Robert Miller Knox was born on September 30, 1914 in Pennsylvania. His father is George Miller and his mother is Helene Edna (Ingram) Knox. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I as a Captain in the 418th Bomb Squadron, 100th Bomb Group (H). Pilot of the B17F 'Picklepuss' (named for Dorothy, his wife), S/N 42-30063, he led the 481th Squadron which was assigned to bomb the Messerschmitt factory at Regensburg, Germany. The mission plan was that after the bomb run, the group was to continue east and land in Africa. However, enroute to Regensburg they were attacked by a squadron of ME 109's. One of the German fighters took out one of the engines on the Pickelpuss. The plane couldn't keep up with the group anymore and the crew decided to turn around and fly back to their base at Thorpe Abbots in England. After about 15 minutes of flying, they were intercepted by another squadron of ME 109's who managed to set the bomber on fire. Shortly thereafter the plane blew up. Shot down by enemy fighters (Hauptmann Von Bonin, Oberleutnant Barte and Leutnant Witzke), the aircraft crashed at Herbesthal Lontzen, 500 meters west of Schmalgraf, near Kelmis, west of Aachen, in Belgium. Four of the crew survived and spent almost two years as prisoners of war at POW camps in Germany. Knox was one of the six victims who perished in the crash. He is buried at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.ancestry.com, www.abmc.gov, http://www.warmuseums.net/Pages/belgium_me_detailed12.html, http://www.aircrewremembered.com/knox-robert.html