Robert V. Bruce     Photo: AS 25 MAY 2015   Updated:  18 JUN 2015

Airman: e556034.htm Surname: Bruce Init: R V Rank: 2ndLt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 427

P_link: p236.htm Plane: B17 425221 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: The Baltic Sea

Crash_d: d091043 Buried_d: e556a C_link: e556a.htm At_Next: Ardennes, BELGIUM

"Den 9. oktober 1943 angreb USAAF med 378 4-motorede bombefly flyfabrikker i den østlige del af Polen og Østpreussen, samt havnefaciliteter i Gdynia (her) og Danzig
(Gdansk her). Både på udturen og hjemturen passerede formationerne Danmark, hvor
tyske jagermaskiner angreb bomberne." (FAF)

Under et bombetogt til Anklam (her) i Tyskland den 9. oktober 1943 styrtede en ”Flyvende Fæstning” B17 42-5221 i Østersøen syd for Lolland, måske omkring her. Tilsyneladende omkom hele besætningen, 10 mand.

2nd Lt (Bombardier) Robert V. Bruce drev ind på Dazendorfer Strand (her) i Tyskland.
(Kilde: MACR)
Begravet på Ardennes American Cemetery Plot D Row 3 Grave 39. Han kom i tjeneste fra South Carolina. Hæderstegn: Air Medal, Purple Heart. (Kilde: ABMC)

7 flyvere fra B17 42-5221 har ingen kendt grav. 1 blev begravet i Tyskland, 1 i Rødby og 1 i Esbjerg. Alle 3 blev senere flyttet til Belgien eller USA.
Se B-17 Flyvende Fæstning * B17 i airmen.dk * tegning af besætningen på en B-17.
10 flyvere.

"On 9 October 1943 USAAF attacked aircraft factories in the eastern part of Poland
and East Preussia together with harbour facilities in Gdynia (here) and Danzig
(Gdansk here) with 378 4-engined bombers. Both on the way out and the return flight the formations passed Denmark, where German fighters attacked the bombers." (FAF)

During a bombing raid to Anklam (here) in Germany on 9 October 1943 a ”Flying Fortress”
B17 42-5221 crashed in the Baltic Sea south of Lolland, maybe about here. Apparently all
of the crew, 10 men, perished.

2nd Lt (Bombardier) Robert V. Bruce was washed ashore at Dazendorfer Beach (here) in GERMANY. (Source: MACR)
Buried at Ardennes American Cemetery Plot D Row 3 Grave 39. He entered the Service from South Carolina. Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart. (Source: ABMC)

7 airmen from B17 42-5221 have no known grave. 1 was buried in Germany, 1 in Rødby and 1 in Esbjerg. All 3 of them were later moved to Belgium or the USA.
This B-17 belonged to 427 BS, 303 BG, 41 CBW, 1 BD, 8 AF of USAAF. It took off from RAF Molesworth - USAAF Station 107.
See 303rd Bomb Group Heavy with the Mission Report No. 76 of Oct 9 1943 about this crew  and  B17s in airmen.dk and a drawing of the crew of a B-17. 10 airmen.