Robert F. Gunson

SERGEANT ROBERT F. GUNSON was born in Pennsylvania on October 10, 1920 to Thomas and Margaret Gunson. The family moved to New Jersey shortly after his birth, and by 1930 lived at 332 North 36th Street in Camden NJ, where Thomas Gunson worked as an elevator constructor. Besides Robert, there were brothers John, Thomas J., Richard, Phillip, and sisters Marjorie M. and Elizabeth. He attended Camden Catholic High School. After leaving school, he worked at the RCA-Victor factory in Camden. He had married, and a son, James, was born about 1940.  Robert, Sarah, and James Gunson lived at 2903 Pleasant Street in Camden.

Robert Gunson was called to service in August of 1942. He qualified for flight duty, and was promoted to Sergeant at Boise ID in October of 1942. He was last home in April 1943 for three days before going overseas on May 5, 1943.  

Robert was posted to the 365th Bomb Squadron of the 305th Bomb Group, operating out of Chelveston.

Robert was lost when his plane went down on June 22, 1943. The 305th Bomb Group participated in a mission to a synthetic rubber plant in Hüls, in the German Ruhr area. Robert was the ball turret gunner in B-17 41-24533, nicknamed CHERRY. It was the only loss of the 305th that day. The plane was shot down and crashed near Valburg in The Netherlands. Four of the crew were killed, the other six were captured as prisoners of war. Those who survived and were liberated at war's end were Pilot John J. Hall, Navigator Walter E. Allen, Bombardier James P. Mause, Engineer Jasper S. Doster, and Left Waist gunner W.C. Morris all survived.

Robert F. Gunson was survived by his wife, of the Pleasant Street address, and his father, who by this time had relocated to Pleasantville NJ, and two brothers, both serving at the time. His death was reported in the October 11, 1943 edition of the Camden Courier-Post. 

Camden Courier-Post - February 9, 1943

Thanks to Stevin Oudshoorn of the Netherlands, www.basher82.nl was of invaluable assistance in creating this page.