Robert Eagleton Young was born in Alabama about 1925. His parents were Dr Luther Throngberry Young Sr (11 Nov 1889 – 26 Dec 1939), who was born at Clay County, Alabama; and Mary Ellen Young (18 Dec 1899 – 25 Jun 1980), who was born in Tennessee. He had three siblings: Frances Hamilton Young (abt 1922 – unk), Dr Luther Throngberry Young, Jr (19 Feb 1923 – 7 Apr 1999), and Nancy Jane Young (abt 1928 – unk). By 1930, the family lived at Florence, Lauderdale County, Alabama. His father died in 1939, and in 1940 the family lived at 228 Lelia Street, Florence, Alabama. Robert E. Young completed at least one year of high school before enlisting in the U.S. Army.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery and armament school, and was assigned as waist gunner and armorer on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Alvin S. 'Buddy' Rothstein. The crew completed B-17 operational training in the States, and was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Army Air Forces Station 137, near the village of Lavenham, Suffolk, England. The Rothstein crew arrived at Station 137 on December 28, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.
On February 3, 1945, the 487th Bomb Group dispatched three squadrons to bomb Berlin, Germany. The Rothstein crew flew B-17G 41-98013 as an airborne spare on this mission. The 487th Bomb Group formation was completely filled, so Lt Rothstein joined the 486th Bomb Group formation over the North Sea, and flew in the number 6 position of the Lead Squadron. Rothstein's aircraft lost an engine just before bombs away over Berlin, and lost the other three engines on the return route. Rothstein was forced to ditch the aircraft in the North Sea just west of the Frisian Islands, north of Holland. The aircraft fuselage broke at the waist aft of the ball turret, but the crew was able to escape the aircraft. Sgt Young was last seen wearing his Mae West life preserver, swimming toward a raft. He was carried away by the heavy seas, and was never seen again. The other eight crew members were able to climb aboard life rafts. They were rescued by an OA-10A Catalina amphibious aircraft of the 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron, piloted by 2/Lt Donald E. Combs.
Sgt Young's body was never recovered. He is memorialized on the wall of the missing at Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, The Netherlands.
Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov