Lt. Ivan Roberts, 27th Aero,1918

Help please! I am preparing an article on local man from Berkshire County,Western Mass. He was shot trying to escape Germans on Nov 10,1918. One day before the Armistice. He was shot down on Sept 27. He was with Frank Luke, Jr.
Any information will help. I hope to submit article in Oct. (2001)
Thanks.
PS. until I stumbled into this I had no idea so many still alive today are vitally interested in WW1. It's great.

I certainly hope you find more on this Bob. IR has always interested me. There was a "crank" letter published shortly after the war when an alleged "fellow-escaper" reported his version of IR's death. IR was "Brutally shot" in the course of his apprehension, was, I recall the theme of the letter. The letter was soon considered spurious after some research had been done on the name of the other Allied "escaper". Perhaps someone else can give you the reference on this. It is, I believe, presently alluded to- somewhere on the 'net.

There is a book underway on Jos. Wehner, who as was Roberts, was downed (but KIA) while teaming with Lt. Luke on sorties against obs. balloons. JW was from Andover and apparently there are significant holdings at that college on him. What was IR's college? There may be material there in terms of written appreciations by his class mates. etc. Much of that nature was done in the '20s when people tried to express their sentiments concerning those classmates who would never return from France. Please keep the "Forum" advised on your findings. VBR. Lee

[Shooter]

Bob:

Check out the home page of the 27th Pursuit. Not a complete history of Squadron but it well documents Joe Wehner and Ivan Roberts as the wingmen of Frank Luke Jr. I think it will give you all of the dates/places of their events.

Shooter sends

Thanks for information. Roberts was the son of the headmaster at the Episcopal Boarding school in Lee,Mass.( Ascension School for Boys)He probably was close to Wehner who also came from Mass.and also was a wingman for Frank Luke,Jr.I am digging into local libraries and old news papers including Stars and Stripes Library and Museum.
The dramatic confusion of how and where he died keeps drawing me on the trail of paper.Thanks again.I would like to write up the tribute and have it in the local paper in November near Armistice Day.
History can be like sky writing. If we on the ground today do not write the words down they fade and are gone forever.. When I have completed the article I shall submit it on the Aerodrom Forum.Bob