Harold Adrian Brassfield
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
Tail Gunner
Lowell Watts Crew
388th BG - 562nd BS
KIA 6 March 1944 466th Bomb Group collection
Chris Brassfield
Object Number - UPL 19321 - SSGT Harold A. Brassfield Tail Gunner Lowell Watts Crew 388th BG - 562nd BS KIA 6 March 1944
On the return from a mission to Klein Machnow, Berlin on 6 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-37886 'Blitzing' Betsy' was severely damaged by attacks from several FW190s causing it to collide with another 388th B-17, exploding in mid-air and crashing near Emmen, Holland. Killed in Action (KIA).
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11101580 (res 01905896)
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13084696
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O 748677
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16150159
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade)
- Role/Job: waist gunner, Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-742396
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Charlene
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 36th Bomb Squadron 562nd Bomb Squadron 803rd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Quarterback
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Little Boy Blue
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 560th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: A Good And Happy Ship
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Blitzing Betsy
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 6 March 1944
- Date: 4 March 1944
- Date: 2 March 1944
- Date: 29 February 1944
- Date: 25 February 1944
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Gatliff, Kentucky 40769, USA | 1 June 1923 | |
|
Enlisted |
Indianapolis, IN, USA | 10 December 1942 | Fort Benjamin Harrison Measured at 5'8", 145 lbs. |
|
Buried |
Nieuw Dordrecht, Netherlands | 20 March 1944 | Nieuw Dordrecht Cemetery Nieuw Dordrecht, Netherlands Row 1, Grave 19 |
|
Buried |
Williamsburg, KY | Highland Cemetery Williamsburg Whitley County Kentucky, USA | |
|
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
Klazienaveen, The Netherlands | 6 March 1944 | S/Sgt. Brassfield was shot down returning from Berlin on his 25th and final mission of his tour, 6 March 1944. His group missed it's P-47 escort due to a delay over the target. They were hit by several FW-190's of JG11 over the German/Dutch border. Several B-17's of the 388th BG were lost at this time including S/Sgt. Brassfield's B-17G-15-DL #42-37886 "Blitzing Betsy" of the 562nd BS flown by Lt. Lowell Watts. Brassfield and three of his crew mates (Robert Sweeney, Raymond Hess and Donald Taylor) were KIA during this action. Taylor had gone to help Brassfield after the latter had report being injured in the head and unable to see shortly after reporting he had shot down one of the attackers. Sweeney never made it out of the Ball Turret. Hess was blown clear of the aircraft when it exploded and was found without his parachute opened. Watts, Finkle and Ramsey were blown clear of the aircraft when it exploded and were able to open their parachutes. Kennedy, Kelley and Murphy had been able to bail out prior to the aircraft exploding and reached the ground safely. |
| Insull, Kentucky 40856, USA |
Revisions
Contributor466thHistorian
ChangesChanges to middlename, nickname, biography, awards, events, person associations, place associations and mission associations
Sources
Chris Brassfield - from research, family letters and talks with surviving crew members.
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3089 / MACR 3089, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
