Robert Lloyd Todd was born on 12 February 1923 in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. His father, Willis Lloyd Todd, and his mother, Dorothy Irene Large, were both natives of Beaver County. Willis and Dorothy moved their young family to Westfield in Chautauqua County, New York in 1926. Willis worked there for the Ajax Flexible Coupling Company. Willis and Dorothy raised one son and two daughters.

Robert Lloyd Todd was the couple’s only son. Robert Todd graduated from Westfield High School in 1941. He worked as a clerk at the Union Trust Company in Westfield.

Robert L. Todd enlisted in the Army on 24 August 1942 in Buffalo, New York. Robert Todd received his training at Camp Toccoa (GA), Fort Benning (GA), and Camp Mackall (NC). Robert Todd was a paratrooper, serving as a Sergeant in the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Company I. Sergeant Todd arrived in England on 18 September 1943.

On D-Day, Sergeant Robert L. Todd was killed in action while serving as a paratrooper being transported on board a C-47A Skytrain, #42-100905, from the 9th Air Force. They were being flown to Drop Zone D in support of the D-Day landings. The transport was brought down by German anti-aircraft fire west of Magneville, resulting in the loss of eighteen paratroopers and the transport's four crew members.

Sergeant Robert L. Todd is interred at the Normandy American Cemetery in France. He is also memorialized on the Magneville Aircrew Memorial in France.

Sources

1. 1930 United States Federal Census. Westfield, Chautauqua, New York; Page: 9B; ED: 0105

2. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. Ancestry.com

3. U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946. Ancestry.com

4. Dunkirk Evening Observer. 11 Jul 1944. Page 14. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77029397/dunkirk-evening-observer/?xid=637

5. Missing Aircrew Report #42-100905

6. Find a Grave. Memorials 56650812 and 113897610

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see 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.

Robert L Todd