Richard Winston Pugh was born on May 18, 1918 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He served in the 327th Bomber Squadron, 92nd Bomber Group, Heavy as a Captain and Squadron Commander of the 327th Bomber Squadron during World War II. He was also the Co-Pilot of the B-17 42-3048 "Sharon Belle" when his plane exploded near Astwell Castle on November 30, 1943 while aloft for a mission to Solingen, Germany that was scrubbed due to weather. All members of the crew were killed and the cause of explosion was never determined. CPT Pugh is now buried in the same grave with SSGT Brannan, TSGT Glaspell, 1LT Munro, and SSGT Slayton, in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA.
Crew members:
Captain Richard W. Pugh - co pilot
1st Lt. William M. Holland - pilot
F/O. Leighton D. Paterson - navigator
2nd Lt. William S. Munro - bombardier
T/Sgt. Thomas D. Glaspell - engineer
T/Sgt. Billy B. Freeman - radio operator
S/Sgt. Dean Landfear - waist gunner
S/Sgt. Charles E. Slayton - waist gunner
S/Sgt. Henry A. Scott - ball turret gunner
S/Sgt. Henry P. Brannan - tail gunner