Robert Lee Davis was born on July 13, 1922, in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. He was the son of Lee Van Davis. He enlisted in the service on November 5, 1942. He served in the 600th Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot of B-17 #42-107214 during World War II.

On November 25, 1944, the aircraft crashed near Barkway, Hertfordshire, England, during its return from a bombing mission over Merseburg, Germany. The aircraft encountered severe weather conditions, including heavy fog, significantly reducing visibility. At approximately 17:20, while attempting to land at its home base in Nuthampstead, the bomber crashed into a wooded area near Barkway, resulting in the deaths of three crew members, while the remaining six crew members survived the crash and returned to duty.

2Lt Davis was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England. Robert L. Davis' name is inscribed on the Anstey Window Memorial in Panel 2 (center), on Butterfly 16, in the bottom left wing (section C).

Source of information: www.americanairmuseum.com, www.398th.org