Clark Fredric Roberds, First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces, Martin B-26 Marauder pilot.

Clark Fredric Roberds

First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces
Service # XXXX565
Army Air Corps
Died: 25-March -1943 Missing in Action
Tablets of the Missing at East Coast Memorial, New York City, USA
Enlistment: November 11, 1941, at Kelly Field, Texas as a Aviation Cadet

Father: Fredric White Roberds
Mother: Eleanor Roberds
Sister: Pauline Roberds
Raised in the city of Rising Star, County of Eastland, State of Texas
College Graduate:
Civilian Occupation: Accountant
Married on July 8, 1942 to Francis Lee Ellis

1st Lt. Roberds, while piloting a B-26 aircraft, crashed in Brazil, while flying the “Southern Route”.

Based at Barksdale Army Airfield, Lt. Roberds was a First Pilot of a B-26 crew, which included 2nd Lt. Robert J. McCallum as Co-Pilot. Lt. McCallum’s letter of December 10, 1942 to his parents says everything.

“Tonight I learned that I will be transferred tomorrow to the 475th squadron and given a chance to check out as a first pilot.

I am glad that at last I will get a chance but at the same time I am a little sorry that I will not be going as we have a fine bunch and a good crew and Africa is where we all want to go.

The pilot of our crew, Lt. Roberds, is a really swell fellow. He and I got along fine and I know he would like to have me will him. But when he learned that there was a possibility of my being transferred, he went to bat for me 100% and it was he that convinced the higher-ups that I deserved a chance. Now he will take a green co-pilot to Africa with him.

As it turned out it was a lucky break for me to have been put in a crew as co-pilot. If they had tried to check me out before I might have had trouble but now I have over 150 hours in the plane and have had bombing, gunnery, formation and everything so I shouldn’t have any trouble at all checking out. Last night I greased a landing that Doolittle couldn’t have improved on.”

The McCallum family wishes to express it’s gratitude to the family of 1st Lt. Clark Fredric Roberds, not only for Lt. Roberds ultimate sacrifice to his country, but for his willingness to provide the opportunities of the future to 2nd Lt. Robert McCallum.

John D. McCallum