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LT  Ralph B. BARKER

UNIT: 418th BOMB Sqdn POSITION: BOM 

Lt Ralph Baker was the Bombardier on Lt Goupill Crew and was KIA Dec 22, 1943 over Munster. Clipping courtesy of Terry Hirsch. 

100 BG / 418 BS
2LT BARKER, RALPH JR.
From New York.

MIA 22-12-1943 as bombardier of B-17G / #42-31071 / LD-'U' / 'Dorhelcla' / MACR 1705. Took off as spare and was lost over the North Sea. 10 MIA.

2Lt Barker is commemorated on the Cambridge Cemetery Tablets of the Missing. 

Source of the portrait photograph: Pilot Class Book 43-F, Pecos, Texas. Courtesy of my Fields of Honor Database colleague Corrina who indexed this class book.


  
  

    SERIAL #: O-751870
    STATUS: KIA
  

  

    MACR: 01705    CR: 01705 
    

  

    
			 
Comments1: 22 DEC 43 MUNSTER (CRASHED AT SEA)

  




 
           

            
 COMMENTS & NOTES 

			MEMO 1:

            
CREW

2ND LT THOMAS F. GOUPILL, JR.       P KIA 22 DEC 43 MUNSTER
2ND LT TENVIL H. JACKSON             CP KIA 22 DEC 43 MUNSTER
2ND LT GUS J. MINK                      NAV KIA 22 DEC 43 MUNSTER
2ND LT RALPH BARKER, JR.            BOM KIA 22 DEC 43 MUNSTER
S/SGT CHARLES R. GALLAGHER         TTE KIA 22 DEC 43 MUNSTER
S/SGT ROBERT E. RAMSAY            ROG KIA 22 DEC 43 MUNSTER
   SGT RUSSELL L. ABEL                 BTG NOC
   SGT EDWARD R. CSECH               WG KIA 22 DEC 43 MUNSTER
   SGT JAMES G. McLAMB                WG KIA 22 DEC 43 MUNSTER
   SGT FRED THOMPSON                  TG KIA 22 DEC 43 MUNSTER

  A/C #42-31071
   MACR #1705, Microfiche #564

418th Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined 100th on 28 Nov 1943

on 22 Dec 43 Sgt. George J. Brassell, from the crew of R.B.Atchison, was flying in place of Russel Abel and was KIA.  Brassell is buried at Cambridge (Plot F, Row 3, Grave 108)

All other crew members are memorialized on the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge.

This crew took off as a spare and it is not known with which Group they flew, nor are any of the circumstances leading to it's loss known.  Since Sgt Brassell's remains were recovered  and buried at Cambridge, it could be assumed this A/C was lost in the Channel or North Sea.. jb

CREW

2nd Lt Richard B. Atchison,Jr.   P    POW    10/10/43   Munster
2nd Lt 'WIllard Secor              CP   POW    10/10/43   Munster
2nd Lt Kenneth Baron             N   POW    10/10/43   Munster
2nd Lt Sol Goldstein                B    POW    10/10/43   Munster 
 T/Sgt Russell W.Bennett        E    POW   10/10/43  Munster
 T/Sgt Elder E. Lisch               R   KIA     10/10/43  Munster
 S/Sgt George J. Brassell        BT   KIA     22/12/43  Munster
 S/Sgt Elllot O.Preble           'WG   KIA    10/10/43   Munster
 S/Sgt Westley M.Field         WG    KIA    10/10/43   Munster
 S/Sgt Van T.Wright            TG   POW    10/10/43   Munster

350th Sqdn. Crew,as above ,joined 100th Group on 25/8/43. 
On 10/10/43 a S/Sgt CLARENCE C. COMBS  was BTG  in place of Sgt Brassell and was KIA.

MACR #1031 A/C #42 30047 "SWEATER GIRL".  

Note George Brassell was on the 100th's second Munster mission with crew of T.F.Goupill when KIA and is buried in Cambridge cemetery.

           
			MEMO 2:

			
Ralph B. Barker, Jr. was born in New York in 1918. His parents were Ralph B., Sr and Laura Barker. The US Census 1920 lists the family in Albany, while the US Census 1930 has them in Waterliet, with Laura marked as "Widowed."

Barker was drafted in 1941, and was inducted into military service on November 5 at Camp Upton, New York. His enlistment file shows he had completed 4 years of high school, and was working as a salesman. He was assigned to the Army Air Forces.

He was selected for flight duty, and was trained as a bombardier. After graduating from this course, he was commissioned and awarded wings. He was sent for crew training to the crew led by Lt Goupill. Sometime in this time period, he married a woman named Eva M. (No other data available.)

The crew went to England in November, 1943, and was dispatched on two missions. On December 22, 1943, the crew was flying as a spare on a raid on Munster, Germany. It is not known what Group or Squadron they flew in support of. According to the MACR, the aircraft must have crashed (no reason given) into the North Sea. One body was recovered.All others are remembered on the Walls of the Missing in the Cambridge American Cemetery in Cambridge, England. Lt Ralph B. Barker, Jr. was performing duty as bombardier on B-17G # 42-31071, named "Dorhelcia," assigned to the 418th Bomb Squadron.

Missing Air Crew Report 1705 was issued, but has no details of the loss. Crew rosters show the crew as:

2 Lt Thomas F. Goupill, Jr.  p
2 Lt Tenvil H. Jackson  c-p
2 Lt Gus J. Mink  nav
2 Lt Ralph Barker, Jr.  bomb
SSgt Charles R. Gallagher  eng/tt gun
SSgt Robert E. Ramsay  r/o
Sgt  George J. Brassell  btg
Sgt  Edward R. Csech  wg
Sgt  James G. McLamb  wg
Sgt  Fred Thompson  tail gun

Sgt Brassell (Atchison crew) was replacing Sgt Russell L. Abel (original crew) for this mission.

			

             
            

         

         
KIA / MIA / EVA / INT INFORMATION: 
  
         

  

    TARGET:
			Munster
    DATE: 
			1943-12-22
     
  

  

    AIRCRAFT:
	"Dorhelcia" (42-31071)
    CAUSE:
			Crashed at Sea
     
  



			


			

            
BURIAL INFORMATION

            

  

    PLOT:
			
    ROW:
			
     
  

  

    GRAVE:
			Wall/Misng
    CEMETERY:
			Cambridge Military Cemetery
     
  



			
			
            

				
        
		
        ID:
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