Harriman, Robert Winfred “Bob”.

Harriman, Robert Winfred “Bob”, born 13-06-1921, in Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin, United States, to Harry Winfred “Win” Harriman (1874–1958) and his wife Amy Blanche, born Oliver Harriman (1883–1976). In 1900 his parents were both students at Wayland Academy, a private school in Beaver Dam, Dodge County, Wisconsin. By 1905 his mother was a teacher at Fall River, Columbia County, Wisconsin. His father attended the University of Chicago, where he earned a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in 1909 and a Juris Doctor degree in 1911. His parents married on 12-09-1915. In 1918 they lived at 2904 Galena Street, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. At that time his father was a lawyer with the firm of Kleist, Harriman & Knappe at 609 Caswell Block, Milwaukee; he was also an instructor at Marquette University in Milwaukee.

Robert “Bob” Harriman had two siblings: Albert Oliver Harriman (17-01-1920 – 28-03-1985) and Ruth Almina (Harriman) Copps Pino (02-11-1922 – 24-12-2016). In 1940 the family lived on Morningside Heights in Blooming Grove Township, Dane County, Wisconsin, and his father was an attorney in private practice. His mother’s sister, Jane ‘Jennie’ Oliver (Nov 1868 – 1953), lived with the family.

Robert graduated from West High School in Madison in 1939, where he played Center on the football team. He completed at least two years of college at Wayland Junior College in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, where he was captain of the football team in his second year. He registered for the draft at Beaver Dam, Wisconsin on 16-02-1942, while he was a student at Wayland. He was 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighed 170 pounds, and had brown eyes and brown hair. He was single when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Madison, Wisconsin on July 8, 1942.

He entered Army Air Forces pilot training in Class 43-J in January 1943, and completed the Classification and Preflight phases at San Antonio, Texas. Robert completed the Primary phase of pilot training at Fred Harman Training Center, Bruce Field, Ballinger, Texas; and the Basic phase at Perrin Field, Sherman, Texas. He completed the Advanced phase of pilot training at Brooks Field, San Antonio, Texas, and received his wings and commission on 03-11-1943. He went on to a period of Transition training in the Consolidated B-24 ‘Liberator’ heavy bomber at Liberal, Kansas, in order to qualify as pilot in command for that aircraft type. Robert was then assigned a crew, and completed B-24 crew training at Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona. He was engaged to be married to Barbara Jeanne Weiner when he deployed to England.

The Harriman crew was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. They arrived in England by 05-07-1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe, under command of the famous Lieutenant General James Harold “Jimmy” Doolittle.  The 487th Bomb Group transitioned to flying the B-17 ‘Flying Fortress’ in late July 1944.

On 24-12-1944 the 8th Air Force launched mission #760, the largest aerial mission of the war, which involved more than 2000 heavy bombers. The mission was to bomb German airfields and supply lines to stop the German offensive in the Ardennes known as the Battle of the Bulge. Lieutenant Harriman’s lead crew was chosen to lead the 487th Bomb Group, which led the entire 8th Air Force that day. Brigadier General Frederick Walker Castle, Commanding Officer of the 4th Bomb Wing, flew as air leader with Lieutenant Harriman’s crew. Here is the crew roster on that day:

B-17G 44-8444 – 836th Bomb Squadron

• Harriman, Robert W – 1/Lt – Pilot – KIA

• Castle, Frederick W – Brig Gen – Air Leader/Copilot – KIA

• MacArty, Henry D – 1/Lt – Navigator – Safe

Auer Edmund Frank “Misch” – Capt – Pilotage Navigator – Safe

• Biri, Paul Louis – 1/Lt – Bombardier – Safe

• Procopio, Bruno Salvatore – 1/Lt – Radar Operator – KIA

• Swain, Lawrence Harvey – 1/Lt – Officer Tail Gunner – KIA

• Hudson, Lowell B – S/Sgt – Waist Gunner – Safe

• Jeffers, Quentin William – T/Sgt – Engineer Gunner – Safe

• Swain, Lawrence Harvey – T/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA

Death and burial ground of Harriman, Robert Winfred “Bob”.

The 487th Bomb Group’s target was the airfield at Babenhausen, Germany, but the formation was attacked by German fighters south of Liege, Belgium, before the Allied fighter cover arrived. Lieutenant Harriman was killed in action when his aircraft, B-17G 44-8444, was shot down by German fighters north of Hody, Belgium, and just south of Rotheux-Rimiere in the municipality Neupre, province of Liege, Belgium. Brigadier General Castle and Lieutenant Harriman were unable to bail out and died in the crash. The front portion of the aircraft—carrying Castle and Harriman—crashed about 300 yards from Chateau d’Englebermont. Three of the men who bailed out were killed. Five men survived.

Lieutenant Robert Harriman is buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium, in Plot G, Row 7, Grave 57. Brigadier General Frederick Walker Castle and T/Sergeant  Francis Ronald Downs Swain Swain are also buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery.

   At the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium, covering 57 acres, rest 7,987 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives during the advance of the U.S. armed forces into Germany.