Robert T. Foley
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces

In July 1944, Staff Sergeant Robert T. Foley was serving as a gunner with the 758th Bomb Squadron, 459th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 304th Bombardment Wing, 15th Air Force, based at Giulia Airfield, Italy. The 459th Bombardment Group flew B-24 Liberator bombers on missions in Italy, France, the Balkans, Austria and Germany.

On 15 July 1944, SSGT Foley was a gunner on B-24G Liberator bomber Serial Number 42-78323 named ‘Jeanne,’ which was on a bombing mission over Ploesti, Romania. According to MACR 7058, Jeanne was last sighted at 1155 hours after the aircraft was severely damaged by anti-aircraft fire and exploded. The aircraft had a crew of 10.

Following the war, the co-pilot of Jeanne, 1st Lieutenant David Yaun, Jr., made this statement in a Casualty Questionnaire: “Mission to Ploesti had been completed. On way home we were hit by anti-aircraft fire from Bor, Yugoslavia, receiving direct hit on right wing between number 1 and 2 engines shearing wing off. As a result we fell off on that wing in a steep spiral. Speaking for myself I was pinned to my seat by centrifugal force unable to move, lost consciousness and when I recovered was falling free of airplane pulled rip cord and lapsed into unconsciousness again. Was unconscious upon reaching ground have no knowledge of how long I stayed in that condition but it couldn’t have been over one half hour. Shortly after was met by remaining survivors senior pilot McLaughlin and Navigator McGuire. It is unfortunate that this occurred as in some manner Group had us approx. twenty miles off course causing us to fly directly over Bor a briefed position to stay away from having some twenty guns, which incidentally we were briefed on that morning.”

Only 3 members of the crew were able to parachute from the aircraft. Those crew members served as POWs in German prison camps until they were liberated in April 1945. The other 7 crew members were trapped in the aircraft and killed in the crash.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Purple Heart
Air Medal with Award Numeral 3
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Army Air Forces Aircrew Badge

B-24G Liberator Bomber Serial Number 42-78323 named Jeanne had the following crew on 15 July 1944.

● Pilot: 1LT Ray P. McLaughlin [Honoree Record ID 308319] POW
● Co-Pilot: 2LT David Yuan, Jr. [Honoree Record ID 308320] POW
● Navigator: 2LT George N. McGuire [Honoree Record ID 308321] POW
● Bombardier: 2LT Robert L. Brown [Honoree Record ID 308322] KIA
● Engineer/Gunner: TSGT Irving C. Muncy [Honoree Record ID 308323] KIA
● Radio Operator: SSGT Lloyd J. Adams [Honoree Record ID 308324] KIA
● Engineer/Gunner: SSGT Herbert S. Brinell [Honoree Record ID 308325] KIA
● Gunner: SSGT Donald F. Brown [Honoree Record ID 308326] KIA
● Gunner: SSGT Robert J. Norwood [Honoree Record ID 308327] KIA
● Gunner: SSGT Robert T. Foley [Honoree Record ID 202122] KIA

Burial

Staff Sergeant Robert T. Foley is buried at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Nettuno, Provincia di Roma, Lazio, Italy in Plot I, Row 15, Grave 69.

[The information in this biography was derived primarily from various sections of the 459th Bombardment Group website at http://www.459bg.org/ and permission was granted for its use.]