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Personnel

Lt

Robert E. DIBBLE

Robert E. Dibble

Robert E. Dibble from the Edgar F. Woodward, Jr. Crew receiving the Purple Heart 14 Aug 1943. On the mission to Merville AF the next day (15 Aug 1943) Dibble was KIA Detailed Information (100th Photo Archives)

Hometown During Time of Service: Bangor, MI
Army Serial Number: O-731035
Enlistment Date: February 24, 1941
Assigned to the 100th Bombardment Group
Location:
Unit: 418th Bombardment Squadron
Rank: Lieutenant
Position: Bombardier
Beginning Date of 100th Service: Unknown
Time of Service at Thorpe Abbotts: Unknown - Unknown

Additional 100th Service Notes

Status: KIA
Comments: 15 AUG 43 MERVILLE AF, FRANCE (Original 100th, Crew #33)

Awards and Commendations (in the order received)

Purple Heart

General Order #21 dated 2 August 1943
Robert E. Dibble, O-731035, 2nd Lieutenant, 418th Bombardment Squadron, 100th Bombardment Group (H), Army Air Forces, United States Army. For wound received in action against an enemy of the United States 28 July 1943, while serving as a Bombardier on a B-17 airplane on a combat mission over Germany. Home address: Bangor, Michigan.

Biography

Born September 11, 1919
Birthplace: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Media Articles

Use your thumb to scroll through the results box below.

Media ItemTypePageVolume/IssueBroadcast SourceTimeDescriptionFile
Robert Dibble marriesPrintWisconsin State Journal Dec 28 194212:00 am
Robert Dibble flies over homePrintThe Herald Palladium Jan 28 194312:00 am
Robert Dibble Purple HeartPrintThe Herald Pelladium Sept 29 194312:00 am
Emmanual Cassimatis describes mission when Dibble is KIAPrintSt Louis Globe Democrat October 26 194512:00 am
Robert Dibble killed in air raidPrintThe Herald Palladium Aug 23 194312:00 am
Robert Dibble dies PrintThe Grand Rapids Press August 24 194312:00 am
Robert Dibble ObituaryPrint12:00 am
Robert Dibble’s awarded DFC posthumouslyPrintThe Herald Palladium12:00 am
Robert Dibble repatriatedPrintThe Herald Palladium Feb 16 194912:00 am

Additional Military Documents

Robert Dibble

Draft Registration card front

Comments and Notes

Memo 1:
CREW
1ST LT EDGAR F. WOODWARD, JR.

CREW #33 A/C #42-5860 "Escape Kit" MACR #688

1ST LT EDGAR WOODWARD, JR P; INT 6 SEP 43 STUTTGART
F/O JOHN H., THOMPSON CP; POW 6 SEP 43 STUTTGART
2ND LT EMANUEL A. CASSIMATIS NAV; POW 6 SEP 43 STUTTGART
2ND LT ROBERT E. DIBBLE BOM; KIA 15 AUG 43 MERVILLE AF (killed by Flak)
S/SGT FRANK DANELLA TTE; POW 6 SEP 43 STUTTGART
T/SGT MELVIN E. GAIDE ROG; POW 6 SEP 43 STUTTGART
S/SGT CHARLES J. GRIFFIN WG; POW 6 SEP 43 STUTTGART
S/SGT GEORGE A. JANOS BTG; POW 6 SEP 43 STUTTGART
S/SGT WILLIAM D. BROOKS TG; POW 6 SEP 43 STUTTGART
S/SGT DONALD H. FLETCHER WG; POW 6 SEP 43 STUTTGART

NOTES: THIS IS AN "ORIGINAL CREW" OF THE 100TH BOMB GROUP.


1ST LT EDGAR F. WOODWARD, JR. Missions

Date. SN#. Target. A/C Name
June 26, 1943 25860 LeMans Escape Kit
June 28, 1943 25860 St Nazaire Escape Kit
June 29, 1944 25860 LeMans Escape Kit
July 4, 1943 25860 LaPallice Escape Kit
July 10, 1943 229931 LeBourget Jaybird
July 14, 1943 25860 LeBourget Escape Kit
July 17, 1943 25860 Hamburg Escape Kit
July 24, 1943 25860 Trondheim Escape Kit
July 25, 1943 25860 Warnemunde Escape Kit
July 26, 1943 25860 Hanover Escape Kit
July 28, 1943 25860 Oschersleben Escape Kit
July 30, 1943 25860 Kassel Escape Kit
Aug 15, 1943 KIA. Merville & Lille

ON 6 SEP 43, LT PAUL L. ENGLERT WHOSE CREW (#30 Lt William Flesh) WAS LOST ON THE 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG MISSION AS BOMBARDIER AND BECAME A POW.

Crew #33 418th Sqdn. MACR #688 Microfiche #227

Mission: Stuttgart A/C#'42-30402 (POONTANG)
Date: 6 Sept.1943
Time. 0930

Capt.Edgar F.Woodward,Jr. P INTERNEE
F/O John H.Thompson CP POW
2nd Lt Emanuel A.Cassimatis NAV POW
1st Lt Paul L,Englert BOM POW
T/Sgt Frank Danella TTE POW
T/Sgt Melvin E.Gaide ROG POW
S/Sgt George A.Janos BTG POW
S/Sgt Donald H.Fletcher RWG POW
S/Sgt Charles J.Griffin LWG POW
S/Sgt William D.Brooks TG POW

Eyewitness accounts:

"Saw Woodward's ship going down at 4830N-0803E at 0929 #2 engine was windmilling. everything else seemed to be OK."
Walter U. "Chief" Moreno 1st Lt.

"Saw Capt. Woodward's A/C turned out of formation under control and headed for Switzerland. Nothing seemed wrong with A/C,"
John D. Brady, 1st Lt.

"A/C #402 at 0930 approximately 2 miles north of Strasbourg salvoed bombs into a woods. Headed south and went under cloud deck.All engines turning over. No E/A or AA at this time."
Gale W. Cleven,Major, 350th BS C.O.

A letter from D.H.Fletcher of 25/1/84 states that on the way into the target, an oil leak in #2 engine. Woodward could then have aborted,but decided to press on.Somewhere near the IP oil pressure went to zero and prop would not feather - cylinder head temp. went sky high. If engine seized and prop came off it could have been disastrous to ship.It was decided to head south for Switzerland. When they believed themselves over Switzerland,the crew bailed. It turned out that only Woodward, who remained with aircraft until the crew had successfully bailed out, landed in Switzerland,the others in Germany.

See S.O.C. p.19


EDGAR WOODWARD WAS ON THE "ADDRESS UNKNOWN" V.A. LIST FOR MANY YEARS, BUT AS OF 1993 HE RESIDES IN ALEXANDER, VA . HE WAS CONTACTED BY THE 100TH SPLASHER SIX EDITIOR HARRY H. CROSBY.CREW


T/SGT GAIDE WAS IN Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf Near Krems Austria 48-15.
Memo 2:
Mortally wounded by FLAK fragment through nose of aircraft.

KIA / MIA / EVA / INT Information:

Target:
Merville
Aircraft:
"The Poontang" (42-30402)
Date:
1943-08-15
Cause:
FLAK

Crew List

1st Crew List

Use your thumb to scroll through the results box below.

Rank Name Pos Status
Lt WOODWARD, Edgar F. P INT
F/O THOMPSON, John H. CP POW
Lt CASSIMATIS, Emanuel A. NAV POW
Lt DIBBLE, Robert E. BOM KIA
T/Sgt DANELLA, Frank TTE POW
T/Sgt GAIDE, Melvin E. ROG POW
S/Sgt JANOS, George A. BTG POW
S/Sgt FLETCHER, Donald H. WG POW
S/Sgt GRIFFIN, Charles J. WG POW
S/Sgt BROOKS, William D. TG POW