What We Know
Bob Cary served with the 444th Bomb Squadron / 320th Bomb Group and is confirmed on the Christmas Day 1944 Singen mission crew sheet.
This project separates confirmed records from strong leads and family memory. The records place Robert A. Cary in the 444th Bomb Squadron, confirm him as co-pilot in ship 82 on the Christmas Day 1944 Singen mission, and now support his pre-service Western Michigan student years. The story also reaches into Bob's Decatur years, University of Michigan dental school, Hastings practice, and postwar life. The unresolved mission question remains whether ship 82 dropped on Singen or Thayngen.
Before the War
Western yearbooks place Bob in the 1941 freshman sequence, a 1942 likely sophomore spelling variant, and the 1943 junior class. The same evidence does not yet prove his major or graduation.
What Remains Open
The evidence does not yet prove whether Bob's ship 82 dropped on Singen or was among the aircraft that mistakenly bombed Thayngen.
How You Can Help
Family letters, photos, mission notes, Hartwell Davis material, Lady Bugs evidence, Decatur/Hastings records, and reunion material could all move the research forward.
Choose a Reader Path
The section works best when readers choose what they are trying to do. The cards below point to the right entry page, then the simplified navigation lets them branch out without seeing every page at once.
I want Bob's whole life story
Start with Decatur, Western, Mary, the war, dental school, Hastings, and family life.
I want the core wartime proof
Go straight to Mission 436, ship 82, the Sherman / Cary crew entry, and the Singen / Thayngen question.
I want the evidence ledger
Open the Evidence Guide for confirmed records, strong leads, family memory, and unresolved claims.
I want the chronology
Follow the prewar, training, combat, postwar, and return-visit sequence in date order.
I want the places
Use the map for bases, targets, Singen, Thayngen, Tavaux, Dijon, and the probable overseas route.
I want photos and open questions
Browse Bob family images, Western yearbook evidence, public-domain B-26 context images, and unresolved records.
I want aircraft context
Learn what a B-26 Marauder was, why the missions were dangerous, and what the 320th was flying.
I want family-memory leads
Read the Lady Bugs, Hartwell Davis, Pal, Ramon / Ramonde, France, and postwar recollection leads.
I may have records or photos
See exactly which photos, documents, captions, and local records would help most.
Looking for a specific name, target, squadron, place, or aircraft lead?
Search Bob Cary pages
Start Here
Confirmed record
Unit Connection
A public 320th Bomb Group roster lists Robert A. Cary with the 444th Bomb Squadron. The 444th flew B-26 Marauders as part of the 320th Bombardment Group.
Confirmed recordWestern Before the War
Western yearbook evidence now traces Bob from a 1941 freshman entry through a likely 1942 sophomore spelling variant and a clean 1943 junior entry.
Context imageD-Day and Sardinia
Around Normandy D-Day, Bob's eventual squadron was based at Decimomannu, Sardinia, flying B-26 missions over Italy. Bob's own location on 6 June 1944 is still unconfirmed.
Strong leadProbable Crossing Window
The best current route theory places Bob's Atlantic crossing in October or very early November 1944, likely through the Azores and North Africa before the 444th moved to Dijon.
Confirmed record25 December 1944
Cary is now confirmed as co-pilot in 444th ship 82 on the Singen railroad bridge mission. The report says 26 B-26s hit Singen and nine mistakenly bombed Thayngen; ship 82's drop group is still unresolved.
Strong leadHartwell Davis
Hartwell Davis and Bob Cary are named in Swiss/local return-visit records. Davis is also a key 444th veteran lead for photographs, letters, and family memory.
Open questionLady Bugs
Family memory says Bob flew Lady Bugs. The inspected 320th aircraft list identifies 42-95746 Lady Bugs as 444th battle number 78, not 79. Current mission sheets do not yet tie Cary to that aircraft.
BiographyBefore and After the War
Bob's story now reaches from Decatur and wartime service through his 1945 marriage, University of Michigan dental training, Hastings dental practice, church life, and family memory.
Family memoryConversation With Dad
A conversation-derived story list adds research leads around Hartwell's nickname, Bob's low-key personality, the B-26's handling reputation, possible Azores/North Africa/Italy movement, France memories, Battle of the Bulge context, and California B-29 training after Bob and Mary's August 1945 marriage.
What This Project Contains
Evidence Guide
A compact guide to confirmed records, family-memory leads, source links, and open questions.
Research Updates
A running public log of meaningful discoveries, corrections, new pages, and important evidence updates.
Timeline
A date-by-date view of where Bob was, what the 320th was doing, and how those missions fit into the larger Allied campaign.
Mission Map
An interactive map of Cary-linked mission targets, Singen/Thayngen context, operating bases, and the probable overseas-route leads.
Mission Log
A chronological table of Cary-linked mission report entries, including role, ship number, target, purpose, and likely outcome.
Mission 436 Evidence
Evidence crops from the Christmas Day 1944 mission report showing the Singen/Thayngen result, lineup context, and the Sherman/Cary crew entry.
Stories
Readable family-history versions, including the Christmas mission, the final B-26 campaign, and the loose bomb pins oral-history lead.
Family Memory
Leads from Peggy Hodgson's 2021 email, James Angus Cary's 2026 note, and Dan's conversation with Dad: Lady Bugs, Hartwell nicknames, Tavaux children, possible overseas route, B-29 training, dog Pal, and Bob's "keep on pluggin'" character sketch.
B-26 Marauder
A public history and technical description of the Martin B-26, the medium bomber flown by the 320th Bombardment Group and 444th Bomb Squadron.
B-26 Target Run
A small browser game: read the mission brief, dodge flak, use the Norden-style bombsight, and drop a limited bomb load on assigned military targets.
Sources
The research backbone: 320th roster, mission PDFs, squadron diary, Swiss accounts, obituaries, aircraft leads, and French book evidence.
Help Identify Records
A focused public call for mission, aircraft, family, local, and reunion records that could answer the biggest open questions.
Gallery & Open Questions
Family images, public-domain context images, unresolved questions, and records that would help move the research forward.
Most Important Open Question
Was Bob Cary's 25 December 1944 ship 82 among the 26 aircraft that attacked Singen, or among the nine that mistakenly bombed Thayngen? The crew sheet now proves his role as co-pilot on the mission, but the drop group still needs proof.
Research status last reviewed: 8 June 2026.