Original Item: Only One Available. Now this was an absolutely incredible find that essentially came out of the woodwork. The vase was most likely used during a memorial service after his death. First Lieutenant Robert Westley Barrall served on the B-17 nicknamed “Old Bill” with the 365th Bomb Squadron, 305th Bombardment Group under command of the 8th Air Force at the time of his actions which led to being awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the United States Army's second highest military decoration for soldiers who display extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. Lieutenant Barrall's pilot Captain William Whitson also earned the DSC for this mission, and the other eight crewmen received Silver Stars. Eight of the 10-man crew also received Purple Hearts, making them the most decorated crew of the 305th Bombardment Group.

This church altar brass flower vase was made by Sudbury Brass Goods Company Altar Ware, and measures just under 8 inches in height. Sudbury Brass was founded in 1927 as a silversmithing and church appointment repair and refinishing firm. The owners recognized a need for quality church brassware early on and assembled talented craftsmen and artisans to develop the vast selection of quality worship products well known in the industry today. Sudbury Brass is the oldest church sanctuary furnishing firm in the United States.

The altar vase was procured by Lt. Barrall’s parents in 1943 most likely after learning of their son’s death flying over England. The first “step” of the vase is engraved with the following:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
1ST LT. ROBERT W. BARRALL
BY MR. & MRS. OSCAR R. BARRALL

The main portion of the vase has a lovely Master Pilot badge braised onto the front in the same brass color as the vase itself. There is tarnishing present overall but it just adds a lovely patinated appearance to it. The 4" x 4" bottom still retains a red felt covering with the manufacturer label still firmly attached with all details present.

The 365th Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group, included a B-17 nicknamed "Old Bill" in honor of the famous cartoon character of WWI trenches created by Bruce Bairsfather, the British artist who contributed to the US Army newspaper Stars and Stripes. This aircraft returned from Heligoland bearing witness to the most severe battering a Chelveston aircraft had ever received and survived.

The Luftwaffe had commenced a series of head-on passes at the 305th, as it prepared to unload their payload over Heligoland. "Old Bill's" oxygen lines were hit and shell fragments pierced pilot 1st Lt William Whitson's leg. Co-pilot 2nd Lt Harry L. Hold, without oxygen, took over while Whitson went to fetch emergency bottles. Holt was almost unconscious when the pilot returned. Revived, he took over the controls again while Whitson dressed his wounds. Cannon fire from a subsequent attack shattered the Plexiglass nose and mortally wounded navigator 2nd Lt Douglas Venable, manning the nose guns, while Bombardier 2nd Lt Robert W. Barrall, partly shielded by the bomb-site, suffered only minor injuries. Albert Haymon, located in the top turret and bleeding profusely from a head wound, continued to operate the turret by hand cranking until it jammed. Despite their wounds, Haymon and Barrall took turns at the controls while the pilot and co-pilot were given first aid.

With a 200 mph slipstream coming through the open nose, a buckled right wing and defunct hydraulics, "Old Bill" struggled back to Chelveston where emergency systems enabled the gallant crew to make a successful wheels down landing without brakes or flaps. The crew later became the most decorated in the 305th. Whitson and Barrall received DSCs for their actions, eight Silver Stars and seven Purple Hearts were also awarded to the crew for this action.

Distinguished Service Cross Citation

AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING: World War II
Service: Army Air Forces
Battalion: 365th Bombardment Squadron
Division: 8th Air Force
GENERAL ORDERS: Headquarters, European Theater of Operations, U.S. Army, General Orders No. 41 (July 7, 1943)

CITATION:

“The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant (Air Corps) Robert Wesley Barrall, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Bombardier of a B-17 Heavy Bomber in the 365th Bombardment Squadron, 305th Bombardment Group (H), EIGHTH Air Force, while participating in a bombing mission over enemy occupied Continental Europe on 15 May 1943. The aircraft in which he was serving was attacked by a force of enemy fighter airplanes and during the encounter Lieutenant Barrall was wounded and the navigator was killed. Subsequent attacks by enemy airplanes wounded him again, as well as the pilot, co-pilot, top-turret gunner, radio operator, and waist gunner. In spite of his wounds, and with complete disregard for his own safety, Lieutenant Barrall crawled back into the shattered nose of the aircraft and released his bombs on the target. He then returned to the radio room and administered first aid to his wounded comrades. On the return journey after the completion of the mission his aircraft was again attacked by a force of enemy airplanes. Again he crawled into the broken nose section, manned his gun, and heroically flew the aircraft to its base, thereby conserving the strength of the injured pilot for the hazardous landing. The courage, skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Lieutenant Barrall on this occasion contributed materially to the safe return of the aircraft and crew.”

Unfortunately, after surviving the harrowing feat, Robert Westley Barrall would never return home. Just a few months after this, he was involved in a mid air collision with the British Royal Airforce during a Night Flying training event.

B17F 42-5376 "JJ-X" "Eager Eagle" of the 305th Bomb Group, 422nd Bomb Squadron, collided in midair with the 96th Squadron RAF Beaufighter V8715 Aug 31, 1943 and crashed near Church Farm, Foulsham, Norfolk. The Beaufighter crashed at Foulsham, the B-17 crash landed at Foulsham but was wrecked, and written off the next day (Sep 1). 9 killed in the B-17 as well as the Beaufighter crew of two.

Crew of Beaufighter V8715:
F/O (119.881) Frederick Neal ROBERTSON DFC (pilot) RAFVR - killed
F/O (47873) Bertram Ernest DYE DFM (obs) RAF - killed

At 22:30 hours while on a training flight B-17F 42-5376 was involved in a mid air collision with an RAF Beaufighter from 96 Squadron over Norfolk. Only the two waist gunners managed to bale out suffering a few scratches and bruises. Church Farm, Foulsham, and it's outbuildings were damaged in the crash.

Crew of B-17F-50-BO 42-5376 "JJ-X" 'Eager Eagle' 305th BGp /422nd BSqn USAAF

1st Lt. Floyd H. Truesdell. Pilot - Killed.
2nd Lt. Allan N. McDaniel. Co-Pilot - Killed.
2nd Lt. William M. Cullity Jr. Navigator - Killed.
1st Lt. Robert W. Barrall. Bombardier - Killed.
T/Sgt. James N. Yongue. Top Turret Gunner/Engineer - Killed.
T/Sgt. Joseph F. Van Esley. Radio Operator - Killed.
S/Sgt. Charles F. Awrajcewicz. Ball Turret Gunner - Killed.
Sgt. Carl G. Ruehl. Left Waist Gunner - Baled out, survived.
S/Sgt. John E. Breen. Right Waist Gunner - Baled out, survived.
S/Sgt. George D. Simon. Tail Gunner - Killed.
S/Ldr (42475) Edward Robert Myddleton APPLETON (Observer) RAF - Killed.

The vase is a grim reminder that during peacetime, children bury their parents, during war…parents bury their children. This would be a wonderful addition to any WWII Aviation collection and comes more than ready for further research and display.