Richard Guy Hawkins was born 23 July 1921, Montpelier, Ohio. His parents were Guy & Alda F. (Case) Hawkins. His father had died in 1937, prior to Richard’s enlistment. His mother was living in Marion at the time of Richard’s death. Richard G. Hawkins graduated from Harding High School with the Class of 1940. He worked at Fairfield Engineering prior to entering service.

Richard G. Hawkins entered service 2 October 1942. While in service Hawkins married Ruth “Virginia” (Kennedy), on 5 October 1943, in Los Angeles, California.

After entering service with the Army Air Corps., Richard G. Hawkins was assigned to the crew of a B-24 Liberator (42-40550) “Charlie,” as a tail-gunner. He went overseas for service in December of 1943. Hawkins attained the rank of Staff Sergeant (SSgt.) and was assigned to the 8th Air Force, 801st Bomb Group, 406th Bombardment Squadron. They flew “Carpetbagger” missions. These were missions to support the French Resistance, buy reconnoitering the operations area, supplying the resistance, dropping in agents and dropping leaflets and other activity. This was all to support the O.S.S. (Office of Strategic Services)
SSgt. Hawkins and crew had participated in 17 missions. SSgt Hawkins had been awarded the Air Medal in March of 1944.

On 12 June 1944, Hawkins’ wife, Virginia Hawkins, received a telegram from the Adjutant General. The telegram reported that her husband was reported as missing in action, since 28 May 1944. It was reported that he was missing while over Belgium. SSgt. Hawkins’ wife was living with his mother at the time, and she would have also been aware of this news. Virginia was also notified by a friend of SSgt Hawkins, who was in the same unit, of the incident. The friend stated that he was in the plane behind Hawkins’ plane and witnessed the plane being shot. He stated that the plane was shot and seemed to explode in mid-air. He said the plane was disabled and the pilot had to drop out of formation.

It was not until 7 September 1944, that Virginia Hawkins received another telegram stating, “Reports now received from the German government, through the International Red Cross, states that your husband, previously reported missing in action, died on May 29 as a result of wounds received in action over Belgium.”

The mission that SSgt. Richard G. Hawkins and crew were on was a mission to find a French resistance radio station and communicate with them. They were also to drop weapons and supplies to the resistance. This was only a week prior to the Invasion of Normandy. The Plane was piloted by Lt. Henry W. Wolcott III. He explains the mission as follows:

Our B-24 (42-40550) “Charlie”, took off from Harrington for its target in Belgium on the night of May 28th, 1944, just a week before the invasion of Normandy. We arrived at the drop zone at about 1 a.m. on May 29th. Belgian sources state that at that time the plane was flying a secret mission named “Osric 53” dropping arms and material for the resistance in Henegouwen.

On this mission, however, there was no reception at the target, so the plane headed back to Harrington. “Then at approximately 1.30 a.m. we were attacked by a German night fighter” said Wolcott. “Both starboard engines were hit and the aircraft was on fire. Attempts to put out the flames failed so I gave the order to bail out”. All the crew members except Sgt. Richard Hawkins successfully reached the ground. Hawkins was found near the place where the aircraft lay on the ground, his parachute unopened. “Why he didn’t exit the aircraft as the rest of the crew exited has been and always will be a mystery which haunts me to this day,” said Wolcott.

Lt. Henry W. Wolcott

Note: this was prior to Wolcott learning from a French Resistance member the details of Hawkins’ body being discovered.

The plane that would attack and down the B-24 (42-40550) “Charlie“, was German Luftwaffe pilot Hauptmann Josef Krahforst. He was a night fighter with the II./NJG 4, who was flying from Florennes airfield. NJG 4 stands for Nachtjagdgeschwader or Night Fighter Wing 4, II is 2nd Group. He was flying the German JU-88.

The pilot and crew with the exception of SSgt. Hawkins would parachute and separately link up with the French Resistance, the very group they were supporting and supplying. The resistance hid Lt. Henry Wolcott in a Catholic school and in homes supporting the resistance. He soon met another American pilot who was also being helped by the resistance. During his evasion he did not meet the rest of his crew. They were all moved separately.

Lt. Wolcott was turned in to the Gestapo by a couple who said they would assist him to Switzerland. He was taken to Brussels and placed in a prison. He was later placed on a “Ghost Train” bound for Germany. The train was transporting prisoners of war and Jewish prisoners. The resistance delayed the trains departure for six days, hoping the Allied Armies would be able to liberate them.

After the war, Lt. Henry Wolcott returned to his hometown and worked as an accountant. He was haunted by not knowing if he could have done more to save the only crew member, Richard G. Hawkins, that perished. Wolcott finally was able to visit the Grave of Hawkins, in Europe. He also wanted to find those that helped him when he was evading the Germans. He made a trip and met up with a resistance member, George De Cooman.

George De Cooman was one of the resistance members who saw the plane as it came down. De Cooman and his brother went to the plane when it crashed. He told Wolcott that nearby they found the body of Hawkins wearing his parachute. He was informed that Hawkins had not deployed his parachute and that his injuries were fatal and had occurred when the plane was shot in the air. De Cooman and his brother hastily wrapped Hawkins in his parachute. They came under fire from the Germans who also witnessed the plane crash. Under fire from the Germans, they were able to make their escape with the body of Hawkins. They took him to a convent for burial.

De Cooman had waited for fifty years for someone from the crew to visit. He had kept some belongings of SSgt. Hawkins. He turned over to Wolcott; a piece of Hawkins’ parachute, made into a silk handkerchief (it was embroidered with the date of the crash), some pieces of metal, foam and plastic wreckage from the plane; an American flag; and a picture of Hawkins that was on him at the time of his death.

Henry Wolcott found relief in that there was nothing he could have done to save Hawkins. He visited the military grave that Hawkins was moved to, in Ardennes American Cemetery, in Belgium. There the Belgians held a memorial service while Wolcott was present.

When Wolcott returned he contacted the living crew members and tried to find the family of Hawkins. Hawkins’ mother and widow left Marion and Wolcott was unable to locate any family as of 2001. The author of this article does not know if Wolcott did make contact with Hawkins’ family before his death in August 2011.

SSgt. Richard G. Hawkins is buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial, Neuville-en-Condroz, Arrondissement de Liège, Liège, Belgium.

SSgt. Richard G. Hawkins is also remembered on the Honor Roll, at the Veterans Memorial Park, in Marion, Ohio; on the west wall of the Marion County Courthouse; and World War II Veterans Memorial Wall, at the Marion Cemetery.

The crew of the B-24 Liberator (42-40550) “Charlie” pictured above at Harrington in early 1944.
Standing, L-R:
William G. Ryckman – Navigator (Evader)
Henry W. Wolcott III – Pilot (Evader)
Robert F. Auda – Copilot (Evader)
Wallis O. Cozzens – Bombardier (Evader)
Kneeling, L-R:
Dirvin D. Deihl – Engineer (Evader)
Richard G. Hawkins – Gunner (DOW)
Frederick A. Tuttle – Gunner (Evader)
Dale S. Loucks – Radio Operator (Evader)

There is also a Memorial for the Carpetbaggers.