Robert Alfred Boock

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-17463.jpeg UPL 17463 Lt. Robert A Boock, [Springfield, IL] 334th Fighter Squadron, ex 71 "Eagle" Squadron. Photographed here with armorer Sgt. Lawrence P "Larry" Hendel, [St. Louis, MO], alongside their P-47C 41-6404 QP-S “Old Red Ass”. Lt. Boock was killed in action flying this a/c on 18 May 43 when he was shot down into the North Sea. Two of his 3 confirmed kills were gained in Spitfires.

Object Number - UPL 17463 - Lt. Robert A Boock, [Springfield, IL] 334th Fighter Squadron, ex 71 "Eagle" Squadron. Photographed here with armorer Sgt. Lawrence P "Larry" Hendel,...

Assigned to 71 [Eagle] Sqn RAF. Transferred to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Ditched in North Sea due to mechanical failure on 26-Jan-43 (Returned To Duty - RTD). On 6-Apr-43, smoke in the cockpit forced a landing 3.5 miles off the coast of North Foreland, UK. (Returned To Duty - RTD). Two of his 3 confirmed kills were gained in Spitfires. On 18-May-43, his P-47 41-6405 was shot down by fighters and crashed into the sea between Knokke and Blankenberge, Belgium. Killed in Action (KIA). He is still listed as Missing In Action (MIA), as his remains were never recovered.



Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), PH.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

People

A ground crewman of the 4th Fighter Group with a P-51 Mustang. Pritnted on slide:"M.Sgt M. O............- 6803 Roxdale Ln. Paradise CA 95969"
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 334th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37369079
  • Role/Job: Armourer

Aircraft

4th Fighter Group personnel beside P-47 Thunderbolt "Ill Wind?" at Debden, January 1944. The pilot of the aircraft was Captain Nicholas Megura of the 334th Fighter Squadron.
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Ill Wind? Old Red Ass
  • Unit: 366th Fighter Group 4th Fighter Group Base Air Depot 2 334th Fighter Squadron 389th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Old red ass
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: Spitfire
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron No 71 'Eagle' Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: Spitfire
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

St Cloud, Stearns County, Minnesota 15 May 1920 Son of Alfred C and Helen Madeline Ewart Boock.

Based

Kirton-in-Lindsey 8 September 1942 - 29 September 1942 Assigned to 71 [Eagle] Sqn RAF.

Other

Transferred

Debden, Loughton IG10, UK 29 September 1942 - 18 May 1943 Transferred to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF.

Other

Ditched

North Sea 26 January 1943 Ditched in North Sea due to mechanical failure on 26-Jan-43 Return To Duty RTD.

Other

Ditched

North Foreland Lighthouse, 36 N Foreland Rd, Broadstairs CT10 3NN, UK 6 April 1943 Smoke in the cockpit forced a landing 3.5 miles off the coast of North Foreland, UK. 6-Apr-43. Return To Duty RTD.

Other

Promotion

Debden, Loughton IG10, UK 8 May 1943 Promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

Blankenberge, Belgium 18 May 1943 Squadron turned to engage a large group of ME109’s between Knocke and Blankenberge in Belgium. In the ensuing dogfight, Boock’s Thunderbolt was set afire and was seen to crash into the North Sea between Knokke and Blankenberge, Belgium. His remains have never been recovered.

Other

Commemorated

Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial, Rue du Mémorial Américain 159, 4852 Hombourg, Belgium Commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery.
Coronado, California Coronado, San Diego County, California

Other

Employed

Consolidated Aircraft Corporation San Diego, CA Consolidated Aircraft Corporation San Diego, California

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Corrected phrasing at the end of Biography

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

WWII Draft card
ABMC website

Date
Changes
Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Connecting airman to specific RAF ‘Eagle’ Squadron

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

AAM DB entry.

Date
Contributorapollo11
Changes
Sources

Personal research & 4th fighter Group 'Debden Eagles' by Chris Bucholz.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 24-Jan-2015. Added SN, Commemorated event and decorations per American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) record; made connections for Place, Aircraft and Missions within existing website data; Edited Biography per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A Hey MBE.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey pp. 100-101, 126 , ABMC and National Archives web site / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Robert Alfred Boock: Gallery (4 items)