Robert Henry King was born in Virginia in 1923, and grew up in Leaksville, Rockingham County, North Carolina; and in Durham, North Carolina. He was one of at least six children of Robert Lee King (24 May 1903 – 17 Aug 1989), who was born at Rockingham County, North Carolina; and Thelma Ella (Pulliam) King (1904 – 1996), who was born at Ridgeway, Henry County, Virginia. In 1930 the family lived at Leaksville, Rockingham County, North Carolina. By 1940 the family lived at Durham, North Carolina, where his father worked as a machinist, and he was an apprentice machinist. He later moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where he worked as a machinist. He was married to Ora L. King when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Baltimore on November 4, 1942. In 1944 his wife lived at Mebane, Alamance County, North Carolina.

He completed Army Air Forces flight engineer and aerial gunnery training, and was assigned as engineer-gunner on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Claude E. Gatlin Jr, in the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group. His unit was based at Army Air Forces Station 137, near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. The Gatlin crew arrived at Station 137 by November 28, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.

Sgt King and his eight crew mates went missing in action on December 31, 1944, when their aircraft, B-17G 42-97398, went missing during a mission to Hamburg, Germany. After takeoff, the aircraft was never seen in formation, and the aircraft and crew were never found. They probably went down in the North Sea.

Sgt King and his crew mates are memorialized on the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery near Madingley, England.

B-17G 42-97398 crew:
• Gatlin Jr, Claude E – 2/Lt – Pilot – MIA
• Uber, Frank J – 2/Lt – Copilot – MIA
• Smathers, Harold E – F/O – Navigator – MIA
• Bybee, Melvin G – Sgt – Togglier – MIA
• King, Robert H – Sgt – Engineer – MIA
• Mitchell, Bruce R – Sgt – Radio Operator – MIA
• Wright, George T – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – MIA
• Zaiger, Roy J – Sgt – Waist Gunner – MIA
• Kane, Stephen P – Sgt – Tail Gunner – MIA

Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com