Robert Guthrie was born on October 21, 1917, in Paden City, West Virginia. He was married to Josalee Collier Guthrie. He served in the 368th Bomber Squadron, 306th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Flight Engineer of B-17F #41-24514 during World War II.

On March 8, 1943, the B-17F #41-24514 departed Station 111 at Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, at 11:45 on a mission against the Rennes marshalling yards in France. At 14:30, over Plouguenast (Côtes-d’Armor, France), the bomber was attacked and shot down by a German Fw 190 fighter. The crew bailed out by parachute; however, the pilot was killed when his chute failed to open at low altitude. The majority of the crew were captured and spent the remainder of the war as prisoners, while one evaded capture and made it back to the United Kingdom with assistance from the local resistance and a fishing boat escape.

TSgt Guthrie was taken as a prisoner of war and held at Stalag 17B in Braunau Gneikendorf. He later served as a Senior Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, with service spanning World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He died on September 5, 1993, and is now buried in the Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Sumter County, Florida, USA.

Source of information: francecrashes39-45.net, www.americanairmuseum.com