Cappe Roy Roberts, Jr.

Name:

Roy Roberts, Jr. Cappe

Rank:

Staff Sergeant

Serial Number:

13041696

Unit:

364th Bomber Squadron, 305th Bomb Group, Heavy

Date of Death:

1944-04-10

State:

Pennsylvania

Cemetery:

Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Plot:

Section 28, Lot 378

Row:

Grave:

3

Decoration:

Comments:

Roy Roberts Cappe, Jr. was a single man from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and was born on the 20th of August 1917. A graduate of Lebanon High School and Allegheny College he enlisted as a Private in the Air Corps on January 10, 1942, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Before enlisting he worked as an accountant and auditor at the East Pittsburgh Works of the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. On the 10th April 1944 at 1445hrs three B26 Marauders took off from Toome on a Gunnery Training Mission. 2nd Lt Richard A. Newman flew the lead plane No. 025. The right wingman flying aircraft No. 054 was 2nd Lt Eugene G. Wegman and the left wingman flying aircraft No. 41-18150 a B26b-4 was 2nd Lt Howell C. Osborne, Jr.

Records indicate that Roy was not a regular member of the crew. He was attached to the 364th Service Squadron, 39th Service Group, as an Aerial Engineer on "Flying Status".

Weather on that day was described as visibility four miles, Stratus clouds at one thousand feet, overcast with breaks, reported haze. At approximately 1530 hrs Lt. Osborne's plane started to lag behind the formation, disappeared into the clouds, and subsequently crashed into Chimney Rock Mountains, Newcastle, North Ireland. All five on board were killed. The crew was buried in the Lisnabreeny Former American Military Cemetery in England. The cemetery closed in 1948 and his remains were exhumed and transferred.

The crew were as follows:

2nd Lt Howell C. Osborne Jr (Pilot) ID: O-685276 (Fort Smith, Arkansas)
2nd Lt Chester M. Turner (Co-Pilot) ID: O-753462 (Cowley County, Kansas)
Staff Sgt Roy R. Cappe Jr (Aerial Engineer) ID: 13041696 (Allegheny County, Pennsylvania)
Staff Sgt William J. Devenney (Radio Gunner) ID: 33367015 (Carbon County, Pennsylvania)
Sgt Jimmie Gyovai (Engineer Gunner) ID: 15337609 (Boone County, West Virginia)

At the time of the accident, SSGT Cappe was 26 making him the oldest member of the crew. He is buried now in the Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, http://www.chimneyrockb26crash.com