Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Robert L. McIntosh, missing from World War II, has now been accounted for.
On May 12, 1944, McIntosh was assigned to the 27th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group, and was the pilot of a single-seat P38 aircraft, on a strafing mission against an enemy airfield in Piacenza, Italy. Due to poor weather conditions, the flight leader missed their intended target and began flying south. Following a brief air battle over Bologna, visibility worsened and the pilots were ordered to climb above the overcast. McIntosh’s aircraft was observed diving through the clouds and was not seen again.
In August 2015, a DPAA recovery team excavated a crash site in Santa Cristina, Italy, with the help of Archeologi dell’Aria, an Italian non-profit organization.
Lab analysis, in conjunction with the totality of circumstantial evidence available, established 1st Lt. McIntosh’s remains were included.
Interment services are scheduled for August 13 in Tipton, Indiana. Welcome home and rest in peace, 1st Lt. McIntosh.
2LT Robert L. McIntosh Ligthning P-38 J Serial Number 42-104223 crashes due to bad weather at Santa Cristina di Rimini.