Robert Charles Carney was born December 23, 1920 in Utica, NY to John F. Carney Sr. (1879-1939) and Mary G. Kelly (1876-1956). His parents were married in 1905 or 1906. He was the youngest of their four children which included Ellen (abt 1910), John (abt 1912) and Gertrude (abt. 1915) (aka Mary). The family lived on Genesee St. in Utica, NY. Both his parents were from the U.S. His dad was the Treasurer for the local Gas. Company and later sold stocks and bonds. Robert attended John F. Hughes school, was in the Boy Scouts and graduated from Utica Free Academy in 1938. While there he was known as "Bob", was in the Social Science Club, the Science Club, was treasurer of the Punchinello Players (Drama Club) and was the Manager of the track team.

When he registered for the draft on February 16, 1942 he was living at 9 1/2 Cromwell Place, Utica, NY. He listed his mom, Mary as his contact person. He was 5'-10 1/2 " tall, weighed 150 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair. Robert doesn't wait to be drafted, enlisting in the Air Corps just a month later on March 11, 1942 through Utica, NY with service number 12052060. Before enlisting he worked for the New York Railroad Co. He did his basic training at Maxwell Field, Alabama, Kelly Field, El Paso, Texas, Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas, Ellington Field, Texas and received his wings in March 1943 at Hondo, Texas. His new service number was O-674146. He was sent overseas to China in July 1943. He was stationed at Yangkai, China with the 373rd BS.

On April 18, 1944 he was the Navigator aboard "Sweepy-Time Gal" a B-24DR type aircraft Serial No. 42-40622 operating out of Kweilin, China on a sea sweep when, according to a survivor, Pilot Lt. Glenn A. McConnell, they were intercepted by enemy zeros. The plane was ditched and sank not more than a mile or two from Hong Kong. Four of the crew survived but two were killed by enemy strafing and two were taken prisoner. Lt. McConnell was one of them. Two other remains were recovered but neither was identified as Lt. Carney who was presumed lost with the plane when it sank. Details of this crash and the investigation that followed can be read in his IDPF available at the National Achieves at : https://catalog.archives.gov/id/330696236 accessed on September 5, 2026. The Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) is attached in the Supporting Documents below.

His oldest sister Ellen received his last pay ($705.63) in December 1944 and his belongings in February 1948. Among his belongings were a pair of pink trousers, a package of assorted photos, a box of assorted souvenirs and books and 16 airmail envelopes with stamps. Lt. Carney was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and a Purple Heart.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3.

(Please see - http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org).

Can you help us write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find A Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of WWII fallen.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute, please contact Jim Greenberg at jim.greenberg@oneonta.edu.

SBTSProject/New York/Oneida

Sources

"4 Area Men Named Air Force Officers", Utica Observer-Dispatch, Utica, NY, March 15, 1943, pg. 6.

"37 Area Men Join Air Corps", Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, March 12, 1942, pg. 7.

Academician, 1938 yearbook of Utica Free Academy, Utica, NY accessed on Ancestry

"Area Men Win Promotions", Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, March 16, 1943, pg. 6.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/232600029/robert_c-carney: accessed 5 Sep 2026), memorial page for 1LT Robert C. Carney (23 Dec 1920–18 Apr 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 232600029, citing Saint Agnes Cemetery, Utica, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by PaPasgirl (contributor 48623246).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56751320/robert-carney: accessed 5 Sep 2026), memorial page for 1Lt Robert Carney (1920–18 Apr 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 56751320, citing Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Taguig, Southern Manila District, National Capital Region, Philippines; Maintained by MAJ Jimmy Cotton (contributor 48803557).

Fold3, US, Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs) of the U.S. Army Air Forces, 1942-1947 (https://www.fold3.com/publication/95/us-missing-air-crew-reports-macrs-wwii-1942-1947 : accessed Sep 6, 2026), database and images, https://www.fold3.com/publication/95/us-missing-air-crew-reports-macrs-wwii-1942-1947

Individual Deceased Personnel File for Robert Carney (O-674146), National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63138, NAID: 330696236

"Lt. Carney Lost in Action, Mother Hears", Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, May 5, 1944, pg. 14?

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, MO, USA; Applications for Headstones and Markers, 7/1/1970-9/30/1985; NAID: 6016127; Record Group Number: 15; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773-2007

National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, USA; Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946; NAID: 1263923; Record Group Title: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789-ca. 2007; Record Group: 64; Box Number: 00831; Reel: 76

New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 06; Assembly District: 01; City: Utica Ward 11; County: Oneida; Page: 6

Pacific Wrecks website has additional information about this crash. See https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/42-40622.html.

"Requiem Mass for Lt. Robert Carney", Syracuse Herald Journal, Syracuse, NY, November 6, 1945, pg. 3.

"UFA Will Graduate 451 Seniors Friday", Utica Observer-Dispatch, Utica, NY, June 27, 1938, pg. 9.

"Utica Flier Praised, Promoted", Utica Observer-Dispatch, Utica, NY, May 3, 1944, pg. 7-A.

Supporting Documents

The 20 page Missing Air Crew Report is below: