Personnel

CREW

 

CAPT CHARLES E. ROBBS  P FEH TAPS: 6 APR 1967

2ND LT ORVILLE K. BROYLES  CP FEH TAPS: 2 SEP 1986

2ND LT JAMES J. HAWLEY  NAV FEH 

2ND LT ROBERT V. GILDEA  BOM FEH

CPL ALBERT P. LOCHRA, JR. ROG FEH

CPL CLARENCE V. HENDERSON TTE FEH TAPS: 28 OCT 1982

CPL FRANK KOPUS, JR  WG FEH

CPL ANTHONY S. CHEFFO  BTG FEH TAPS: 13 NOV 1983

CPL HAROLD E. JOHNSON  TG FEH

 

351ST SQDN.. JOINED THE 100TH ON 9 FEB 1945.  

2ND LT BROYLES BECAME THE PILOT OF THIS CREW IN EARLY MARCH WHEN CAPT. ROBBS LEFT THE CREW.  ROBBS BECAME A COMMAND PILOT, WHICH SUGGESTS HE WAS PART OF 351ST BS OPERATIONS. ON APRIL 6, 1945 CAPT. ROBBS WAS TRANSFERRED TO 350TH BS AS OPERATIONS OFFICER.  IN JUNE 1945 LT COL. DAVID “HANDLEBAR HANK” LYSTER WAS TRANSFERRED STATESIDE AND WAS REPLACED BY CAPT. CHARLES ROBBS AS 350TH BS COMMANDING OFFICER, HE WAS PROMOTED TO MAJOR.

 

COMBAT MISSIONS FOR CAPT. CHARLES ROBBS

 

# 1. FEB 25,1945       MUNICH    MARSHALLING YARDS… (Capt. Robbs-Pilot)            44-8632   EP-H

# 2  FEB 26,1945       BERLIN     CITY…..(Capt Robbs-Pilot)                                  43-37815   EP-L  "YOU CAN'T LOSE"

# 3  MARCH 2,1945    DRESDEN     FACTORY-(Capt Robbs-Pilot)                            42-31530   EP-X   "QUITTIN' TIME" 

TAKEN OFF CREW AND BECAME A COMMAND PILOT (THIS WOULD SUGGEST THAT CAPT. ROBBS, A WEST POINT GRAD, WAS PART OF SQUADRON OPERATIONS, FOR THE 351STBOMB SQUADRON.  COPILOT BROYLES WAS PROMOTED TO FIRST LIEUTENANT AND TOOK OVER THE CREW AT THIS POINT. 

# 4   MARCH 14, 1945 SEELZE,   ROBBS / CHAMPION ,    C-SQDN LEAD,   44-8226 LN-B  "JIMBO"  PFF A/C  HARDSTAND # 23 



The following  is a lead to Seelze 14 March 1945



Command Pilot                Capt. C.E. Robbs

Pilot                            Lt. I. Champion

Co-Pilot  (Formation Officer)  Lt. J.A. Plough

Navigator                       Lt. R. Andris

Radar Navigator              Lt. N.T. Gault

Bombardier                    Lt. W.J. Wellings

Radio Operator               S/Sgt H.A. Krumwiede

Engineer                        S/Sgt H.E. Lodl

Waist Gunner                  S/Sgt F.J. Finn

Waist Gunner                  Sgt A.R. Spencer 

    

# 5   MARCH 19, 1945 JENA,  ROBBS/ HUTCHINSON  C-SQDN  LEAD,  44- 8209 EP-A  "THE BRASS HAT"  PFF A/C  HARDSTAND # 8 



CAPT. CHARLES E. ROBBS               COMMAND PILOT

2ND LT DAVID E. HUTCHINSON         PILOT

2ND LT PAUL B. BATTERMAN           CP and FORMATION OFFICER

2ND LT NORMAN GRAHAM             NAV

2ND LT ARTHUR ZEMSKE             BOMB

SGT THOMAS FAGAN                  ROG

T/SGT ANTHONY C. SAPPER         TTE

S/SGT GEORGE D. MAST               WG

S/SGT JOSEPH W. KAMPER, JR        BTG

S/SGT WILLIAM R. TAYLOR              TG

   

# 6   MARCH  28, 1945  HANOVER   ROBBS/  ELLIS,  B-SQDN LEAD   44-8009 XR-E  "THIS WILL KILL YOU"  PFF A/C   HARDSTAND # 14 



Command Pilot: Capt.C.E. Robbs

 Pilot  Lt.R.C. Ellis

 Co-Pilot  Lt. F.C. Beedle

 Navigator Lt C. F. Romaniwski

 Radar Navigator Lt. F.A. Turner

 Bombardier Lt. A.H. Belimow

 Radio Operator T/Sgt   P. Glanz 

 Engineer T/Sgt R.J. Whybrow

 Waist Gunner S/Sgt   R.D. Thomas

 Waist Gunner S/Sgt   R.G. Kendig

LT MELVIN  D. SNYDER (from Lt Dodrill Crew) FLEW WITH THE BOB ELLIS CREW AS THE 351ST'S LEAD BOMBARDIER



APRIL 6, 1945, MAJOR JOHN P. GIBBONS IS PROMOTED TO LT COL AND TRANSFERRED TO GROUP HQ, HE IS REPLACED BY CAPT. ROBBS AS OPERATIONS OFFICER OF THE 350TH BOMB SQUADRON.  



# 7   APRIL 8,1945  EGER, MY (CZECH),   ROBBS / HELLERICK   B-SQDN LEAD,  183  Q  43,  44-8183  LD-Q (no name)  PFF A/C  



 Command Pilot          Capt. C.E. Robbs

 Pilot                         Lt.  C. Hellerich 

 Co-Pilot(Tail Observer) Lt. E. Whitney

 Navigator                  Lt.  L.W. Duncan

 Radar Navigator         F/O J.H. Clinton

 Bombardier               Lt.  A.J. Shiurba

 Radio Operator     S/Sgt   J.J. Finn

 Engineer              S/Sgt  W.W. Miller

 Waist Gunner          Sgt   R.L.Blair

 Waist Gunner          Sgt  W.A. Platzner  

 

PRACTICE MISSION:

APRIL 13,1945   ROBBS  HELLERICK, A-SQDN LEAD  794 B  r/w 4   44-8794   LD-B  (no name)  PFF A/C  HARDSTAND  R/W 04 



 Command Pilot          Capt. C.E. Robbs

 Pilot                         Lt.  C. Hellerich 

 Co-Pilot(Tail Observer) Lt. E. Whitney

 Navigator                  Lt.  L.W. Duncan

 Radar Navigator         F/O J.H. Clinton

 Bombardier               Lt.  A.J. Shiurba

 Radio Operator     S/Sgt   J.J. Finn

 Engineer              S/Sgt  W.W. Miller

 Waist Gunner          Sgt   R.L.Blair

 Waist Gunner          Sgt  W.A. Platzner

  

FERRY MISSION (HORSCHING): 

MAY 19,1945   ROBBS  ELLIS, B-SQDN LEAD     209  A  8    44-8209  EP-A  "THE BRASS HAT"  PFF A/C   HARDSTAND # 8   (Editors Note:color photo of aircraft on this mission on 100th BGF website)

 

Subj: Re: 100thBG Feedback Form  

Date: 12/11/2001 9:19:02 AM Pacific Standard Time 

From: robbs_pc@email.msn.com (philip robbs)

To: MPFaley@aol.com 

Sent from the Internet (Details) 

 

Charles Eugene Robbs was my father.

 

Your search engine still does not seem to work when I search for anything under either "Pilot" or "People", although the higher level search engine does seem to work when I just try and "find" Robb.I just tried again with "Smi" and got nothing (No Smith….).  The engine really doesn't seem to be working right.

 

1. You have a picture of my father listed on page of 6 of the 100th Bomb Group Aux Units, described "only" as Lt Robb.  I believe he was a Captain or perhaps Major, depending on when it was taken, but maybe the uniform tells that.  There is an "s" on the end of his name.  He was a 1942 West Point Graduate, and I believe he may have done some training of others in flying before he came over.  Rumor has it that he drove all night to get to his physical and failed due to messed up body chemistry, so had to wait another 6 months to pass.

 

2. According to the book "They Never Had It So Good" by Jack W. Sheridan, (limited edition 1946), which is a history of the 350th (Jack was a ground crew from the beginning)…..Charles Eugene Robbs (he went thru life as Gene….at least as far as I knew him)….became Squad Operations Officer of the 350th in April 1945 and CO of the 350th in June of 1945.  These are the only two references of Charles Robbs in his book.  I was not aware that dad was in the 351st before the 350th, nor that he was CO of the 351st.  Are you sure of this?  Do you know the name of his ship?



"Brass Hat"……DP FERRY MISSION GERMANY TO PARIS…MAY19,1945  B-SQDN LEAD  ROBBS- ELLIS   209  A  Hardstand 8  MAFKING   PFF Aircraft #  44-8209  EP-A  351st Sqdn a/c assigned Hardstand # 8 (next to Tower)…









     Sgt. Harold E. Johnson [of Stamford, TX] was also added as ball turret gunner to Cullimore’s crew [which as Cullimore terms it, “was his second crew”]. It also should be noted here that there is only limited information available on Harold E. Johnson” in the 100th BG web data base but I have several references to him in my letters back to the States. The web states he originally served on the Orville K. Broyles crew as a ball turret gunner and was a T/Sgt. {RE: 17Jan06---in searching for Johnson, I called all Johnsons in Stamford, TX  w/o success as well calling the Librarian and the VFW representative. Albert P. Lochra [ROG] of rhe Robbs/Broyles crew said that Johnson was the tail gunner on that crew and said his recollection was that Johnson was really from the Corpus Christi, TX area, which was news to me since my personal data showed Stamford. He is not now listed in the white pages at Corpus. All others on the crew except Frank Kopus, Jr [WG] and Gildea are deceased. No one on that crew had heard from Johnson since their crew broke up about VE Day. Robert V. Gildea [Bom] didn’t remember him as he had left the crew after 2-3 missions and became a group Bombardier. Kopus was from Livonia, MI. There is no information now in that city for Kopus other than he donated to the Republican Party in 2002. Cullimore , pilot of his post VEDay crew, had no recollection of Johnson.}

Attached find a tribute for him, Class of 1942 West Point done shortly after his death in 1967.

Also a photo of him at West Point, another looks like Thorpe Abbotts with a phone.

Cindy he's buried at West Point in the cemetery there. Attached is a photo of the cemetery near his grave Section 7.

Still need a photo of his grave for the Stateside Cem pages



Charles Eugene "GENE" Robbs,

Born  4 Jan 1919

Died 6 April, 1967



Charles E. Robbs 1942

1942 Class Crest

Cullum No. 12898 • Apr 06, 1967 • Died in Landstuhl, Germany



Interred in West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY





Charles Eugene Robbs, from the time he was a youngster, was recognized as a “doer” and not a “talker.” Further, he exemplified the "doer” who does without fuss, fanfare, or wasted motion. The words of Major General George R. E. Shell, Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute, with whom Gene served for four years as Professor of Aerospace Studies, aptly sum up Gene’s philosophy of life and the character of his service to his country.



“He performed his duties here in an outstanding manner. Although quiet, he was highly effective and efficient in promoting the Air Force ROTC program. Under his leadership, enrollment in the Air Force program steadily grew. He always gave full cooperation in working jointly with his Army counterpart to provide us with a smoothly operated ROTC program. Gene Robbs was one of those wonderful people whose warm friendliness toward everyone left a lasting impression. Competence and character gave those he led a great sense of confidence and pride in serving.



“Gene reflected the greatest credit on his Alma Mater, the Air Force, and himself, and his efforts were untiring in serving his country and the Air Force.”



Gene was born on 4 June 1919 in Gainesville, Georgia, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Robbs both of whom are lifelong residents of that city. His formative years were characterized by active participation in sports and in social and religious organizations. He found time to earn his spending money by first delivering newspapers and later by ushering in the local theater. He would have graduated from high school before his 17th birthday, but the tornado which devastated Cainesville in 1936 delayed graduation. During this disaster Gene worked around the clock helping to dig out and administer first aid to the less fortunate ones. In short, he was a constant source of pride to his parents and an asset to the community.



He early set his sights on West Point. In order to prepare himself, he joined the Army and attended the Military Academy Preparatory School at Fort McPherson, Georgia. He received his appointment from Congressman B. Frank Whelchel of the Georgia 9th Congressional District.



While at the Academy Gene had a wide variety of interests and activities. He competed for the job of manager of the baseball team and won it by handling competently the varied duties of assistant manager for two years and accepting the sometimes heavy humor of the players in his usual good-natured manner. The Tactics Department recognized his leadership abilities by making him a yearling corporal, a second class corporal and finally a cadet lieutenant. He enjoyed an active social life, and it was during his cadet days that he met Dorothy Thurber whom he was to marry on 10 June 1944 in Dallas, Texas. The cadet discipline rested easily on him, and he was a firm believer in the honor code. Probably his greatest weakness was a sweet tooth which he indulged frequently. I can still picture him on a Wednesday or Saturday afternoon returning from the Cadet Store with ice cream to go with the luscious cakes that made their way regularly from Gainesville, courtesy of his mother and sister Christine. This “boodle” he shared generously with his circle of friends.



When the time came to choose for the greater tasks ahead, Gene selected the Coast Artillery Corps but asked to be detailed to the Air Corps for flight training. Thus it was that after graduation our association continued at flying schools in Ocala, Florida; Greenville, Mississippi; and George Field, Illinois. He was a wonderful roommate who adapted readily to your routine or, without your realizing it, won you over to his way of doing things.



Our paths diverged after primary flight training. Gene went on to four-engine transition and operational training. With his schooling completed, he was off to the European theater of operations as a flight leader in the 100th Bombardment Group. He soon moved up to squadron commander and was rewarded by an Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster for his missions.



Post war duty took Gene and his family to varied assignments and locations ranging from Japan to Norway. His sons Charles Thurber and Philip Clifford were born on 4 July 1947 and 3 May 1949 at Wiesbaden, Germany, and San Antonio, Texas. Although neither of them followed him to West Point, Charles is an engineering student at Georgia Tech and participating in ROTC. Philip is at Pomona College in California and is interested in engineering or medicine. As Gene was to his parents, Charles and Philip are a credit to Gene and Dorothy.



As a family the Robbs entered into the activities wherever stationed and provided a shining example of a service family. General Shell also commented on this: "Gene and Dotty were always an outstanding example for others in assisting with extracurricular activities. Their charm and graciousness made them assets to any group within V.M.I. as well as the local civilian community. Both were active and contributing members of the church and gave freely of their time and efforts in civic affairs.



“We treasure most highly the association with Gene and Dotty and sincerely regretted their departure when Gene's tour ended. V.M.I. and Lexington will long remember this lovely couple and their fine sons.”



While at his final station in Oslo, Norway, where he commanded the 7240th Support Squadron, Gene became ill and had to be evacuated to the Wiesbaden Air Force Base Hospital for surgery. At first he seemed to be on the road to recovery but then had a relapse and was unable to rally from the additional complications. His passing was a shock to all who had known him. Expressions of sympathy poured in from far and wide during his illness and after his death. He received the Air Force Commendation Medal posthumously for his work in Oslo. Dorothy has settled with her mother in Seattle, Washington.



He asked for little and gave so much.