Robert Edward Meyns
Second Lieutenant Robert E. “Bob” Meyns was a Marine pilot attached to Naval Air Station Melbourne, Florida.
He was killed in a training accident off the Florida coast on 19 July 1943.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number O-24645
Current Status
Remains not recovered.
CONUS Loss
Because this individual died within the limits of the continental United States, they are not tracked by the DPAA.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
June 3, 1921
at Union City, NJ
Parents
Henry Herman Meyns
Clara Mae (Terwilliger) Meyns
Education
Dumont High School (1940)
Bergen Junior College (1942)
Occupation & Employer
College student
Service Life
Entered Service
June 12, 1943 (commission)
Home Of Record
61 Van Houten Street
Bergenfield, NJ
Next Of Kin
Parents, Henry & Clara Meyns
Military Specialty
Pilot
Primary Unit
Naval Air Detachment
Melbourne, Florida
Campaigns Served
—
Individual Decorations
—
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Second Lieutenant Robert “Bob” Meyns – a rising baseball star scouted as a pitcher for the New York Giants – served as a Marine Corps pilot during World War II. He earned his wings and commission at Naval Air Training Center Corpus Christi in June of 1943, and was assigned to Naval Air Station Melbourne, Florida, for advanced training.
On 17 July 1943, barely a month after becoming a qualified Marine pilot, Meyns was involved in a mid-air collision while on a practice gunnery run. He failed to escape from his F4F-3 (BuNo 12288) before it hit the water between eight and ten miles off the coast of Melbourne. Rescuers picked up the other pilot, a Navy ensign, but could find no trace of Lieutenant Meyns. Searches were suspended after two days, and Meyns was declared dead in the accident.
Burial Information or Disposition
Remains lost at sea.
Memorials
No known memorials.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of parents, Henry & Clara Meyns.
Location Of Loss
Approximate area of the crash, 10 miles offshore of Melbourne, Florida.
