Shot down 14 October 1943 in B-17 #42-3436, Killed in Action (KIA).



From The Providence Journal-Enterprise newspaper, Thursday November 24 1943:

Mr. and Mrs. Sam C. Wells, near Wheatcroft, were notified Monday that their only son, Sgt. Robert G Wells, 20, previously reporting missing, was killed in action on Oct. 14.

Sgt. Wells, a waist gunner on a flying fortress, was killed in a raid somewhere over Germany. The young man volunteered for service on November 2, 1942. He received his training at Atlantic City, N.J., and received his gunner's wings and the rating of Sergeant at Ft. Myers, Florida, in January, 1943.



Sgt. Wells was a graduate of Wheatcroft High School, where he played on the basketball team, and had attended Murray Teachers College. The last letter his parents received from him was written on Oct. 11, and in it, he said, "Above all, I don't want any of you to worry about me, for I am only doing what thousands of others are trying to do, make this a better world to live in."

Mr. and Mrs. Wells have received from Gov. Keen Johnson a certificate stating that their son has been commissioned posthumously as an aide-de-camp on the staff of the Governor with the rank of Colonel, in recognition of valor and heroism displayed.



Robert Wells helped Ben Roberts out of his ball turret, but was fatally injured before baling out (Roberts and Crawford in MACR 1034). However Dominic Lapore stated that ‘he had no bullet wounds but all his bones were broken, presumably when the ‘ship’ hit the ground’. Lapore also stated that Wells his parachute was open in the tail (MACR 1034).



More? See http://home.kpn.nl/slang075/breeden-crew-members-42-3436.html



Now buried in Pythian Ridge Cemetery - Sturgis/Union County - Kentucky

See http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=wells&GSfn=robert…;