Robert Bernard Hermann
Military
Son
Object Number - UPL 15957 - Capt. Robert B Hermann 8th AAF, 306th BG, 367th BS navigator Sweet Pea
Flew on John L. Ryan crew. From Sept 1942 until 6 March 1943. Shot down 6 March 1943 over Lorient, France in B-17 42-5130 'Sweet Pea', 306BG/367BS while serving as Navigator Baled out and taken Prisoner of War (POW). Had flown 12 1/2 missions. His travels after immediate capture near Quimper was to Dulag Luft Frankfurt, Offlag XXI-B Schubin, Poland; and finally at Stalag Luft III North and South Compounds. Then to Stalag VII-A Moosberg. On 29 April 1945 he was liberated by Americans. He left camp on 06 May 1945 to head back to England for a time before being shipped back to the States on 1-Jun-1945.
Mission List: Lille, Brest, Lille, St Nazaire, St Nazaire, La Pallice, Lorient, Rouen, Romilly-sur-Seine, Wilhelmshaven, Hamm, Brest, Lorient.
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 2 Oak leaf Clusters, Purple Heart with one with Oak Leaf Cluster, American Campaign with one Bronze Service Star, Prisoner of War medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign with one Bronze Service Star, American Defense medal, World War II Victory.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
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
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-430260
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Sweet Pea
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 6 March 1943
- Date: 27 February 1943
- Date: 2 February 1943
![The crew of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23778) nicknamed "Jenny", of the 44th Bomb Group, return to Shipdham following a raid on Germany, 29 January 1943.
The insignia attached to the breast of several crew members jackets has been censored.
Image stamped on reverse: 'Barratt's Photo Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 29 Jan 1943.' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'First American raid on Germany. Flying Fortresses and Liberators of the U.S. Army Air Corps Carried out their first r](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379072.jpg.webp?itok=arU0mR30)
- Date: 27 January 1943
- Date: 20 December 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Cemetery
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag 7a, Moosburg
![A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group wave to Picture Post Girls in front of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24471) nicknamed "Four of a Kind" at Thurleigh in December 1942. Image stamped on reverse: '"Picture Post" [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 11 Dec 1942.' [stamp], '238038.' [Censor no.] Handwritten in censor's blue pencil on reverse: 'American Flying Fortress crew are introduced to the girls they will meet at Picture Post Xmas Party.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379028.jpg.webp?itok=6Gc6iR0j)
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bedford
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
25 December 1918 | BornChillicothe, Ohio | |
|
Enlisted |
Fort Hayes Columbus Ohio | 6 December 1941 | EnlistedFort Hayes Columbus Ohio |
|
Other Training |
Ellington Field Texas | 11 December 1941 | Basic training at Ellington Field Texas |
|
Other Training |
Kelly Field, Texas | 7 February 1942 | Navigation School, Kelly Field, Texas |
|
Based |
Wendover Air Field Utah | 9 June 1942 | Assigned to 306th Bomb group at Wendover Air Field Utah |
|
Based |
Westover Air Field Massachusetts | 6 August 1942 | Transferred to Westover Air Field Massachusetts |
|
Other Departed ZI |
Thurleigh | 5 September 1942 - 8 September 1942 | Flew overseas to Thurleigh England, |
|
Other Promoted |
Thurleigh, UK | 31 December 1942 | Promoted to 1st Lt |
|
Prisoner of war Prisoner of War (POW) |
Stalag Luft III, Zagan Poland | 6 March 1943 - 1 June 1945 | Initially Oflag XXIb, SzubinLater Stalag Luft III, Zagan PolandFinally Stalag VIIa, Moosburg |
|
Other Commissioned |
23 May 1943 | Commissioned 2nd Lt | |
|
Other Returned ZI |
New York Port | 16 July 1945 | Returned to USA |
|
Other Promoted |
USA | 8 October 1945 | Promoted to Captain |
|
Other Discharged |
Danville Kentucky. | 20 December 1945 | Discharged Danville Kentucky |
|
Died |
22 July 1990 | DiedElgin Illinois | |
|
Buried |
25 July 1990 | InterredArlington National CemeteryArlington, Arlington County, Virginia |
Revisions
From the history of Capt. Robert B Hermann by son Robert A Hermann using his war records
Lee Cunningham 29-Jul-2015. Added crew position to Summary Bigraphy per MACR 15558.
Lee Cunningham 28-Jun-2015. Added POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database. The aircraft los was documented on MACR 939 and his name is recorded there as Herman (one "n"), but since this entry has been worked by others pretty well, I did not change the spelling.
Son -From a letter dad wrote (missing 2 missions 11-22-42 Lorient, 12-24-42 Romilly-Sur-Seine
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15568/son, Robert
