World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
Robert E. Bandfield
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Highland Park, Michigan
Honored By
Orville L. Kline
RANK: TECHNICAL SERGEANT. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ARMY AIR CORPS DECEMBER 11, 1942 AT DETROIT, MICHIGAN. SERVED AS A B-17G ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ BOMBER RADIO OPERATOR/GUNNER ASSIGNED TO THE 860TH BOMB SQUADRON, 493RD BOMB GROUP, 93RD BOMB WING, U.S. 8TH AIR FORCE ‘MIGHTY EIGHTH’. HIS UNIT WAS BASED AT THE DEBACH ROYAL AIR FORCE AIRFIELD IN ENGLAND, UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCE STATION #152. KILLED IN ACTION TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1944 DURING A BOMBING RAID ON AN ORDNANCE DEPOT AT MAGDEBURG, GERMANY. HIS FLYING FORTRESS WAS SHOT DOWN BY ARTILLERY FLAK, CRASHING IN THE VICINITY OF THE ASSIGNED TARGET. THERE WERE 9 CREWMEN AND 1 OBSERVER ON BOARD, 5 WERE KILLED AND THE OTHER 5 WERE CAPTURED AFTER BAILING OUT. HE WAS BURIED IN A BATTLEFIELD CEMETERY AND AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN EUROPE, HIS REMAINS WERE RETURNED TO HIS FAMILY, FOR BURIAL IN THE MONUMENT WOODLAWN CEMETERY, DETROIT, MICHIGAN.