Sioux City Gunner Suffers Fractured Leg While on Raid
Technical Sergeant Robert A. Wood, 29, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Wood, 1410 W. 15th Street, who is a turret gunner and first engineer in a bomber, suffered a fractured leg according to a v-mail letter received by his parents here. No details as to the cause of the injury were given, Mrs. Wood said. He was reported as recovering.
Sergeant Wood sent a picture of a plane which had been shot up in a historic raid over Germany in which he took part. It appeared in an English newspaper March 8. It is believed he was not injured in that raid, Mrs. Wood stated.
A year ago on September 10, Wood entered the service. He is a native of Sioux City and was graduated from Central High School. He has a brother, Paul in the army in the Pacific War zone and another brother, William, in the navy.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, April 7, 1944
Sioux City Gunner Wounded in Action Reported Improving
Technical Sergeant Robert A. Wood, a top turret gunner on an Eighth army air force Flying Fortress, is convalescing in an American evacuation hospital in England. He was wounded by an enemy cannon shell recently when formations of Fortresses attacked Frankfurt, Germany. Sergeant Wood is the son of Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Wood, 1410 W. 15th Street. He attended Central High School here and before joining the air force was employed as a collector with a local organization.
Commenting on his injuries, Sergeant Wood said: “At first I thought my whole leg had been blown off, but I looked down and saw it there, so I knew it was okay. My bombardier, Second Lieut. Angelo J. Depeder of Chicago came back from the nose of the Fortress and moved me to the catwalk. He did a swell piece of first aid and the medical officer said that’s the reason my injuries have not proved more serious."
Source: The Sioux City Journal, May 9, 1944
