2nd Lt Cooke Robert 0-710817 buried Henri-Chapelle Belgium

[Alain57]

Hello ,

Who has some additiobal info on this crash : October 15 1944 2nd Lt Cooke Robert N O-710817 born at Prince William City, Virginia , he flew with 429th Fighter Squadron - 474th Fighter Group and is buried at Henri-Chapelle Belgium

Thanks in advance
Alain57

[Revi16]

Unless overlooked, I cannot find an Accident Report or MACR associated with Robert N Cooke in Oct. 44.

https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/namesC.htm
https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/...y/Oct1944O.htm
https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/.../44OctMACR.htm

The 474th FG appears to have been based at Florennes, Belgium, 1 Oct 1944. https://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/4...hter_Group.cfm

Perhaps injured during a mission, returned to base and passed away?

[Luc Vervoort]

Hello Alain,


The Oprep “A” Report No.174 of 474 FG dated 15/10/1944 mentions that a P38J crashed just after take off from A-78 Florennes and that Lt.Robert Cook was killed. (Source reel B0627 page 470 and 471).


The serial of the plane is not mentioned.


Best regards


Luc

[Alex Smart]

Salvaged
474FG/429FS.
2Lt. Robert N. Cooke.
P-38J-150-LO 43-28733
Took off Florennes, Belgium on an operational mission. On the way to Cologne the pilot climbed into the overcast and came out the wrong side up and probably spun in due to disorientation due to the bad weather. Crashed 0830 hrs two miles north of Florennes airfield. KOM.
Note:- Buried on 15 October 1944 in US Military Cemetery Fosse near Namur, Belgium Plot E-8-115. Finally reinterred in Henri-Chapelle Cemetery, Plot G-7-16.

Ref: Losses of the 8th & 9th AAF's , Vol 5, page 397.

2Lt. Robert N. Cooke O-710817

[Alain57]

Hello ,

Once more thank you all for the help

Alain57

[Revi16]

The serial 43-28733 is listed in the Oct. 44 accident reports (see above), but with a different date and pilot.
441012 P-38J 43-28733 429FS 474FG A78 9 LAC 4 O'Neill, John W BEL Florennes/A-78

[Alex Smart]

Thanks for the update, oddly though it seems a landing accident but category 4 = Destroyed/ Major overhaul mid 1944 and earlier.?
In which case would it have been operational again in so short a time ?

[Revi16]

Originally Posted by Alex Smart

Thanks for the update, oddly though it seems a landing accident but category 4 = Destroyed/ Major overhaul mid 1944 and earlier.?
In which case would it have been operational again in so short a time ?

The Cat. 4 landing accident for 43-28733 occurred three days before the Robert Cooke accident. I think that there is probably an error or mix up somewhere within the reports. A Cat. 4 accident wouldn't have been repaired.
It's odd the there doesn't seem to be an Accident Report for Cooke and odd that the aircraft he was supposedly flying was destroyed three days earlier.


Perhaps Cooke's accident was on the 12th and he was buried on the 15th (as you state above)? But that doesn't explain John W O'Neill's name in the report. Do you have any info for John O'Neill in Losses of the 8th & 9th AAF's?