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MAJ  Robert E. FLESHER

UNIT: 418th BOMB Sqdn POSITION: COM 

Robert E. Flesher - Shown here as the Commanding Officer of the 418th. (100th Photo Archives)

SERIAL #: STATUS: NOC
MACR:

Comments1: COMMANDING OFFICER of 418TH SQUADRON

COMMENTS & NOTES

MEMO 1:

CREW

On October 29, 1942, then Captain Robert E. Flesher was made Squadron CO for the 418th Bomb Squadron.  In early June 1943,  Major Flesher flew overseas with the personnel listed below:  

Crew # A 5 Aircraft #42 5863   "Paddlefoot's Proxy"

Major Robert E. Flesher  Pilot (418th Squadron C.O.)
Capt Albert M. Elton  Pilot Completed Tour (Replaced Buck Cleven as 350th BS C.O.)
T/Sgt Loyd C. Cresap  Bomb Sight Maint.
M/Sgt Gene A. VanGemert Line Chief
M/Sgt William R. Shultz  Flight Chief
M/Sgt Joseph E. Hafer  Radio POW 10 October 1943 Munster
S/Sgt Rex F. Creitz  Bomb Sight Maint.
W/O Ralph L. DeLong  Grouup S l
2nd Lt Jack C. Boyd  Co- Pilot KiA 3 Sept. 1943 Beaumont le Roqer AF  ATC Navigator

In June 1943, three days after the arrival of the air echelon, Group Commander Colonel Howard Turner was replaced by Colonel Harold Huglin.  Before leaving for First Wing, Turner recommended Major Egan be relieved as air executive (operations officer) and appointed C.O. of the 418th and Capt. Robert Flesher (believe a Major at this point)  be moved from the 418th to Air Exec.  See Bowman Diary entry for June 14, 1943 for more info on all the personnel changes made that day by Col Huglin.    

Missions of Major Robert E. Flesher:

 DATE  MISSION  A/C# & NAME    POSITION

1. 25/07/43 BREMEN  230087 SHACKRAT   COM P WITH LT. JACK  SWARTOUT
2. 10/07/43 LeBOURGET  230061 JUST-A-SNAPPIN  COM P WITH LT. EV  BLAKELY
3. 17/07/43 HAMBURG  230047 SWEATER GIRL  COM P WITH LT. MARK CARNELL
4. 25/07/43 KIEL   230089 SUNNY    COM P WITH LT. GLENN DYE
5. 23/09/43 VANNES       
6. 29/11/43 BREMEN       COM P LEAD 3RD AIR DIVISION

Somewhere around October/November 1943, Maj Flesher was promoted to Lt Colonel Flesher.  After the November 11, 1943 mission to Bremen we have very little information on Col Flesher. Anyone with further info on Maj Flesher is encourage to contact us. 



340 Weapons Squadron


Lineage
Constituted 340 Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 3 Feb 1942. Redesignated 340 Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 6 Mar 1944. Inactivated on 29 Oct 1945. Redesignated 340 Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 15 Jul 1946. Activated on 4 Aug 1946. Redesignated: 340 Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 May 1948; 340 Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 1 Oct 1959; 340 Bomb Squadron on 1 Sep 1991. Inactivated on 7 Jan 1992. Redesignated 340 Weapons Squadron on 24 Jan 2003. Activated on 3 Feb 2003.


Assignments
97 Bombardment Group, 3 Feb 1942-29 Oct 1945. 97 Bombardment Group, 4 Aug 1946; 97 Bombardment Wing, attached 10 Feb 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952; 97 Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991-7 Jan 1992. USAF Weapons School, 3 Feb 2003-.


Stations

MacDill Field, FL, 3 Feb 1942; Sarasota, FL, 29 Mar-16 May 1942; Polebrook, England, 11 Jun-10 Nov 1942; Maison Blanche, Algeria, c. 13 Nov 1942; Tafaraoui, Algeria, c. 22 Nov 1942; Bizkra, Algeria, 26 Dec 1942; Chateaudun-du-Rhumel, Algeria, 8 Feb 1943; Pont-du-Fahs, Tunisia, 12 Aug 1943; Depienne, Tunisia, 14 Aug 1943; Carignola, Italy, c. 14 Dec 1943; Amendola, Italy, 17 Jan 1944; Marcianise, Italy, c. Oct-29 Oct 1945. Smoky Hill AAFld, KS, 4 Aug 1946 (deployed at Mile 26 Airfield [later, Eielson AFB], AK, 


Commanders

Unkn, 3 Feb-28 Mar 1942; Maj Paul W. Tibbets, 29 Mar 1942; Maj Robert E. Coulter, 9 Sep 1942; Maj C. David Hoffman, 2 Feb 1943; Lt Col Frank Allen, c. Sep 1943; Maj James C. Hamilton, 20 Nov 1943; Maj John R. Delapp, 8 May 1944; Capt Rush R. Spradley, 1 Jun 1944; Maj Robert E. Shafer, 17 Jun 1944; Capt Kenneth W. Whitehorn, by Jun-29 Oct 1945.  Lt Col Robert E. Flesher, 17 Sep 1946-Nov 5, 1946

MEMO 2:


			

             
            

         

         
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PHOTOS:

           
                                                   
Robert Flesher, Deputy Group Commander with a very special friend. (100th Photo Archives)
Major Robert E. Flesher, squadron CO for the 418th in March 1944 cleaning his colt 45. Detailed Information (from the collection of Edmund Forkner)
 Robert E. Flesher, 418th Commanding Officer, and one of the many mascots of the 100th 
Lt. R.A. Smith, Capt. R. E. Flesher, Lt. Ramsey and Lt. Burns, taken at Kearney Nebraska, 21 March 1943  (from the collection of Edmund Forkner)
L-R standing: Lt Burns, Lt Hobbs, Lt Toomey, Lt Ramsey, Lt Lash
Seated: Maj Flesher. CO 418th BS. 
                 
From left: Robert E. Flesher and John Bennett. (100th Photo Archives)
From left: Colonel Neil B. "Chick" Harding, Robert Flesher & Albert "Bucky" Elton. (100th Photo Archives)
 Officers await mission return. Kidd Collection 
 Col. Curtis LeMay presenting the DFC to Maj. Flesher - Air Exe. Other DFC's are presented to the crews that flew the Regensburg mission on 17 August 1943. Left to right: William Veal, Jack Kidd, Everett Blakely (blocked by LeMay), John Brady, Jack Justice, Thomas Murphy and Henry Henington. (100th Photo Archives) 
Chick Harding (2nd from Left) Robert Flesher (third from Left), and Bucky Elton (far right) are in the photo
Brig Gen Harold Q Huglin CG of 13th Combat Wing in Center of Photo. Visitors to HQ 
  Photo is taken at Horham.  Maj Robert Flesher is standing third from the Right. 
Brig. Gen. Harold Huglin and Maj Flesher at 13th Combat Wing HQ. 
The original damaged image to this piece of work is a mere 93KB 'big' and only 72 dpi in resolution. Not very much to go on!The officers and pilots of the 100th BG on a bright but very cold clear day at Thorpe Abbotts, England, in the winter 1943-44. I am unsure if they are watching the planes in or out!?
Image: Richard Tallent Collection - 100th BG Association - All rights reserved.
Repair, re-balance, colourisation - Nathan Howland @HowdiColour .

Standing L-R  Sam Barr with back to us, Maj Flesher, Air Exec, Capt Sumner Reeder, S-2 officers Cosgrove and Red Bowman, 
Top of tower is Col Chick Harding Group CO and Maj Jack Kidd, Operations Officer
The first group of 100th Bomb Group personnel to receive the Air Medal (from the collection of John Luckadoo). 

           
 

       
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