Fritsche Robert A.

Name:

Robert A. Fritsche

Rank:

First Lieutenant

Serial Number:

Unit:

31st Test and Evaluation Squadron

Date of Death:

1949-01-17

State:

Texas

Cemetery:

Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery and Mausoleum, TX

Plot:

Section G, Lot 155

Row:

Grave:

Decoration:

Comments:

Robert A. Fritsche was born on April 17, 1922. He was married to Ellene Harris Fritsche.

Robert served in the 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron as a First Lieutenant and Bombardier of the B-29A #44-62276 Superfortress . On January 17, 1949, the aircraft was performing a flight from RAF Scampton (Lincolnshire) to Schilling AFB (Smoky Hill AFB) in Salina, Kansas, with an intermediate stop in Keflavik. While flying over Scotland at an altitude of 8,500 feet, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and requested ATC the permission to climb to 14,400 feet. Shortly later, at a speed of 500 km/h, the four-engine aircraft hit the slope of the Stob na Boine Druim-fhinn mountain located two miles northwest of Lochgoilhead. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces, and a post-crash fire and all 20 occupants were killed.

1Lt Fritsche is now buried in the Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery and Mausoleum, Pflugerville, Travis County, Texas, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.baaa-acro.com