Robert J Reasoner
MilitaryOn 3 January 1943 in B-24D 41-23806 'Bat Out of Hell' while serving as Tail Gunner the aircraft crashed south-west of Haverfordwest returning from target U/B yards (submarine) at St. Nazaire, France. Fuel shortage caused the crash. Hospitalized and transferred to Talbenny.
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40071.
On 1 October 1943 in B24D 41-23816 "Black Jack" while serving as Tail Gunner the aircraft sustained severe damage from flak in the bomb bay shortly after leaving target area on a mission to Wiener Neustadt, Austria. Aircraft peeled off while quickly losing altitude as fire developed. Broke in two and crashed in target area. Reasoner was captured and hospitalized but repatriated because of wounds.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Bat Out Of Hell
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Black Jack
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Margaret Ann II
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 1 August 1943
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Aircraft crash site
- Known as: Haverfordwest
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Prisoner of war |
1 October 1943 | ||
Born |
St Petersburg, Florida, New Plymouth, Ohio |
Revisions
wspa.com article: http://www.wspa.com/story/25898276/local-wwii-veteran-passes-away
Lee Cunningham 5-Feb-2015. Made connections to Place, 2 Aircraft and 2 Missions within existing website data.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th and 9th Air Forces Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey pp. 61, 298; 44th BG Roll of Honor and Casualties by Lundy pp. 39, 135, The 44th BG in WWII by MacKay and Adams p.27