SGT Robert P Adams served as a Gunner on a Douglas A-20B Havoc (41-3489). His ship was on a Night Armed Recce in the area of Pontedera-Florence when it went missing.
It was later found out that the plane had crashed and burned on the south end of Pontedera Air Field after striking a tree. The airfield at the time of the crash was behind enemy lines.
Local Italian civilians were able to retrieve the bodies which were buried there and later moved. In addition to SGT Adams, the crew included 2LT William H Graves - Pilot, SSG Robert J Dunn - Bombardier, SGT John J Eden - Gunner, and a Civilian Observer
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Sergeant Robert Paul Adams, born in 1922, was the son of Paul Adams and Geneva Kathleen (Ream) Adams Borntrager of rural Rensselaer, Jasper County, Indiana. Rensselaer is in far northwest Indiana 52 miles south of Gary.
Robert's father died, when Robert was only 7 years old, at Clarks Hill, Tippecanoe County, Indiana on 18 Oct 1929 at the age of 32. His mother remarried Alvin Charles Borntrager.
In the 1940 census, 17 year-old Robert is living with his mother and step-father, his younger brother Morris (15), and his half-brother Max (7) in Marion, Jasper County, Indiana. His step-father is farming and Robert is working on the farm.
Robert enlisted in the Army Air Corps 4 Jan 1943 at Indianapolis and was assigned to the 97th Bomb Squadron of the 47th Bomb Group. Robert was a gunner on a Douglas A-20 which crashed behind enemy lines at unoccupied Pontedera Air Field on the night 4 Jul 1944. Pontedera is 38 miles west of Florence, Italy.
Statement of Harry L'Heureux, Captain, A C – On 4 July 1944, 2nd Lt. William H Graves, pilot, took off from Ombrone Airdrome, Italy, on a night armed reconnaissance mission, with a crew of S/Sgt Robert J Dunn, Sgts. Robert P. Adams and John J. Eden, and a civilian passenger, Dr. Browder J. Thompson. Lt. Graves' course was over mountainous terrain to the vicinity of Florence.
Lt. Grave's plane was found after the battle of Arno River. Information was received from Italian civilians that Lt. Grave's plane had circled Pontedera Air Field several times at a very low altitude. It struck a tree at the south end of the field, exploded, crashed, and burned. At the time of the accident this field was in enemy territory but was not being used by the Germans. The remains of all the men in the ship were buried on the spot by civilians.
Airmen who perished in crash
Graves, William H. ~ 2LT, Pilot, KS
Dunn, Robert J. ~ SSGT, Bombardier, NJ
Eden, John J. ~ SGT, Gunner, WA
Adams, Robert P. ~ SGT, Gunner, IN
It was later found out that the plane had crashed and burned on the south end of Pontedera Air Field after striking a tree. The airfield at the time of the crash was behind enemy lines.
Local Italian civilians were able to retrieve the bodies which were buried there and later moved. In addition to SGT Adams, the crew included 2LT William H Graves - Pilot, SSG Robert J Dunn - Bombardier, SGT John J Eden - Gunner, and a Civilian Observer
----------------
Sergeant Robert Paul Adams, born in 1922, was the son of Paul Adams and Geneva Kathleen (Ream) Adams Borntrager of rural Rensselaer, Jasper County, Indiana. Rensselaer is in far northwest Indiana 52 miles south of Gary.
Robert's father died, when Robert was only 7 years old, at Clarks Hill, Tippecanoe County, Indiana on 18 Oct 1929 at the age of 32. His mother remarried Alvin Charles Borntrager.
In the 1940 census, 17 year-old Robert is living with his mother and step-father, his younger brother Morris (15), and his half-brother Max (7) in Marion, Jasper County, Indiana. His step-father is farming and Robert is working on the farm.
Robert enlisted in the Army Air Corps 4 Jan 1943 at Indianapolis and was assigned to the 97th Bomb Squadron of the 47th Bomb Group. Robert was a gunner on a Douglas A-20 which crashed behind enemy lines at unoccupied Pontedera Air Field on the night 4 Jul 1944. Pontedera is 38 miles west of Florence, Italy.
Statement of Harry L'Heureux, Captain, A C – On 4 July 1944, 2nd Lt. William H Graves, pilot, took off from Ombrone Airdrome, Italy, on a night armed reconnaissance mission, with a crew of S/Sgt Robert J Dunn, Sgts. Robert P. Adams and John J. Eden, and a civilian passenger, Dr. Browder J. Thompson. Lt. Graves' course was over mountainous terrain to the vicinity of Florence.
Lt. Grave's plane was found after the battle of Arno River. Information was received from Italian civilians that Lt. Grave's plane had circled Pontedera Air Field several times at a very low altitude. It struck a tree at the south end of the field, exploded, crashed, and burned. At the time of the accident this field was in enemy territory but was not being used by the Germans. The remains of all the men in the ship were buried on the spot by civilians.
Airmen who perished in crash
Graves, William H. ~ 2LT, Pilot, KS
Dunn, Robert J. ~ SSGT, Bombardier, NJ
Eden, John J. ~ SGT, Gunner, WA
Adams, Robert P. ~ SGT, Gunner, IN
SGT Robert P Adams served as a Gunner on a Douglas A-20B Havoc (41-3489). His ship was on a Night Armed Recce in the area of Pontedera-Florence when it went missing.
It was later found out that the plane had crashed and burned on the south end of Pontedera Air Field after striking a tree. The airfield at the time of the crash was behind enemy lines.
Local Italian civilians were able to retrieve the bodies which were buried there and later moved. In addition to SGT Adams, the crew included 2LT William H Graves - Pilot, SSG Robert J Dunn - Bombardier, SGT John J Eden - Gunner, and a Civilian Observer
----------------
Sergeant Robert Paul Adams, born in 1922, was the son of Paul Adams and Geneva Kathleen (Ream) Adams Borntrager of rural Rensselaer, Jasper County, Indiana. Rensselaer is in far northwest Indiana 52 miles south of Gary.
Robert's father died, when Robert was only 7 years old, at Clarks Hill, Tippecanoe County, Indiana on 18 Oct 1929 at the age of 32. His mother remarried Alvin Charles Borntrager.
In the 1940 census, 17 year-old Robert is living with his mother and step-father, his younger brother Morris (15), and his half-brother Max (7) in Marion, Jasper County, Indiana. His step-father is farming and Robert is working on the farm.
Robert enlisted in the Army Air Corps 4 Jan 1943 at Indianapolis and was assigned to the 97th Bomb Squadron of the 47th Bomb Group. Robert was a gunner on a Douglas A-20 which crashed behind enemy lines at unoccupied Pontedera Air Field on the night 4 Jul 1944. Pontedera is 38 miles west of Florence, Italy.
Statement of Harry L'Heureux, Captain, A C – On 4 July 1944, 2nd Lt. William H Graves, pilot, took off from Ombrone Airdrome, Italy, on a night armed reconnaissance mission, with a crew of S/Sgt Robert J Dunn, Sgts. Robert P. Adams and John J. Eden, and a civilian passenger, Dr. Browder J. Thompson. Lt. Graves' course was over mountainous terrain to the vicinity of Florence.
Lt. Grave's plane was found after the battle of Arno River. Information was received from Italian civilians that Lt. Grave's plane had circled Pontedera Air Field several times at a very low altitude. It struck a tree at the south end of the field, exploded, crashed, and burned. At the time of the accident this field was in enemy territory but was not being used by the Germans. The remains of all the men in the ship were buried on the spot by civilians.
Airmen who perished in crash
Graves, William H. ~ 2LT, Pilot, KS
Dunn, Robert J. ~ SSGT, Bombardier, NJ
Eden, John J. ~ SGT, Gunner, WA
Adams, Robert P. ~ SGT, Gunner, IN
It was later found out that the plane had crashed and burned on the south end of Pontedera Air Field after striking a tree. The airfield at the time of the crash was behind enemy lines.
Local Italian civilians were able to retrieve the bodies which were buried there and later moved. In addition to SGT Adams, the crew included 2LT William H Graves - Pilot, SSG Robert J Dunn - Bombardier, SGT John J Eden - Gunner, and a Civilian Observer
----------------
Sergeant Robert Paul Adams, born in 1922, was the son of Paul Adams and Geneva Kathleen (Ream) Adams Borntrager of rural Rensselaer, Jasper County, Indiana. Rensselaer is in far northwest Indiana 52 miles south of Gary.
Robert's father died, when Robert was only 7 years old, at Clarks Hill, Tippecanoe County, Indiana on 18 Oct 1929 at the age of 32. His mother remarried Alvin Charles Borntrager.
In the 1940 census, 17 year-old Robert is living with his mother and step-father, his younger brother Morris (15), and his half-brother Max (7) in Marion, Jasper County, Indiana. His step-father is farming and Robert is working on the farm.
Robert enlisted in the Army Air Corps 4 Jan 1943 at Indianapolis and was assigned to the 97th Bomb Squadron of the 47th Bomb Group. Robert was a gunner on a Douglas A-20 which crashed behind enemy lines at unoccupied Pontedera Air Field on the night 4 Jul 1944. Pontedera is 38 miles west of Florence, Italy.
Statement of Harry L'Heureux, Captain, A C – On 4 July 1944, 2nd Lt. William H Graves, pilot, took off from Ombrone Airdrome, Italy, on a night armed reconnaissance mission, with a crew of S/Sgt Robert J Dunn, Sgts. Robert P. Adams and John J. Eden, and a civilian passenger, Dr. Browder J. Thompson. Lt. Graves' course was over mountainous terrain to the vicinity of Florence.
Lt. Grave's plane was found after the battle of Arno River. Information was received from Italian civilians that Lt. Grave's plane had circled Pontedera Air Field several times at a very low altitude. It struck a tree at the south end of the field, exploded, crashed, and burned. At the time of the accident this field was in enemy territory but was not being used by the Germans. The remains of all the men in the ship were buried on the spot by civilians.
Airmen who perished in crash
Graves, William H. ~ 2LT, Pilot, KS
Dunn, Robert J. ~ SSGT, Bombardier, NJ
Eden, John J. ~ SGT, Gunner, WA
Adams, Robert P. ~ SGT, Gunner, IN
Inscription
SGT 97 BOMB SQ 47 BOMB GP (L)
INDIANA
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Indiana.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
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