But there was no actual person named that could be contacted.įrom 1988 until 2005 Rickey could find no further information. He was able to obtain missing air crew reports, after action reports, bombing mission reports, and other tidbits of information. For nearly 3 years Rickey stayed in contact with the government and was finally able to get the mission declassified in 1988. He was advised that even after 41 years the mission had not been declassified and he could not obtain any information. Louis Missouri in an attempt to find any information that might be on file. In 1985 he contacted the Personnel Records Section in St. But Bobbie's nephew, Rickey Robertson began to try and find out information. Carmel Baptist Church, where he was buried in the church cemetery.īobbie's father and mother passed away and never had any real answers to their son's death. by rail with a funeral and burial service held then at Mt. Robertson's remains were brought into Many La. government and had his son's remains brought back to the U.S. Robertson, got enough money together, and went through the U.S. The 7 dead Americans were buried by the Germans in the area around Vienna Austria. It was not until hostilities ended and the 3 members of the crew captured by the Germans were released from their POW camp, were the details of the death of the crew brought forth. For many months he and his crew were listed as missing in action, with all his mail being returned to his family marked "Missing in Action". So Bobbie Robertson, the young man from Sabine Parish, was killed in action on October 11, 1944. The last 3 to parachute out survived and were captured by the Germans. Seven of the crew members were killed in action and 3 were captured. As the aircraft was hit, the crew members began bailing out with assistance of Sgt Bobbie Robertson. Other bombers counted from 4 to 9 parachutes leaving this burning aircraft. The plane was hit near the bomb bay with flak and began to break up and burn. During the bombing attack 2 aircraft were shot down with one of these aircraft being the B-24 that Sgt. Bobbie was flying in the number 2 position and his buddy and tent mate Joseph " Joe" Kling was flying in the B-24 in the 4th position, right behind Bobbie's plane. Since it was Bobbie's bomber crews first combat mission, they were split up among aircrews that had been on previous bombing missions so that they would be flying with a veteran crews. This unit entered combat on and served as a strategic bombardment organization until April 1945, as the war came to an end.īobbie Robertson was a member of this famous group and was on his first bombing mission on Octowhen 22 aircraft were launched and took off to attack Vienna Austria. The demands for more bomber squadrons overseas led to his assignment to the 780th Bombardment Squadron of the 465th Bombardment Group, 55th Bomb Wing, which was attached to the 15th Air Force in Italy. His training included gunnery at Las Vegas, Nevada crew training was at Mountain Home Army Air Base, Idaho, and finally Keesler Army Air Base in Biloxi Mississippi where he trained to be a crew chief and flight engineer on a B-24 bomber. He told his younger brother Bud that he joined to fight so that his little brother would not have to and that he would always have freedoms that other peoples in the world did not have.īobbie became a crew member on a B-24 Heavy Bomber. In 1943 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps because he was always interested in airplanes. He attended Plainview High School and graduated in 1942. Bobbie was energetic and well mannered, interested in engines and mechanics, and a young man who liked to pick his guitar and sing the songs of that era. Bobbie Robertson was born in Sabine Parish in the Peason Community on June 14, 1923, to Mr. Even though World War II ended in 1945, there are still so many untold stories that need to be told before all the servicemen of this era are gone.
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