The Man Behind the Name
1st Lt. Robert W. Womely was a bomber pilot who flew a total of nine missions in the theater. His known targets included La Pallice (France), Messina, Naples, Rome, Foggia, Reggio, an Italian airfield, and Ploesti (Romania). On the August 1, 1943 Ploesti mission, his aircraft executed a crash landing after the bomb run; he did not bail out as the aircraft was flying at treetop level.
Womely survived the crash but lost a foot in the incident. He was last seen lying near the downed aircraft and was later encountered at a prison camp in Romania. As the crew bailed out, he reportedly called out: 'Carry the fight on boys and good luck!' He was subsequently seen in the United Kingdom in September 1944, and confirmed alive at McCloskey General Hospital, Temple, Texas, in December 1944. This information was provided by Ex S/Sgt. Jack Reed (serial 18084225), who had personal contact with Womely.
Service record.
Missions flown.
The missions below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.