Fred Brown Jr

Military
media-27912.jpeg UPL 27912 Capt. Fred Brown. SFX/1SF (ex 401st BG). P-51D 44-13709 YF-H "Frances Ann".

www.littlefriends.co.uk

Object Number - UPL 27912 - Capt. Fred Brown. SFX/1SF (ex 401st BG). P-51D 44-13709 YF-H "Frances Ann".

Assigned to 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 29 x missions on B-17's as co-pilot to 1st Lt Fred D Grinham.

On 1 Dec 1943 Solingen mission: Lt Brown discovered that 3 bombs had jammed in the bomb bay when the load was discharged. Standing on the catwalk as the sub-zero winds whistled through the open bomb bay, he kicked the bombs loose. Later he shared his own oxygen supply with Sgt. Charles M. Lewis, whose supply had been fouled.

Subsequent tour with Experimental Scout Force on P-51's. Transferred 1st Scouting Force. End of War (EOW).

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

Connections

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

Units served with

A pathfinder B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 44-8258) of the 401st Bomb Group. Image by Robert Astrella. Written on slide casing: '48258 14 A, Mount Farm.'

401st Bomb Group

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

People

Fred D Grinham

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

42-102468

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Farmer's Daughter
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron 615th Bomb Squadron
The nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress (IN-F, serial number 42-31037) nicknamed "Pistol Packin' Mama" of the 613th Bomb Squadron, 401st Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '1. Completed 7th msision Frankfurt, Jan. 29, 1944. 2. Lost 31 B-17's.'

42-31037

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Pistol Packin Mama
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron

42-31068

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Fool's Luck
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron

42-31069

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Little moe
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron

42-31077

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Pakawalup II
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron 615th Bomb Squadron

Places

Aerial photography of Honington airfield looking south, the technical site with four C-type hangars and bomb dump are at the top, 21 June 1946. Photograph taken by No. 540 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/1589. English Heritage (RAF Photography).

Honington

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: RAF Honington

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Augusta, KS 67010, USA 19 December 1921 Son of Fred Snr and Martha Tippett [Broady] Brown.

Other

Crashed

Steeple Morden, Royston SG8, UK 1 September 1944 Take Off Accident Steeple Morden/Sta 122 Cat 3 damage 1Lt Fred (NMI) Brown Jr, 1-Sep-44. P-51D5 - 44-13709 ESF 355FG 122 8

Based

Transferred 1st Scouting Force

Honington 20 September 1944 Transferred to [385FS], 1st Scouting Force.

Based

Transferred 384th Fighter Squadron

Honington 22 October 1944 Transferred to [384FS], 1st Scouting Force.

Died

Mather Airport, 10425 Norden Ave, Mather, CA 95655, USA 1 August 1946 Fatal Crash East off Mather Fld CA Cat 4 damage 1Lt Fred (NMI) Brown Jr, 1-Aug-46. P-47N 45-49528 - 3010AAFBU Williams Fld, AZ FTC .

Other

End of War

Europe End of War (EOW).

Based

Steeple Morden 20 September 1944 Transferred to Experimental Scouting Force.

Based

Deenethorpe Assigned to 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 29 missions between 26-Nov-43 to 22-Jun-44.

Buried

Greenlawn Memorial Park, Bakersfield, Kern County, CA Greenlawn Memorial Park Bakersfield Kern County California, USA.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesChanges to biography and events. Changes to Role of Honour Picture. Changes to Role of Honour Picture
Sources

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/116455457/fred-brown

Date
ContributorHotelie1970
ChangesChanges to highest rank and awards
Sources

GENERAL ORDER # 557, dated 24 November 1944: From Headquarters 1st Bombardment Division, Office of the Commanding Brigadier General Turner.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesChanges to events and media associations
Sources

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=Brown&Submit=Sea…
http://401bg.org/Main/History/Members/Details.aspx?ID=591
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbapi.asp?Pilot=brown%2C+Fred&Su…
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=116455457

Date
Contributorgeneral ira snapsorter
ChangesChanges to biography
Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia ;
- http://www.401bg.org/Main/History/Members/Details.aspx?ID=3895

Date
Contributorgeneral ira snapsorter
ChangesChanges to events
Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia;
- http://www.401bg.org/Main/History/Members/?Search=yes;

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesChanges to suffix, role, biography, awards, events, person associations, unit associations, place associations and aircraft associations
Sources

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=Brown&Submit=Sea…
http://401bg.org/Main/History/Members/Details.aspx?ID=591
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbapi.asp?Pilot=Brown%2C+Fred&Su…
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=116455457

Date
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Fred Brown: Gallery (7 items)