'Bobby' and 'Zip': Molesworth Wartime Romance & Tragedy Revisited

  • Published
  • By Peter G. Park, Commander's Action Group
  • JIOCEUR Analytic Center
ROYAL AIR FORCE MOLESWORTH, England --  Jitterbugging and real ice cream at hangar dances organized by the 303rd Bomb Group at Molesworth during the Second World War provided fun and distraction for B-17 Flying Fortress aircrew from the deadly fight in the skies above Nazi occupied Europe. For local girls trucked in from Northampton and other nearby towns and villages, the dances provided a lively relief from rationing and other restrictions in wartime Britain.

"Zip" and "Bobby " - a ball-turret gunner and a beautiful English girl -- shared a love of acting and the arts and fell in love. They were engaged to marry - one of many wartime romances on Molesworth and other American bases around Britain. Molesworth in fact has the record for the most British brides during the war.

Eighteen year old Pauline "Bobby" Roberts loved swimming, drama, going out with her friends and dancing at local bases. She had a flirtation with a Free Frenchman called Pierre before she met Staff Sgt. Joseph P. "Zip" Zsampar of the 359th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group (Heavy) shortly after the group arrived at Molesworth in the fall of 1942.

U.S. Army airmen seemed like Hollywood idols from the silver screen to the young English girl. By January 1943, Bobby and Zip were engaged and photographs show them together, seeing the sights of wartime London. Zip gave her a portrait of himself, on which he had poignantly printed in neat capitals: "America lend-leased this soldier to England's fairer sex. Handle with care and return in good order."

Their luck was not to last. On the night of May 14, 1943, Zip had a date with Bobby in Northampton. At the last moment, he sent a friend into town to tell her that he had agreed to substitute for a sick crew member and would meet her  the next evening instead .

Mission 35 for the 303rd was to Kiel, Germany. Zip's B-17 "FDR's Potato Peeler Kids," came under attack from Luftwaffe fighters who blasted the rear end of the plane, last seen out of control and spinning into the North Sea. Six parachutes were seen to open, but all crew members were killed .  Along with Staff Sgt. Zsampar, the Co-Pilot 1st Lt, Walter E. Dooley, and the Navigator, 1st Lt Daniel A. McColl are memorialized on the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery.  The body of Staff Sgt. Francis W. O'Reiley was later washed up on the German Island of Sylt, buried there and later repatriated to his native Arkansas after the war.  Capt Ross C Bales and the rest of the crew are memorialized at a cemetery in the Netherlands.

Bobby married after the war, but throughout her life she never got over her love for the American airman and spoke often of him to her children.

Ms. Louise Smedley-Hampson, Bobby's daughter visited Royal Air Force Molesworth on September 25th hosted by JIOCEUR Analytic Center Senior Enlisted Leader, Navy Master Chief John C. Frakes. Ms. Smedley-Hampson is writing the story of Bobby and Zip.  She was accompanied on her visit by her husband John and retired Patient Assistance Dog "Teddy."  Touring  the base, she walked where Staff Sgt. Zsampar trod in 1942 and 1943 including one of the hangars where her mother would have enjoyed hangar dances with the sergeant. Frakes presented her with a special certificate celebrating her visit to RAF Molesworth and on behalf of JAC Commander, Marine Corps Col. Peter H. Devlin she received a JAC Commanders coin.  Teddy had his own agenda visiting with AFRICOM IKD-M Senior Analyst Ms. Sandra A. Salvatori.

After leaving Molesworth she travelled to Cambridge American Cemetery where the Superintendent, Mr. David Bedford of the American Battle Monuments Commission, escorted her around the hallowed grounds with the graves of 3,812 American service men and women, and the Wall of the Missing inscribed with the names of 5,127 whose remains were in most cases not recovered - including Staff Sgt. Joseph G. "Zip" Zsampar.  Mr. Bedford noted that plans are underway to build a new interpretive center at the cemetery to feature stories about servicemen and women memorialized at Madingley.  This provided great comfort to Ms. Smedley-Hampson to know that the story of Staff Sgt. Zsampar and others will not be forgotten.   (Thanks to Ms. Louise Smedley-Hampson for permission to quote from her forthcoming story)