Beds 447 Pool House 448 Sequestr. Tanks (_ Compartmt.) 449 Dosing Chamber 550 Percolating Filters (2) 551 Holding Tanks (2)

    Earls Colne Airfield Dispersal Areas Aerial - War Time The photograph has been annotated with the dispersal sites within view and certain building numbers, all but one of which are within Site No. 2 Communal. Please refer to the Earls Colne Site Plan - Schedule of Buildings for the legend, which is reproduced to the extent possible below.. Building 498 is likely the Nissen hut shared by Lts. Foster, Rush, Stirneman, Guldemond and Lemmon with their puppy, Burma. SITE NO. 2 COMMUNAL 166 Picket Post 167 Grocery Store 168 Tank Tower 169 Ration Store 170 Breakroom Ration Store 171 Tailors and Barber Shop 172 Latrines Sergts. 173 Sergts. Showers 174 Sergts. Mess 175 A/IN’s Dining Room & ___ 176 Post Office 177 Latrine Block A/IN’s 178 Showers & Ablut. A/IN’s 179 Fuel Compound 180 M & E Plinth 181 Stand-By Set House 182 Gymnasium & Chapel 183 Institute 184 Officers’ Bath House 185 -186 Officers’ Mess 187 Squash Racquet Court 188 C/O’s Quarters SITE AREA NO. 3 COMUNAL 194 Picket Post 195 Sergts. Mess 196 Sergts. Showers 197 Officers’ Baths 198 Boiler House 199 Officers’ Mess 200 Latrine Block A/IN’s 201 – 202 Showers Blocks A/IN’s (2) 203 M & E Plinth 204 Dining Room 205 Institute & W.A.A.E.T. 206 Education Block 207 Local Produce Store 208 Ration Store 209 Fuel Compound SITE NO. 4 QUARTERS 215 Picket Post 216 - 219 A/IN’s Barracks (4) 220 A/IN’s Latrines 221 Sergts. & A/IN’s Dining Room 222 Sergts. & A/INS Ablutions 223 A/IN’s Barracks 224 Fuel Compound 225 A/IN’s Latrines 226 - 231 A/IN’s Barracks (4) SITE NO. 5 QUARTERS 237 Picket Post 238 Officers’ Quarters 239 Officers’ Ablutions & Latrines 240 - 342 Officers’ Quarters (3) 243 A/IN’s Barracks 244 -245 Sergts. Quarters (2) 246 Sergts. Latrines & Dining Room 247 – 249 Sergts. Quarters (3) 250 Sergts. Latrines & Dining Room 251 Sergts. Ablutions 252 Sergts. Latrines & Dining Room 253 - 257 Sergts. Quarters (5) 258 Sergts. A/IN’s Ablutions 259 M & E Plinth 260 – 262 A/IN’s Barracks (3) 263 A/IN’S Latrines & Dining Room 264 - 259 A/IN’s Barracks (6) 270 M & E Plinth 272 – 277 A/IN’S Barracks (7) SITE No. 6 QUARTERS 282 Picket Post 283 A/IN’s Barracks 284 Officer’s Quarters 285 Static Water Tank 286 – 287 Officers’ Latrines & Ablutions (2) 288 – 294 Officers’ Quarters (7) 295 M & E Plinth 296 – 297 Sergts. Lat. & Dining Room (2) 298 – 302 Sergts. Quarters (5) 303 A/IN’s Barracks 304 Sergts. Barracks 305 Sergts. & A/IN’s Ablutions 306 – 307 A/IN’S Lat. & Dining Room (2) 308 – 310 A/IN’S Quarters (3) 311 A/IN’S Latrines & Dining Room 312 – 317 A/IN’S Barracks (4) SITE NO. 7 QUARTERS 323 Picket Post 324 – 327 Officers’ Quarters (4) 328 Sergts. Dining Room 329 – 324 Sergts. Quarters (5) 325 Sergts. Latrines 326 -527 Sergts. Lat. & Dining Room (2) 328 - 230 Sergts. Quarters (3) 331 - 332 A/IN’S Latrines (2) 332 -351 A/IN’S Barracks (20) 352 A/IN’s Latrines & Dining Room 353 Sergts. & A/IN’S Ablutions 354 -358 A/IN’S Barracks (5) 359 A/IN’s Latrines & Dining Room 360 Officers’ Latrines & Ablutions 361 Sergts. Ablutions SITE NO. 8 W.A.A.F. 265 Picket Post & Reception Room 366 Lavatory 367 Institute 368 Static Water Tank 369 Sergts. Mess & A/IN Dining Hall 370 Sick Quarters (6 Bed) 371 Officers’ Mess w/ Show. & Ablu. 372 – 375 A/IN’s Barracks (w/o Lat.) (4) 376 – 377 Sergts. & A/IN’s Barr. (w/ Lat. & Baths) (2) 378 Sergts. & A/IN’s Baths & Decontam. 379 Sergts. & A/IN’s Lat. & Ablutions 380 – 386 A/IN’S Barr. (w/ Lat. & Baths (7) SITE No. 9 W.A.A.F. 392 Fuel Compound 393 Ablutions Block 394 Latrine & Bath Block 395 Sergts. Quarters (w/ Latrine) 396 Static Water Tank 397 – 400 A/IN’s Quarters (w/ Lat.) (4) 401 M & E Plinth 402 403 – 405 A/IN’s Quarters (w/ Lat.) (4) SITE No. 10 Sick QUARTERS 412 Picket Post 413 M & E Plinth 414 Sergts. A/IN’s Quarters 415 Sergts. & IN’s Lat. & Dining Hall 416 Ambulance Garage & Mortuary 417 Static Water Tank 418 Sick Quarters 419 Sick Quarters Amen. 420 Pump House 421 L. C. Reservoir & Suction Tank SITE No. 11 QUARTERS 427 Picket Post 428 Static Water Tank 429 – 430 A/IN’s Barracks (w/ Lat.) (2) 431 – 432 A/IN’s Latrine & Dining Room 433 Sergts. & A/IN’s Ablutions 434 A/IN’s Barracks 435 - 440 A/IN’s Barr. (1 w/ Lat. & 4 w/o Lat.) SITE No. 12 QUARTERS 446 Picket Post 447 Officers’ Latrines & Ablutions 448 – 452 Officers’ Quarters (5) 453 454 Officers’ Latrines 455 – 456 Sergts. Quarters (2) 457 – 461 A/IN’s Barracks (5) 462 A/IN’s Latrines & Dining Room 463 – 464 Sergts. Lat. & Dining Room (2) 465 Sergts. Quarters 466 Sergts. Latrines 467 Sergts. Dining Room 468 Sergts. Ablutions 469 – 474 Sergts. Quarters (14) 475 A/IN’s Barracks 476 Sergts. & A/IN’s Ablutions 477 M & E. Plinth 478 – 481 A/IN’s Barracks (4) 482 A/In’s Latrines & Dining Room 483 A/I’S Latrines 484 - 488 A/IN’S Barracks (5) 448 Static Water Tank 490 Fuel Compound SITE No. 13 QUARTERS 496 Picket Post 497 - 503 Officers’ Quarters (6) 504 Officers’ Ablutions & Latrines 505 Latrines 506 – 510 Sergts. Quarters (5) 511 – 512 Sergts. Lat. & Dining Room (2) 513 Sergts. Dining Room 514 – 515 Sergts. Quarters (2) 516 Sergts. Ablutions 517 – 518 Sergts. Quarters (2) 519 Ablutions 520 – 521 Officers’ Quarters (2) 522 Airmen’s Latrines 523 – 528 A/IN’s Barracks (6) 529 A/IN’s Barracks 530 – 531 A/IN’s Lat. & Dining Room (2) 532 A/IN’s Barracks 533 – 539 A/IN’s Barracks (7) 540 A/IN’s Barracks 541 Canteen SITE No. 14 SEWAGE DISPOSAL 446 Sewage Drain Beds 447 Pool House 448 Sequestr. Tanks (_ Compartmt.) 449 Dosing Chamber 550 Percolating Filters (2) 551 Holding Tanks (2)

    Show caption About this image
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Born on October 9, 1919 in London, Ohio, Lt. Col. Barker was graduated from Ohio State University ("OSU"). He earned his "wings" at "The West Point of the Air" at Randolph Field, Texas. He was part of the original Myrtle Beach, SC group that comprised the 456th BS. The original Barker crew was made up of Capt. Barker-P, Lt. Paul E. Warf-N, Lt. Robert Covarrubias-B, S/Sgt. Fredrick C. Butcher, S/Sgt. David Fefer, and M/Sgt. William J. Garrick. Barker eventually became the Commanding Officer of the 456th BS.

On the last mission of the day on June 6, 1944, the Barker crew, flying in WT-O "Buckeye Battle Cry" named after the OSU fight song, led the group of 36 323rd B-26 Marauders to Caen Road Juncitons C-1 and C-2 over the Orne River. The group attacked the target in three groups of 12 aircraft flying in groups of four aircraft per flight. The formation reduced its altitude to just under 4,000 feet to get under the cloud cover by dong two 360 degree spiral turns off the French Coast. After crossing into France, the formation made a right turn at Mezidon to fly further inland and attack the target by flying parallel to the Orne toward the Atlantic coast. A Luftwaffe light flak battery positioned at the Mezidon Marshalling Yard must have been caught preoccupied or off guard as Box I, let by Barker, flew over. Box II encountered little flak. The Box III lead and the 11 aircraft following that crew were not as fortunate. Maj. Paul Stach and crew were shot down near Mezidon. It was dark when the formation, minus the Stach crew, returned to base at Earls Colne, England.

On July 18, 1944, Lt. Col Barker, now flying in WT-O "Buckeye Battle Cry"with Lt. Al Allision-N and Lt. Walt Foster-B, led 36 323rd BG aircraft to the Demouville Defended Area just east of Caen. The bombing of Demouville has been described as the largest bombing effort of the Second World War. The 323rd was the tenth of eleven 9th Bomb Command groups over the target. Although none of the other 9th AF groups had been able to get their bombs in the target area (all employing an area or carpet bombing simultaneous release technique), all bombs dropped by the Box led by the Barker crew fell within the target area, despite the cloud of smoke and dust in the target area. In return, the group had to sustain significant battle damage to a significant percentage of its aircraft.

Lt. Col. Barker again flying in "Buckeye Battle Cry" with Lts. Allison, Foster and Burgmeier as GEE Navigator, led agroup of 36 323rd aircraft in the first mission flown by the 9th Bomb Command off of French soil from the airfield near Lessay (where Charles Lindburgh had landed in his cross Atlantioc flight) to a bridge near Rouen. Footage of this historic mission is at National Archives in College Park,Maryland.

On September 9/10, 1944, Lt. Col. Barker flying again in "Buckeye Battle Cry" with Lts. Allison and Foster, appears to have flown his last mission with the 323rd, leading a group of 36 aircraft to Fort du Haye Supply Post from an airfield near Chartes in a highly successful mission. This was also Lt. Allison's last mission with the 323rd. 323rd combat crews regarded night missions as "the worst" they had to fly. The aircraft flew in boxes of 9 in single file to the target without their lights on, increasing the risk of getting lost (and possibly straying over a Luftwaffe heavy flak gun) and colliding midair with another aircraft.

Lt. Foster indicated after the war that he had a great deal of respect for LT. Col. Barker, who held the lead crew members to exacting standards to ensure the success of the mission. Both Lts. Walt Foster and Frank Burgmeier, a lead navigoator for the 456th, indicated they very much enjoyed flying with Lt. Col. Barker, who treated his crew members very well. He exhibited grit and leadership, leading the group on missions to very heavily defended targets undeterred by the barrages of flak encountered in and out of the target areas.

Col. Barker passed away on December 12, 2002 in the Mesa, Arizona area. He was survived by his wife of 60 year, Maxine, and three children and several grandchildren.

Service

People

  • Walter Foster

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Bombardier | 323rd Bomb Group
    Lt. Walt Foster was a navigator and bombardier from Upstate New York who served with the 456th BS during the Second World War. His first combat mission was flown from Earls Colne Airfield on February 3, 1944 to the Ruisseville "No Balls” secret weapon...

  • Leo Rush

    Military | Lieutenant | Bombardier, B-26 Marauder | 323rd Bomb Group
    Dale Rush served with the 456th BS as a bombardier. He was killed on May 20, 1944 on a mission to Dieppe when "Ole 33 Gal" WT-A Serial No. 41-35033, flying in the Box II, Flight 3 lead position, took a direct hit of heavy flak that shattered the...

  • John Stirling

    Military | Colonel | B-26 Marauder Pilot | 323rd Bomb Group
    Maj. Stirling served as a B-26 Marauder pilot with the 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group, and 9th Air Force during the Second World War. He was part of the original Myrtle Beach, South Carolina group that first comprised the 456th Bomb Squadron....

Show more

Units served with

  • 323rd Bomb Group

    323rd Bomb Group

    Group
    The 323rd Bombardment Group operated with B-26 Marauders, American medium bombers. They were the first Eighth Air Force Group to fly a medium level bombing mission with this aircraft on 16 July 1943. After flying a total of 33 missions with the Eighth,...

  • 456th Bomb Squadron

    456th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron
    Selected Bibliography of Publications: ...

Aircraft

Events

Event Location Date
Born London, Ohio, USA 9 October 1919
Died Mesa, Arizona, USA area 12 December 2002
Buried Athens County, Ohio, USA

Union Cemetery
Nationality
American
Nickname
"Bob"
Service numbers
Not yet known
Highest rank
Colonel
Role/job
Pilot - B-26 Marauder
Awards
Not yet known

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
29 March 2020 19:41:50 jmoore43 Changes to biography
Sources

Corrected a misspelled word ("fling - flying") in the "Summary biography".
Date Contributor Update
29 March 2020 19:38:50 jmoore43 Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

Added a connection to A/C #41-31820 listed in the "Summary biography".
Date Contributor Update
29 March 2020 19:33:59 jmoore43 Changes to events
Sources

Added Born, Died and Buried events per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 119350737.
Date Contributor Update
29 March 2020 19:20:59 jmoore43 Changes to biography
Sources

Corrected another typo in the "Summary biography".
Date Contributor Update
29 March 2020 19:18:29 jmoore43 Changes to biography
Sources

Corrected several typos and punctuation errors in the "Summary biography".
Date Contributor Update
14 May 2016 21:56:26 JMF Changes to biography
Sources

JMF
Date Contributor Update
28 April 2016 00:50:26 JMF Changes to nationality
Sources

JMF
Date Contributor Update
28 April 2016 00:48:30 JMF Changes to biography
Sources

JMF
Date Contributor Update
28 April 2016 00:39:41 JMF Changes to person associations
Sources

JMF
Date Contributor Update
28 April 2016 00:38:04 JMF Changes to biography
Sources

JMF
Date Contributor Update
07 April 2016 07:56:49 JMF Created entry with surname, middlename, firstname, nickname, highest rank, role, unit associations and media associations
Sources

jMF

Share