Charles Lester Brown

Military

Object Number - UPL 24236 - Second Lieutenant Charles L. "Charlie" Brown, 527th Squadron, 379th Bomb Group.

Flew on B-17 'Ye Olde Pub', pilot was Charles Brown. The plane was so badly damaged that a passing M109 German pilot Franz Stigler, felt so sorry for the crew that he escorted them part of the way home instead of shooting the B-17 down. Years later after the war they met at a 379th BG Reunion This was Charles Brown's first combat mission; he was to stay in the Air Force serving in Counter Intelligence. Stigler emigrated to the USA in 1953.

Air Force Cross (the only one awarded)

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 379th Bomb Group.

379th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Robert M Andrews

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Samuel W Blackford

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Bertrand Coulombe

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner

Lloyd H Jennings

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner

Spencer Luke

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Aircraft

42-3167

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Ye Olde Pub

42-37805

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Carol Dawn
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 525th Bomb Squadron 527th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Weston, West Virginia 24 October 1922

Died

Miami, Florida 24 November 2008

Buried

Miami, Florida Woodlawn Park Cemetery South

Revisions

Date6 Dec 2021 11:51:25
ContributorHelen
ChangesChanges to biography
Sources

390BG journal March 1998

Date6 Dec 2021 11:48:31
ContributorHelen
ChangesChanges to biography
Sources

390thBG journal March 1998

Date6 Dec 2021 11:45:53
ContributorHelen
ChangesChanges to biography
Sources

390thBG journal March 1998

Date21 Oct 2018 23:21:22
Contributorjmoore43
ChangesChanges to place associations
Sources

Added connection to airbase location.

Date21 Oct 2018 01:20:20
Contributorjmoore43
ChangesChanges to mission associations
Sources

Added a connection to Mission "VIII Bomber Command 159" for 12/20/1943.

Date20 Oct 2018 22:33:33
Contributorjmoore43
ChangesChanges to person associations
Sources

Added crew connection using info from the crew photo.

Date20 Oct 2018 22:17:37
Contributorjmoore43
ChangesChanges to person associations
Sources

Added connections to crew members.

Date20 Oct 2018 21:56:34
Contributorjmoore43
ChangesChanges to middlename, nickname, biography and events
Sources

Aded death & burial info per Find-a-grave MEMORIAL ID 35780371.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:05:48
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

Charles Lester Brown: Gallery (4 items)

Object number: UPL 18547 - Captain Charles Brown and Crew of the Carol Dawn...

Object number: UPL 24235 - The crew of 379th Bomb Group's "Ye Olde Pub." Left...

Object number: UPL 24236 - Second Lieutenant Charles L. "Charlie" Brown...

Object number: UPL 31239 - "Lt. Brown and crew pose beside Boeing B-17 'Carol...