Robert D Brown

Military
media-29073.jpeg UPL 29073 Capt. Robert D Brown. 343rd Fighter Squadron. P-51D 44-14135 CY-D. Capt. Brown seen here being assisted by his crew Chief S/Sgt. Joseph Ruzika.

Object Number - UPL 29073 - Capt. Robert D Brown. 343rd Fighter Squadron. P-51D 44-14135 CY-D. Capt. Brown seen here being assisted by his crew Chief S/Sgt. Joseph Ruzika.

Assigned to 343FS, 55FG, 8AF USAAF. Credited with 3 x kills [1 x air, 2 x ground].



Failed to Return (FTR) escort mission to Heide, Germany in P-51 44-14135. Hit by flak whilst strafing Ju88's on Leck Aerodrome. Leaking coolant from the radiator scoop, headed for Sweden, when engine caught fire, Capt Brown turned it on its back and baled out. On descent his chute hit High Tension overhead wires knocking him out temporarily, landed Sth of Lake Tisso.

The farm he had landed on was occupied by resistance fighters who ghosted him away from the Germans onto a trawler and from Denmark to Sweden, where he was interned. 20-Mar-45. MACR 13184.



Awards: AM (OLC), American Campaign, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 343rd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37281076
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Crew chief

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 343rd Fighter Squadron

Places

Lieutenant-Colonel Elwyn G. Righetti of the 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group stands beside his P-51 Mustang, "Katydid". Print signed 'Best of everything your big loud Elwyn', 1944-1945.
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Bures / RAF Wormingford / RFC Wormingford / USAAF Station 159 / Wormingford Landing Ground

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Nez Perce County, ID, USA 5 October 1920

Enlisted

Lewiston, ID 83501, USA 16 September 1940 Lewiston, Idaho

Other

Promotion

Wormingford, UK 28 November 1943 Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.

Other

E/A Destroyed

Augsburg, Germany 10 September 1944 He-111 destroyed (ground) NE Augsburg 10-Sep-44.

Other

Operations Officer

Wormingford, UK 19 September 1944 Assigned Fighter Squadron Operations Officer.

Other

E/A Destroyed

Leipzig, Germany 2 November 1944 Me-109 destroyed (air) SW Leipzig 2-Nov-44.

Other

E/A Destroyed

Giebelstadt, Germany 20 February 1945 Ju-88 destroyed (ground) Giebelstadt 20-Feb-45.

Other

Evaded (EVD)

Denmark 20 March 1945 - 28 March 1945 Evaded capture with help from Danish resistance fighters.

Other

Shot down / baled out

Nth of Tissø, Kalundborg Municipality, Denmark 20 March 1945 Failed to Return (FTR) escort mission to Heide, Germany in P-51D 44-14135. Hit by flak whilst strafing Ju88's on Leck A/D. Leaking coolant from the radiator scoop, headed for Sweden, when engine caught fire, Capt Brown turned it on its back and baled out. EVD/INT. 20-Mar-45 MACR 13184.

Other

Interned (INT)

Sweden 28 March 1945 - 10 April 1945 Interned Sweden.

Other

RTU / returned Zone of Interior ZI

Wormingford, UK 10 April 1945 Flown back to the UK from Sweden in a B-24 to Scotland and returned [RTU] to Wormingford on 10-Apr-45. Returned to the States shortly after.

Other

Promotion

Wormingford, UK Promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

Other

Promotion

Wormingford, UK Promoted to Captain.

Based

Wormingford 20 March 1945 Assigned to 343FS, 55FG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Removed punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 13184 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

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