TSGT Raymond Renfroe Rhodes

Familial History:

TSGT Raymond Renfroe Rhodes was born 7 May 1907 in Mountainburg, Crawford County, Arkansas to Myrtle May Renfroe and Chester Ulysses Rhodes. He died 2 October 1944 near Hamm, Germany when his B-24 plane crashed.

He married Mary Z. Ellen Rufino on 2 October 1928 in Crawford, Arkansas, She was born 21 August 1912 to Martha L. Clemond and an unknown father and died 26 July 1990 in Fort Smith, Arkansas. She was buried in the Fort Smith National Cemetery, in Fort Smith. Sebastian County, Arkansas. She was located in Plot 15, 0. 731, Military Section SP5, US Army and Memorial # 1115334.

Myrtle May Renfroe was born during February 1889 in Crawford County, Arkansas to Lavina B. Baker and George Washington Renfroe and died 4 December 1954 in Arkansas. She was buried near her husband Ulysses in the Rose Lawn Park Cemetery and the Memorial # 42632198. She married Chester Rhodes on 1 June 1906 in Crawford County, She had seven siblings which five were sisters and two were brothers.

Three years after his death, she remarried. On 28 March 1938, she was joined in marriage to Sumpter M. “SM” Hawkins in Sebastian County, Arkansas. SM was born 6 April 1886 and died 9 November 1978. He was also buried in the Rose Lawn Park Cemetery, Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas and the Memorial # 51425942.

Chester Ulysses Rhodes was born 16 June 1884 in Crawford County, Arkansas to Caroline L. and Ransom Riley Rhodes and died 22 June 1935 in Arkansas. He is buried in the Rose Lawn Park Cemetery, Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas and the Memorial # 44223180. He had eight siblings consisting of four sisters and four brothers. Raymond was the only son born into the Rhodes family.

Sister Nora Stanford was born during 1911 in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas and died in 1985 in Blythe, Riverside County, California. The information concerning her marriage was not available.

Sister Doris Marie Pettigrew was born 6 June 1921 in Fort Smith, Arkansas and died 2 January 1994 in Shreveport, Caddo County, Louisiana.

Service History:

Prior to his enlistment, Raymond was employed as a semiskilled welder and flame cutter for the Turin City Welding Company in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He enlisted into the US Army Air Corps on 6 October 1942 in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. The report stated he had completed two years of college and was 64 inches in height and weighed 110 pounds.

TSGT Raymond B. Rhodes enlisted into the US Army Air Corps Service Number 18166759. His specialty was an Engineer for the 853rd Bomber Squadron, 491st Bomber Group, Heavy. At the time of his death, he was the Top Turret Gunner.

The 853rd Bombardment Squadron was activated 1 October 1943 at Davis-Monthan Field in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona and flew the B-24 Liberator. In November 1943, they were ordered for additional training at El Paso Army Air Field in Texas. This is where they started training on the Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers. The air echelon reported to Pueblo Army Air Base in Pueblo County, Colorado to complete its training. On 21 April 1944, the squadron started ferrying the B-24s via the southern route to England.

The squadron was assembled at RAF Metfield on 15 May 1944. The airbase was located southeast of the village of Metfield, Suffolk, England. It was one of the most isolated Eighth Air Force stations in Suffolk. The tail code was a Circle “Z”

The first operation was initiated 2 June attacking the Bretigny-sur-Orge Airfield. It was located about 17 miles south of Paris.

His B-24 #42-95104 was shot down by Anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Berge 3 km south of Hamm during a bombing mission. It is a town in the north of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany.

Seven crewmembers were killed in the crash and two became Prisoners of War.

The Missing Air Crew Report was # 9427.

The crew of B-24 #42-95104 Crew R75:

Pilot 2nd Lt Dan W. Means O-705750 Kansas^

Co-Pilot 2nd Lt John Clark ^

Bomb 2nd Lt Edward M. Ainsworth 18058374 Texas+

RO TSGT Robert J. Lyons Texas+

LWaist G SSGT Maurice W. Finnegan 312298845 Massachusetts^

R Waist G SSGT George J. Nimmer 33797269 Pennsylvania^

Top Gun TSGT Raymond Rhodes 18166759 Arizona^

Tail Gun SSGT Britt D. Maxwell Jr 34678301 North Carolina^

^ Killed in Action

+ Prisoner of War

He was buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial, Neucille-en-Condroz, Arrandissement de Liege, Liege. Belgium. The Plot is B, Row 43, Grave 38 and the Memorial # 56360526. His wife (Mary Clemons Rhodes) signed the Headstone and Interment Form.

Commendations:

Air Medal

Purple Heart

Stories Behind the Stars

Thank you, TSGT Raymond Rhodes, of the US Army Air Corps, for your sacrifice and service to our country.

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 smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen’ s name and read his/her story.

If you noticed anything missing in this profile, you can contact the author, Click on the author’s name located at the bottom of the story page next to the words “added by”.

Resources:

Raymond R Rhodes : Technical Sergeant from Arizona, World War II Casualty (honorstates.org)

Raymond R Rhodes | American Air Museum in Britain

UPL 36555 | American Air Museum in Britain

TSgt Raymond Renfroe Rhodes (1907-1944) - Find a Grave Memorial

Missing Air Crew Reports October 1944 (accident-report.com)

October 1944 USAAF Missing Air Crew Reports (aviationarchaeology.com)

1942 USAAF Serial Numbers (42-91974 to 42-110188) (joebaugher.com)

853rd Bombardment Squadron - Wikipedia

Brétigny-sur-Orge Air Base - Wikipedia

RAF Metfield - Wikipedia

Davis–Monthan Air Force Base - Wikipedia

Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial - Wikipedia