Robert Belmont
Military | Second Lieutenant | pilot
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Military
Born in El Dorado, Kansas June 13, 1919. Commissioned as a 2nd Lt and awarded pilots wings on July 11, 1941. First active duty assignment was with the 31st Fighter Group, Selfridge Field Michigan flying P-39's. Participated in the Louisiana Maneuvers flying from Ft. Brag and New Orleans, Louisiana. The 31st was moved to several locations immediately following December 7th, 1941. They eventually ended up flying submarine patrols off the coast of Washington in both P-39's and P-40's.
The 31st was moved to England in June of 1942 where they were equipped with Spitfire Mk-V's and were the first U.S. unit to fly aerial combat in the European Theater.
1st Lt Barr was selected to help form the 350th Fighter Group in England. The 350th was equipped with P-39/400's. Lt Barr was the Operations Officer for the 345th Fighter Squadron of the 350th.
The 350th was to move to North Africa in December of 1942. Lt Barr led a flight of 4 P-400's guided by a B-25. The flight encountered bad weather and the fighters ran low on fuel and diverted to Lisbon, Portugal where their planes were impounded and they were held as prisoners of war.
Lt Barr was released from Portugal and returned to the 31st Fighter Group, 309th Fighter Squadron in May of 1943. He remained with the 31st Fighter Group through the campaigns in North Africa into Sicily and Italy.
He returned to the United States in February 1944 as the 31st was transitioning from Spitfire Mk-IX's to P-51's.
Capt Barr served out the remainder of the war as a P-47 Instructor Pilot at Strother Field Kansas.
Military | Second Lieutenant | pilot
Military | 31st Fighter Group
Military | 31st Fighter Group
Military | First Lieutenant | pilot
Military | 31st Fighter Group
Military | 31st Fighter Group
Military | 31st Fighter Group
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 31st Fighter Group
Aircraft sustained battle damage while supporting landings at Dieppe, France 19 August 1942 in Spitfire VB. Aircraft ditched into the English Channel and Lt. Junkin was rescued. Returned to base. Lt. Junkin was credited with an air victory of a German...
Military | 31st Fighter Group
Military | Fighter Pilot | 31st Fighter Group
Group
The 31st Fighter Group only flew missions from England between June and September 1942 but during this period they supported the Dieppe raid, the assault on occupied Europe, predominantly by the Canadian army. The attack was forced into early retreat...
Group
The 350th Fighter Group was always intended to join the Twelfth Air Force in the North African campaign as a tactical fighter organisation, using P-39 Airacobras in ground attacks. The pilots flew practice missions from the UK before flying their...
Squadron
Squadron
P-39 Airacobra
P-39 Airacobra
Military site : airfield
Atcham, at some remove from other American Air Force bases in Shropshire, was used by USAAF to train pilots from June 1942, several months before the American Eagle Squadrons were combined to form the 4th Fighter Group. Pilots here were mainly trained...
Military site : airfield
RAF Duxford, now a museum and still a working airfield, was operated by the USAAF from 1943 to 1945. The base was briefly the home of the 350th Fighter Group in late 1942, but it was not until April 1943 that it became a fully American station when the...
Military site : airfield
Built during 1940-41 as an RAF fighter station, Portreath was unusual in having straightaway four tarmac-surface hard runways, with double blast pens dispersed around the perimeter track. After wartime development, it eventually had four T2 and four...
Military site : airfield
Acquired in 1938 as an Emergency Landing Ground for RAF Tangmere, Westhampnett was upgraded to satellite status in 1940. It had eventually three grass runways, 19 pan hardstandings, 32 small pens, and one T1 plus eight over-blister hangars. Occupied by...
Military site : airfield
Military site : airfield
Military site : airfield
Military site : airfield
Crash site
Military site : airfield
Event | Location | Date |
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Born | El Doardo Kansas | 13 June 1919 |
Died | Susan B Allen Memorial Hospital, El Dorado, Kansas | 28 March 2000 |
Enlisted |
Date | Contributor | Update |
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09 May 2021 19:45:29 | RED HORSE | Changes to role |
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Papers of Lt Col Harry L. Barr |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
06 May 2021 01:44:19 | RED HORSE | Changes to role |
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Personal papers of Lt Col Harry L. Barr USAFR Retired |
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06 May 2021 01:42:49 | RED HORSE | Changes to events |
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Personal papers of Lt Col Harry L. Barr and Col Charles M. Barr |
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04 May 2021 21:59:21 | RED HORSE | Changes to biography |
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Papers of Lt Col Harry L. Barr |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 May 2021 17:56:01 | RED HORSE | Changes to biography |
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Personal Papers of Lt Col Harry Barr, Lt Col USAFR Retired |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 May 2021 17:53:11 | RED HORSE | Changes to biography |
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Private papers of Lt Col Harry Barr Lt Col USAFR Retired |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 May 2021 17:33:02 | RED HORSE | Changes to place associations |
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Public from internet and private papers of Capt Harry Barr |
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04 May 2021 17:04:36 | RED HORSE | Changes to unit associations and place associations |
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Personal Papers of Capt Harry L Barr |
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03 May 2021 16:26:24 | RED HORSE | Changes to media associations |
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Personal Papers of Capt Harry L. Barr |
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02 May 2021 22:09:02 | RED HORSE | Changes to media associations |
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Personal papers of Harry L Barr |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
02 May 2021 22:03:12 | RED HORSE | Changes to unit associations |
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Personal papers of Lt Col Harry Barr |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
02 May 2021 21:53:37 | RED HORSE | Changes to service number, role and awards |
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Personal Papers of Lt Col Harry L Barr |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
02 May 2021 21:49:57 | RED HORSE | Changes to middlename, suffix and awards |
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Personal Papers of Lt Col Harry Barr USAFR Retired |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
01 June 2017 04:43:38 | gfeindel | Created entry with surname, firstname, nationality, highest rank, role and biography |
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Personal papers of Lt Neill S Walker |