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This Remembrance Profile was originally created by CMSgt Don Skinner - Deceased
Contact Info
Home Town Alexander
Last Address Madison, Iowa
Date of Passing Jan 21, 1987
Location of Interment Earlham Cemetery - Madison, Iowa
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Robert Lewis Bobst was born in Alexander, Iowa on April 6, 1921. He was the son of Fred A. and Katherine Nelson Bobst. He attended St. Charles Elementary School and graduated from Patterson High School. NARA enlistment records could not be located, but given recorded details of his later service, it is likely he joined the military in 1942.
He was given navigator training, and approximately in October, 1943, he graduated and was commissioned. He married Sheryl Junkin on October 3, 1943. He was then sent to an operational training unit for combat crew training and assignment to a combat replacement crew. This crew arrived in England in late 1943, and began flying combat missions with the 715th Bomb Squadron of the 448th Bomb Group from Seething Air Station.
On April 29, 1944, the crew participated in a bombing raid on war facilities near Berlin, Germany. The aircraft was hit by several flak bursts, knocking out three engines. In addition, the nose turret, the top turret, and the tail assembly were damaged. Because of interior damage, the bomb bay doors had to be opened manually.
The pilot hoped to make the return to England, but losing altitude and air speed, he realized this was impossible. He waited until the aircraft approached the Danish island of Bornholm before he rang the bail out bell, giving the crew a chance to parachute on land rather than into the Baltic Sea. All crewmen bailed out, but one parachute did not open and the engineer fell to his death.
Lt Bobst landed on a farm where he was fed and hidden in a haystack. With the help of friendly Danes, he managed to reach the village of Bolshavn where he was furnished false ID and put on a ferry to Sweden. He later returned to England along with five other evadees. Three of the crew were captured.
After the war, Lt Bobst returned to Iowa where he served as an International Harvester dealer for 17 years. He also was employed as an engineer for Iowa Public Television for 20 years. He died from a heart attack while at the Veterans Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. He was buried in Earlham Cemetery in Madison, Iowa, survived by his wife Sheryl.
The aircraft involved in this incident was B-24H # 41-29479, nicknamed "Gypsy Queen," assigned to the 715th Bomb Squadron. Prior to April, 1944, this aircraft was assigned to the 487th Bomb Group, 838th Bomb Squadron, and bore nose art and the name "Big Bad Wolf." (See aircraft photo.)
In some accounts, mostly Danish, this aircraft is referred to as "Gypsy Moth."
Missing Air Crew Report 4488 was issued and identifies the crew as:
2 Lt Orland T. Howard p
F/O Thomas J. Verran c-p
2 Lt Robert L. Bobst nav
2 Lt Laurin M. Derossier
TSgt Harry J. Ambrosini eng/tt gun
TSgt Russell D. Leonard r/o
SSgt Stanley E. Jones nose gun
SSgt William L. Hutchins rwg
SSgt Garold W. Nininger lwg
Sgt Albert L. Heikkila tail gun
Lt Derossier's name is spelled DeRossier in some accounts.
Sgt Ambrosini was KIA; F/O Verran,SSgt Jones, and SSgt Nininger were captured. The others successfully evaded.
In the crew photo, Lt Bobst is in the back row, first on left.
1943-1943, AAF MOS 1034, 448th Bombardment Group, Heavy
VIII BC, 2 BD, 20 CBW 30 Nov 1943
2 BD, 20 CBW 8 Jan 1944
2 AD, 20 CBW 1 Jan 1945
Combat Aircraft:
B-24H
B-24J
B-24L
B-24M
Stations
SEETHING 30 November 1943 to 6 July 1945
Group COs
Col. James M. Thompson 1 May 1943 to 1 Apr 1944 (MIA)
Col. Gerry L. Mason 3 Apr 1944 to 13 Nov 1944
Col. Charles B. Westover 14 Nov 1944 to 27 May 1945
Lt. Col. Lester F. Miller 27 May 1945 to Jul 1945
First Mission: 22 Dec 1943
Last Mission: 25 Apr 1945
Missions: 262
Total Sorties: 6,774
Total Bomb Tonnage: 15,272 Tons
Aircraft MIA: 101
Major Awards:
None
Early History:
Activated 1 May 1943 at Gowen Field Idaho were initial training was conducted. Then the unit moved to Wendover Field, Utah on the fourth of July 1943 for the second phase of training, and finial training at Sioux City AAB, Iowa from 16 September to early November 1943. The ground unit went to Camp Shanks, NY, and sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on the 23rd of November 1943, and arrived at Clyde on the 29th November 1943. The aircraft left Sioux City on the third of November 1943 for Herrington field in Kansas. The aircraft flew for The United Kingdom via the Southern ferry route from Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Belem, Dakar, and Marrakesh. Three aircraft were lost in route.
Subsequent History:
Redeployed to the US June/July 1945. First of the aircraft departed the United Kingdom on mid-June 1945. The ground echelon sailed from Greenock on the Queen Mary on the sixth of July 1945, arriving in New York on the 11th of July 1945. Personnel had 30 days R and R. Group established at Sioux Falls AAFd, SD where the Group was trained as a B-29 unit. On the sixth of May 1946 the 715 Bomb Squadron was re-assigned to the 509th Bomb Group and was inactivated in 1965. The 448 Bomb Group was inactivated on the fourth of August 1946.
Activated 1 May 1943 at Gowen Field Idaho were initial training was conducted. Then the unit moved to Wendover Field, Utah on the Fourth of July 1943 for the second phase of training, and finial training at Sioux City AAB, Iowa from 16 September to early November 1943. The ground unit went to Camp Shanks, New York, and sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on 23 November 1943, and arrived at Clyde on 29 November 1943. The aircraft left Sioux City on the third of November 1943 for Herrington field in Kansas. The aircraft flew for The United Kingdom via the Southern ferry route from Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Belém, Dakar, and Marrakesh. Three aircraft were lost in route. Moved to RAF Seething England, November�??December 1943, and assigned to Eighth Air Force. Assigned to the 20th Combat Bombardment Wing. The group tail code was a "Circle-I".
The 448th flew B-24 Liberators as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign. The group enered combat on 22 December 1943, and until April 1945 served primarily as a strategic bombardment organization, hitting such targets as aircraft factories in Gotha, ball-bearing plants in Berlin, an airfield at Hanau, U-boat facilities at Kiel, a chemical plant at Ludwigshafen, synthetic oil refineries at Politz, aircraft engine plants at Rostock, marshalling yards at Cologne, and a Buzz-bomb assembly plant at Fallersleben. The group took part in the intensive campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry during Big Week, 20�??25 February 1944.
In addition to strategic operations, flew interdictory and support missions. Bombed V-weapon sites, airfields, and transportation facilities prior to the Normandy invasion in June 1944, and on D-Day attacked coastal defenses and choke points. Struck enemy positions to assist the Allied offensive at Caen and the breakthrough at Saint-Lô in July. Dropped supplies to airborne troops near Nijmegen during the airborne attack on Holland in September. Bombed transportation and communications centers in the combat zone during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 �?? January 1945. Dropped supplies to troops at Wesel during the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945.
The group flew its last combat mission on 25 April, attacking a marshalling yard at Salzburg.
Redeployed to the US June/July 1945. First of the aircraft departed the United Kingdom on mid-June 1945. The ground echelon sailed from Greenock on the Queen Mary on the sixth of July 1945, arriving in New York on 11 July 1945
Group established at Sioux Falls AAFd, South Dakota where the Group was trained as a B-29 unit under Second Air Force. On the sixth of May 1946 the 715 Bomb Squadron was re-assigned to the 509th Bomb Group. Inactivated in August 1946 at Fort Worth AAF, Texas.
Reactivated in April 1947 as a reserve Tactical Air Command Fighter-Bomber unit at Long Beach Airport, California. Mmost personnel called up to active duty during the Korean War and assigned to other units. Inactivated March 1951. Reactivated as a reserve F-86 fighter bomber group in 1955 at Dallas NAS (Hensley Field). Inactivated 1957
