Robert Lymon Hale was born in Boston, Massachusetts on  December 11, 1915, the seventh of 10 children to Ralph and Sadie (Smith) Hale. He grew up in Natick and moved with his family to Rowley in 1935.

Bob graduated from Natick High School in 1933, where he excelled in football as Captain and star halfback, played the outfield in baseball and forward on the basketball team.

He attended Governor Dummer Academy in Byfield and Cushing Academy, where he also excelled at sports.


 

Blytheville Army Airfield

 

Robert Hale entered military service in 1942 and trained as a pilot with the Army Air Force. He was commissioned a second lieutenant at Blytheville Advanced Twin Engine Flying School in Arkansas in January 1943, and was stationed in South Carolina at Greenville and Columbia.

2nd Lt. Robert L. Hale 0-795731 was Co-Pilot of the B-25D-1 ( We Dood It ) # 41-30376 which was shot down October 24, 1943 during a mission over New Guinea. Additional informaqtion about Lt. Hale and the rest of the crew is available in the link below.

B-25D-1 "We Dood It" Serial Number 41-30376

Shot Down October 24, 1943 at 1111 hours

Pilot  -  1st Lt Robert H Miller O-659996 (Providence, RI)
Co-Pilot  -  2nd Lt Robert L Hale O-795731 (Newtonville, MA)
Radio/Gunner  -   S/Sgt Joseph A Berube 11024162 (Fall River, MA)
Top Turret  -  S/Sgt Glendon Harris 11013668 (North Monmouth, ME)

Took off from Dobadura for a strike on Rapopo Air Drome - Rabaul . Just before reaching its target at 11:11am, this bomber was attacked by four Zeros and was hit, possibly in a collision with a Zero. It started to burn and a portion of the right wing fell off before crashing on the waters edge in a grove of coconuts on Kabanga Point.


 

Bob Hale  September 1942

 Robert L. Hale - Larry - Kelley

 

Robert L. Hale

Robert Hale  January 1943

 

 Unknown - Robert Hale  New Guinea 1943

Robert H. Miller Crew