Robert K. Swarthout was born April 7, 1919 in Pinckney, Michigan to Harold and Emma Kraft Swarthout. They were both born in Michigan and farmed for a living. Robert was their only child.

He had enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces and served during World War II. Swarthout had the rank of Second Lieutenant. Service number assignment was O-697786. Attached to 7th Bomber Squadron, 34th Bomber Group, Heavy as a Navigator.

Swarthout lost his life on D Day June 6, 1944. He was the Navigator on the crew of B-24 Liberator #41-28838 "Misery Agent" on a mission towards Normandy on D-Day on Operator Overload. They ran out of fuel and crashed into the trees and burned near the English coast killing the 9 crew members on board. They were still carrying twelve 500lb bombs at the time.

Robert K Swarthout is buried at Plot F Row 6 Grave 72 Cambridge American Cemetery Cambridge, England. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.

COMMENDATIONS

★ Purple Heart

9 casualties related to the #41-28838 incident on June 6, 1944.

Find A Grave Memorials for crew below:

Pilot: 2nd Lt. Herman H Doell, NJ https://www.fold3.com/page/529901467/herman-m-doell/stories

Co Pilot: 2nd Lt. Lewis A Duncan, TX https://www.fold3.com/page/529906544/lewis-a-duncan/stories

Gunner: S/Sgt. Vincent C Drozdek, IL https://www.fold3.com/page/529903321/vincent-c-drozdek/stories

Radio Operator: S/Sgt. Alvin T Rainey, LA https://www.fold3.com/page/84828511/alvin-t-rainey/stories

Navigator: 2nd Lt. Robert K "Bob" Swarthout, MI https://www.fold3.com/page/529905973/robert-k-swarthout/stories

Ball Turret Gunner: S/Sgt. Jerome M Helget, MN https://www.fold3.com/page/653606404/jerome-m-helget/stories

Engineer: S/Sgt. William De Valera Curtin, CA https://www.fold3.com/page/639659138/william-d-curtin/stories

Waist Gunner: S/Sgt. William E Price, OK https://www.fold3.com/page/638820248/william-e-price/stories

Tail Gunner: Sgt. Arthur Stancati, NJ https://www.fold3.com/page/638198187/arthur-f-stancati/stories

_This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project _https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

Sources:

www.ancestry.com

www.findagrave.com

https://www.honorstates.org