Augustus Robert “Bobby” Feeley was born on January 7, 1924, in New Jersey. He was the son of Augustus Loughlin Feeley and Helen Malone Feeley. He attended Holy Cross Grammar School before continuing his education at St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark. On January 22, 1943, while in his sophomore year of college, Feeley enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces at Newark, New Jersey. After completing basic training, he attended the Army Air Forces Advanced Navigation School at Selman Field in Monroe, Louisiana, where he trained as a navigator and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He later received additional combat crew training in Colorado and Kansas in preparation for operations aboard the B-24 Liberator. During World War II, Feeley served as a navigator with the 785th Bomb Squadron, 466th Bomb Group, Eighth Air Force, and was assigned to the crew of B-24H 41-28746, Jamaica?.

On September 25, 1944, Jamaica?was flown by 2nd Lt. Joseph F. E. Damiani on a fuel-hauling mission from RAF Attlebridge to France. These missions, sometimes known as “Truckin’” missions, used B-24s to transport gasoline to support the rapidly advancing Allied armies. Damiani and his crew delivered their fuel load to A-64 St. Dizier/Robinson Airfield in the Haute-Marne department of France for General George S. Patton’s Third Army. After completing the delivery, Jamaica? departed St. Dizier at approximately 11:00 a.m. for the return flight to England.

During the return flight, Jamaica? reportedly circled at low altitude over a recently liberated French town as civilians celebrated below. German anti-aircraft units were still believed to be operating in the area, and one reportedly scored a direct hit on the Liberator. Flying at such a low altitude left the crew little opportunity to bail out before the aircraft crashed at N de la Plaine Bayard, Cne de St-Pol-sur-Mer, Nord, France. All six crewmen aboard were killed. Only six crewmen participated in the mission because the fuel-hauling flight was considered a non-combat transport operation. Three gunners and the bombardier who normally formed part of the crew were not aboard.

2nd Lt. Feeley was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Lemay Township, St. Louis County, Missouri, alongside fellow crew members 2nd Lt. Joseph Damiani, T/Sgt. Raymond M. Hennig, Sgt. Robert F. Kirkelie, and Sgt. Theodore B. Lipnicki.

Sources of information: www.findagrave.com, americanarchive.iwm.org.uk, francecrashes39-45.net, www.fold3.com