CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
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Surname: |
SARVIS |
First Name/s: |
Robert Joseph |
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Service No/s: |
T223123 |
Service: |
USAAF |
Branch: |
Pilot |
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Awards: |
DFC (British), Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster (Posthumously), Purple Heart |
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SERVICE RECORDS |
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Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
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01 Apr 1942 |
Enlisted RCAF Toronto, Canada in April 1942 - date unknown. |
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01 Oct 1942 |
No. 20 Elementary Flying Training School Oshawa, Ontario, Canada Exact date unknown |
Tiger Moth |
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01 Jan 1943 |
No. 1 Service Flying Training School, Camp Borden, Ontario, Canada |
Yale & Harvard |
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01 Apr 1943 |
Promoted to Sergeant. Exact date unknown |
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01 May 1943 |
Awarded Pilot's Flying Badge. Exact date unknown |
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23 Jun 1943 |
Embarked Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
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01 Jul 1943 |
Disembarked UK |
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02 Jul 1943 |
No.3 (RCAF) Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth |
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27 Jul 1943 |
No. 11 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit, Netheravon or Wheaton Aston (or Shawbury), Wiltshire |
Oxford |
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10 Dec 1943 |
Applied for discharge from RCAF |
Wellington |
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15 Dec 1943 |
Enlisted in the USAAF (US 12th Replacement Depot). |
Wellington |
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01 Jan 1944 |
No. 28 Operational Training Unit Wymeswold, Leicestershire. Exact date unknown. Sarvis crew formed. |
Wellington |
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05 May 1944 |
1656 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF Lindholme, Lincolnshire. |
Halifax |
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21 May 1944 |
1 Lancaster Finishing School, RAF Lindholme, Lincolnshire. |
Lancaster |
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01 Jun 1944 |
Joined B Flight, 576 Squadron, RAF Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire (specific date not known). |
Lancaster I & III |
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07 Jun 1944 |
Set Rank from Flight Record |
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09 Jun 1944 |
Set Rank from Flight Record |
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576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS |
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Date |
Aircraft |
Code |
Flight Details |
T/O |
Land |
Flt Time |
Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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07 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-B2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
4h25 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Day cross-country |
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09 Jun 1944 |
JB460 |
UL-V2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
4h00 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Day cross-country. Pre-operational training |
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10 Jun 1944 |
ME800 |
UL-W2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
2h45 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
‘Y’ (H2S) cross-country and practice bombing |
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11 Jun 1944 |
ND903 |
*UL-R2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
2h10 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
‘Y’ (H2S) cross-country |
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12 Jun 1944 |
ME583 |
UL-T2 |
GELSENKIRCHEN |
2305 |
0430 |
5h25 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Gelsenberg AG synthetic oil plant, Nordstern |
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14 Jun 1944 |
ME583 |
UL-T2 |
LE HAVRE |
2050 |
0110 |
4h20 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Docks and ‘E’-Boat pens. |
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16 Jun 1944 |
UL-T2 |
STRERKRADE |
2325 |
0415 |
2h30 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
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NOTES: |
Target: Ruhr-Chemie AG synthetic oil plant at Holten. |
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17 Jun 1944 |
ME583 |
UL-T2 |
AULNOYE |
2350 |
0450 |
5h00 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Road/rail bridge near the marshalling yards at Aulnoye-Aymeries. Low cloud obscured the Target Indicators so the Master Bomber ordered crews to return to base with their bombload. |
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23 Jun 1944 |
ME800 |
UL-W2 |
SAINTES |
2215 |
0610 |
7h55 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. |
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24 Jun 1944 |
ME583 |
UL-T2 |
FLERS |
0135 |
0535 |
4h00 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 flying bomb launch site. |
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27 Jun 1944 |
ME583 |
UL-T2 |
CHATEAU DE BERNAPRE |
0135 |
0605 |
4h30 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 flying bomb launch site. |
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29 Jun 1944 |
JA868 |
UL-V2 |
DOMLEGER |
1145 |
1530 |
3h45 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 flying bomb storage and supply depot. |
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02 Jul 1944 |
LM594 |
UL-G2 |
DOMLEGER |
1210 |
1610 |
4h00 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 flying bomb storage and supply depot. |
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04 Jul 1944 |
JB555 |
UL-R2 |
ORLEANS |
2205 |
0435 |
6h30 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. |
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05 Jul 1944 |
JB555 |
UL-R2 |
DIJON |
2100 |
0615 |
9h15 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. Diverted to Coningsby due to low cloud at Elsham Wolds. |
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06 Jul 1944 |
JB555 |
UL-R2 |
Coningsby to Elsham Wolds |
nk |
nk |
0h15 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Return from diversion |
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07 Jul 1944 |
PB265 |
UL-V2 |
CAEN |
1920 |
2330 |
4h10 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Enemy armour strongpoint on the N outskirts of the town. Flown in support of the advancing Allied ground forces. |
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10 Jul 1944 |
UL-R2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
0h30 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
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NOTES: |
Fighter affiliation. |
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11 Jul 1944 |
PB265 |
UL-V2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
3h55 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
‘Y’ (H2S) day cross-country |
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12 Jul 1944 |
PB265 |
UL-V2 |
REVIGNY |
2115 |
0540 |
8h25 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. Target was obscured by low cloud, so the Master Bomber ordered crews to return with their bombs. Diverted to Harwell due to weather at Elsham Wolds. |
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13 Jul 1944 |
PB265 |
UL-V2 |
Harwell to Elsham Wolds |
nk |
nk |
0h45 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Return from diversion. |
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14 Jul 1944 |
PB265 |
UL-V2 |
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2105 |
0535 |
8h30 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. Target was obscured by low cloud, so the Master Bomber ordered crews to return with their bombs. Diverted to Langar due to weather at Elsham Wolds. |
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15 Jul 1944 |
PB265 |
UL-V2 |
LANGAR TO ELSHAM WOLDS |
nk |
nk |
0h15 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Return from diversion. |
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18 Jul 1944 |
PB265 |
UL-V2 |
SANNERVILLE |
0325 |
0730 |
4h05 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Area ‘H’ – fortified positions occupied by Panzer tank regiments. Flown in support of the British Army involved in Operation GOODWOOD. |
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18 Jul 1944 |
PB265 |
UL-V2 |
SCHOLVEN/BUEN |
2300 |
0335 |
4h35 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Synthetic oil plant. |
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20 Jul 1944 |
PB265 |
UL-V2 |
WIZERNES |
1905 |
2235 |
3h30 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: V2 rocket launch site. |
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23 Jul 1944 |
PB265 |
UL-V2 |
KIEL |
2240 |
0355 |
5h15 |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Enemy naval base and Kiel canal. |
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24 Jul 1944 |
PB265 |
UL-V2 |
STUTTGART |
2110 |
FTR |
uk |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Attacked by a fighter just south of Orleans which badly damaged the wing. The aircraft was eventually abandoned over liberated the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy by all except the pilot, Flt Off Sarvis, who did not survive. Balfour and Gordon evaded capture, the remaining four landed in Allied territory. The loss of PB265 is described below. |
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24 Jul 1944 |
PB265 |
UL-V2 |
STUTTGART |
2110 |
FTR |
uk |
P1 Flt Off R.J. Sarvis USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Attacked by a fighter just south of Orleans which badly damaged the wing. The aircraft was eventually abandoned over liberated the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy by all except the pilot, Flt Off Sarvis, who did not survive. Balfour and Gordon evaded capture, the remaining four landed in Allied territory. The loss of PB265 is described below. |
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PERSONAL INFORMATION |
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Personal Records Restricted - not available to the public |
PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS |
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Personal Documents Restricted - not available to the public |
