Robert F. Gunson
Sergeant Robert F. Gunson, Serial: 32078273, 365th Bomber Squadron, 305th Bomb Group (Heavy), U.S. Army Air Forces. Awards: Purple Heart. He lived at 2903 Pleasant Street, Camden NJ. Buried at Plot I Row 21 Grave 5, Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands.
Sergeant Robert F. Gunson was born on October 10, 1920 in Pennsylvania. His family moved to New Jersey shortly after his birth, and by 1930 they lived at 332 North 36th Street in Camden NJ, where his father Thomas Gunson worked as an elevator constructor. Besides Robert, there were brothers John, Thomas J., Richard, and Phillip, and sisters Marjorie M. and Elizabeth. He attended Camden Catholic High School, and after leaving school he worked at the RCA-Victor factory in Camden. He married and a son, James, was born around 1940. Robert, his wife 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, Idaho in October of 1942. He was last home in April 1943 for three days before going overseas on May 5, 1943. He was posted to the 365th Bomb Squadron of the 305th Bomb Group, operating out of Chelveston, England.
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.
Robert F. Gunson was survived by his wife, of the Pleasant Street address, his father (who had relocated to Pleasantville NJ), and two brothers then serving in the military. His death was reported in the October 11, 1943 edition of the Camden Courier-Post.
2 Families Send 6 Into U.S. Services
Camden Courier-Post —
2 Families Send 6 Into U.S. Services
3 Gunsons and 3 Torres Doing Bit; Heroes Back Home on Leave
Two South Jersey families have three sons each in the armed forces of Uncle Sam, while two others have two sons each helping to defeat the Axis.
Of the three Gunson brothers one is in the Army, another in the Navy and the third is in the Coast Guard.
Robert F. Gunson, 22, was made a gunnery sergeant in the Army Air Forces at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. He entered the Army last August.
Richard A. Gunson, 18, enlisted in the Navy last June and saw action with the American fleet at the landing at Casablanca. He has been promoted to first class seaman and is on active duty at sea.
John J. Gunson, 26, enlisted in the Coast Guard four years ago. He is a motor machinist’s mate, first class, and is stationed in New York. His wife, Louise, lives at 2992 Tuckahoe road.
The parents of the Gunsons, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Gunson, formerly lived in Camden.