Gouverneur Free Press - Wednesday Feb 27, 1946
Missing in action over Germany since February 17, 1945, First Lieutenant Robert E. Murphy, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold J. Murphy, 88 North Gordon Street, is now presumed to have died on his 34th mission as a B-17 Flying Fortress co-pilot with the 8th Air Force, based in England.
After bombing Frankfurt Germany, Lieut. Murphy's ship was hit by flak. A War Department communication has set February 18, 1946, as the date of his death, pointing out that this date was set in accordance with termination of such cases after the legal period of 12 months had elapsed without evidence as to the survival of the individual concerned.
Reports indicate 18 bodies from the crews of two ships of the group downed that day were found in the civilian cemetery at the city of Hanau, 13 miles east of Frankfurt. Most of these were identified or known by cemetery records, but Lt. Murphy's name was not in the records.
The tail gunner is the only known survivor. He was taken prisoner, hospitalized and later freed and returned home. From a friend and fellow pilot who flew next to Murphy's ship on this mission, the family learned flak hit the waist section and cut one wing from the ship. Lt Murphys ship was forced down twice before and limped home on another occasion.
Lieut Murphy, holder of the air medal with added oak leaf clusters, was on Christmas Eve of 1944 in the 8th Air Force's biggest raid when 2,300 bombers escorted by 1,000 fighers went to Darmstadt near Frankfurt. When over the German bulge in Belgium two engines were hit and crippled. They landed just behind U.S. lines at Charleroi, Belgium, and were strafed by German planes enroute to Brussells and again strafed while there. The crew were nine days getting back to base. They were again forced down in Belgium on February 1.
Lt. Murphy was with the 388th bomb group unit of the famed Third air division, cited by the president for a shuttle mission to Africa.
A native of Gouverneur, he graduated in 1941 from Gouverneur high school where he was captain of the football team, member of the band, chorus, orchestra and quartet; and sports writer for the school weekly and yearbook. He took post graduate work in 1942 and then entered defense work at Buffalo until entering the air corps at Syracuse Feb 1, 1943. He had also reported for Syracuse and Watertown papers.
He took basic training at Atlantic City, college training at Rochester business institute, classification at Nashville, Tenn., and flight training at Maxwell Field, Ala., Cape Girardeau and Malden, Mo, and Stuttgart, Ark prior to appointment as flight officer.
He trained in four-engine bombers at Drew Field, Tampa, Fla and at Savannah, Ga, shortly before going overseas in July 1844 and was commissioned a second lieutenant. In December 1944 he was advanced to first lieutenant while overseas.
Besides the parents, the family includes a brother, Gordon E. Murphy, who is a senior at Gouverneur High School.
Missing in action over Germany since February 17, 1945, First Lieutenant Robert E. Murphy, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold J. Murphy, 88 North Gordon Street, is now presumed to have died on his 34th mission as a B-17 Flying Fortress co-pilot with the 8th Air Force, based in England.
After bombing Frankfurt Germany, Lieut. Murphy's ship was hit by flak. A War Department communication has set February 18, 1946, as the date of his death, pointing out that this date was set in accordance with termination of such cases after the legal period of 12 months had elapsed without evidence as to the survival of the individual concerned.
Reports indicate 18 bodies from the crews of two ships of the group downed that day were found in the civilian cemetery at the city of Hanau, 13 miles east of Frankfurt. Most of these were identified or known by cemetery records, but Lt. Murphy's name was not in the records.
The tail gunner is the only known survivor. He was taken prisoner, hospitalized and later freed and returned home. From a friend and fellow pilot who flew next to Murphy's ship on this mission, the family learned flak hit the waist section and cut one wing from the ship. Lt Murphys ship was forced down twice before and limped home on another occasion.
Lieut Murphy, holder of the air medal with added oak leaf clusters, was on Christmas Eve of 1944 in the 8th Air Force's biggest raid when 2,300 bombers escorted by 1,000 fighers went to Darmstadt near Frankfurt. When over the German bulge in Belgium two engines were hit and crippled. They landed just behind U.S. lines at Charleroi, Belgium, and were strafed by German planes enroute to Brussells and again strafed while there. The crew were nine days getting back to base. They were again forced down in Belgium on February 1.
Lt. Murphy was with the 388th bomb group unit of the famed Third air division, cited by the president for a shuttle mission to Africa.
A native of Gouverneur, he graduated in 1941 from Gouverneur high school where he was captain of the football team, member of the band, chorus, orchestra and quartet; and sports writer for the school weekly and yearbook. He took post graduate work in 1942 and then entered defense work at Buffalo until entering the air corps at Syracuse Feb 1, 1943. He had also reported for Syracuse and Watertown papers.
He took basic training at Atlantic City, college training at Rochester business institute, classification at Nashville, Tenn., and flight training at Maxwell Field, Ala., Cape Girardeau and Malden, Mo, and Stuttgart, Ark prior to appointment as flight officer.
He trained in four-engine bombers at Drew Field, Tampa, Fla and at Savannah, Ga, shortly before going overseas in July 1844 and was commissioned a second lieutenant. In December 1944 he was advanced to first lieutenant while overseas.
Besides the parents, the family includes a brother, Gordon E. Murphy, who is a senior at Gouverneur High School.
Gouverneur Free Press - Wednesday Feb 27, 1946
Missing in action over Germany since February 17, 1945, First Lieutenant Robert E. Murphy, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold J. Murphy, 88 North Gordon Street, is now presumed to have died on his 34th mission as a B-17 Flying Fortress co-pilot with the 8th Air Force, based in England.
After bombing Frankfurt Germany, Lieut. Murphy's ship was hit by flak. A War Department communication has set February 18, 1946, as the date of his death, pointing out that this date was set in accordance with termination of such cases after the legal period of 12 months had elapsed without evidence as to the survival of the individual concerned.
Reports indicate 18 bodies from the crews of two ships of the group downed that day were found in the civilian cemetery at the city of Hanau, 13 miles east of Frankfurt. Most of these were identified or known by cemetery records, but Lt. Murphy's name was not in the records.
The tail gunner is the only known survivor. He was taken prisoner, hospitalized and later freed and returned home. From a friend and fellow pilot who flew next to Murphy's ship on this mission, the family learned flak hit the waist section and cut one wing from the ship. Lt Murphys ship was forced down twice before and limped home on another occasion.
Lieut Murphy, holder of the air medal with added oak leaf clusters, was on Christmas Eve of 1944 in the 8th Air Force's biggest raid when 2,300 bombers escorted by 1,000 fighers went to Darmstadt near Frankfurt. When over the German bulge in Belgium two engines were hit and crippled. They landed just behind U.S. lines at Charleroi, Belgium, and were strafed by German planes enroute to Brussells and again strafed while there. The crew were nine days getting back to base. They were again forced down in Belgium on February 1.
Lt. Murphy was with the 388th bomb group unit of the famed Third air division, cited by the president for a shuttle mission to Africa.
A native of Gouverneur, he graduated in 1941 from Gouverneur high school where he was captain of the football team, member of the band, chorus, orchestra and quartet; and sports writer for the school weekly and yearbook. He took post graduate work in 1942 and then entered defense work at Buffalo until entering the air corps at Syracuse Feb 1, 1943. He had also reported for Syracuse and Watertown papers.
He took basic training at Atlantic City, college training at Rochester business institute, classification at Nashville, Tenn., and flight training at Maxwell Field, Ala., Cape Girardeau and Malden, Mo, and Stuttgart, Ark prior to appointment as flight officer.
He trained in four-engine bombers at Drew Field, Tampa, Fla and at Savannah, Ga, shortly before going overseas in July 1844 and was commissioned a second lieutenant. In December 1944 he was advanced to first lieutenant while overseas.
Besides the parents, the family includes a brother, Gordon E. Murphy, who is a senior at Gouverneur High School.
Missing in action over Germany since February 17, 1945, First Lieutenant Robert E. Murphy, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold J. Murphy, 88 North Gordon Street, is now presumed to have died on his 34th mission as a B-17 Flying Fortress co-pilot with the 8th Air Force, based in England.
After bombing Frankfurt Germany, Lieut. Murphy's ship was hit by flak. A War Department communication has set February 18, 1946, as the date of his death, pointing out that this date was set in accordance with termination of such cases after the legal period of 12 months had elapsed without evidence as to the survival of the individual concerned.
Reports indicate 18 bodies from the crews of two ships of the group downed that day were found in the civilian cemetery at the city of Hanau, 13 miles east of Frankfurt. Most of these were identified or known by cemetery records, but Lt. Murphy's name was not in the records.
The tail gunner is the only known survivor. He was taken prisoner, hospitalized and later freed and returned home. From a friend and fellow pilot who flew next to Murphy's ship on this mission, the family learned flak hit the waist section and cut one wing from the ship. Lt Murphys ship was forced down twice before and limped home on another occasion.
Lieut Murphy, holder of the air medal with added oak leaf clusters, was on Christmas Eve of 1944 in the 8th Air Force's biggest raid when 2,300 bombers escorted by 1,000 fighers went to Darmstadt near Frankfurt. When over the German bulge in Belgium two engines were hit and crippled. They landed just behind U.S. lines at Charleroi, Belgium, and were strafed by German planes enroute to Brussells and again strafed while there. The crew were nine days getting back to base. They were again forced down in Belgium on February 1.
Lt. Murphy was with the 388th bomb group unit of the famed Third air division, cited by the president for a shuttle mission to Africa.
A native of Gouverneur, he graduated in 1941 from Gouverneur high school where he was captain of the football team, member of the band, chorus, orchestra and quartet; and sports writer for the school weekly and yearbook. He took post graduate work in 1942 and then entered defense work at Buffalo until entering the air corps at Syracuse Feb 1, 1943. He had also reported for Syracuse and Watertown papers.
He took basic training at Atlantic City, college training at Rochester business institute, classification at Nashville, Tenn., and flight training at Maxwell Field, Ala., Cape Girardeau and Malden, Mo, and Stuttgart, Ark prior to appointment as flight officer.
He trained in four-engine bombers at Drew Field, Tampa, Fla and at Savannah, Ga, shortly before going overseas in July 1844 and was commissioned a second lieutenant. In December 1944 he was advanced to first lieutenant while overseas.
Besides the parents, the family includes a brother, Gordon E. Murphy, who is a senior at Gouverneur High School.
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