Robert H. Redhair was born in Madison, Polk County, Missouri to Robert E. Redhair (1894-1963) and Laura Bess Gunn (1894-1975) Robert had two brothers, Charles and Edgar.

Robert attended four years of high school. According to the 1940 census, Robert moved to San Bernadino, California and became an orange picker for Citrus Packing.

Military

On 19 February 1941, less than a year after moving to California, Robert enlisted in the military at Ft. MacArthur. He was assigned to the USAAF and would ultimately co-pilot B-24's in Europe with the secret Carpetbagger Missions.

Marriage

2Lt Robert H. Redhair met Betty Jean Hayes while he was stationed in Texas, they married in her home town of Bartlesville, Oklahoma on 1 September 1943 according to the Morning Examiner - Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Carpetbagger Missions

In 1943 the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) -- the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency -- called upon the U.S. Army Air Forces to conduct special operations from the United Kingdom. Aircrews started flying leaflet-dropping missions in October 1943, but plans called for them to fly dangerous, clandestine missions deep into the heart of occupied Europe. The majority of these missions secretly airdropped supplies by night to partisan fighters, under the codename Operation CARPETBAGGER.

As directed by the Combined Chiefs of Staff in September 1943, the 8th Air Force formed the 801st Bombardment Group (Heavy) (Provisional) at Harrington Field, England, from elements of the inactivated AAF Antisubmarine Command. Re-designated the 492nd Bombardment Group in August 1944, this special unit became best known as the Carpetbaggers.

Mission

B-24 Liberator Screamin' Mimi departed RAF Harrington on the evening of 27 April 1944 on a dropping mission to the French Resistance. In unknown circumstances, it crashed in a field located in Saint-Cyr-de-Valorges, about 24 km southeast of Roanne. Two occupants were slightly injured and got away while a third was seriously injured and taken prisoner of war. All five other occupants were killed.

Failed to Return (FTR) Loire Department in B-24 42-40997 28-Apr-44; A/C Hit a hill near the Drop Zone, crashed (broke into four main parts), and caught fire at St-Cyr-de-Valorges, in the Loire Department, France. - courtesy American Air Museum in Britain

Death - 6th and final mission

2Lt. Robert H. Redhair was killed in action when his B-24 Liberator crashed in St-Cyr-de-Valorges, in the Loire Department, France. He was awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.

Burial

2Lt. Redhair is interred in Akard Cemetery at Fair Play, Missouri.

Ambrose Crew: B-24D Liberator Screamin' Mimi

36th Bomb Squadron, 801st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force

1st Lt George W. Ambrose, pilot

2nd Lt Robert H. Redhair, copilot

2nd Lt Arthur B. Pope, navigator

2nd Lt Peter Roccia, bomber

S/Sgt. Charles M. Wilson, mechanic

S/Sgt. James J. Heffleson, radio operator

Sgt. Georges W. Henderson, air gunner

Sgt. James C. Mooney

Sources:

Find A Grave - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104423185/robert-h-redhair

American Air Museum in Britain - Screamin' Mimi - https://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/7503

The Carpetbaggers - https://www.businessinsider.com/operation-carpetbagger-snuck-oss-secret-agents-into-france-during-wwii-2020-9

Morning Examiner Newspaper - Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Blythe Army Airfield - https://www.deserttrainingcenter.com/blythe.html

Ft. MacArthur - http://www.ftmac.org/

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery. If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at (added by)

SBTSProject/Missouri/Polk