Quince Lucien Brown Jr

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
First Lieutenant Quince L. Brown of the 84th Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group, with P-47 Thunderbolt (WZ-J, serial number 42-74753) probably at Duxford air base. 1943-1944. Printed caption on reverse of print: '50203 USAF - Europe - First man in the European theatre to destroy four German planes on one day while flying a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter is 1/Lt. Quince L. Brown, Jr. of Bristow, Okla. He is pictured here with his dog, right next to his plane insignia "OKIE". For 19 long months a fligh media-377552.jpg FRE 309 First Lieutenant Quince L. Brown of the 84th Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group, with P-47 Thunderbolt (WZ-J, serial number 42-74753) probably at Duxford air base. 1943-1944. Printed caption on reverse of print: '50203 USAF - Europe - First man in the European theatre to destroy four German planes on one day while flying a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter is 1/Lt. Quince L. Brown, Jr. of Bristow, Okla. He is pictured here with his dog, right next to his plane insignia "OKIE". For 19 long months a flight instructor at Randolph and Kelly Fields, in Texas, Brown has now shot down 10 Jerries since beginning his combat tour in England, five of them in the past two days. On Thursday, 16 March, he destroyed two Messerschmitt 109s and a Focke-Wulf 190 in a terrific air battle, and set a JU 88 blazing on the ground. The previous day he had "warmed up" his guns by destroying a Me 109. On Thursday's mission he also damaged two unidentified planes on the ground. Also to his combat credit are a locomotive and a flak tower. He holds the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and the DFC with one cluster.' Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 309 - First Lieutenant Quince L. Brown of the 84th Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group, with P-47 Thunderbolt (WZ-J, serial number 42-74753) probably at...

Killed in Action (KIA) crashed near Schleiden in P-47 'Okie II' 44-19569

78th FG 84th FS. Major Brown was the first American pilot to strafe a Nazi ground target in WW2. His record is 13 in the air and one on the ground. The ace pilot went down on 6th September 1944.

Eye witness report from 1st Lt Richard L Baron states, “ Maj Brown sighted Vogelsand Airfield. He called and said he was going to go over it and investigate. He made a steep turn and we (the flight) ended up in string formation. He went over first and I saw tracers going at him, so I hit low for the deck. I looked up and saw several strikes on his plane. He pulled up sharply as we got across and I pulled alongside. I saw his plane shake and the canopy come off. He then bailed out at about 1,200 feet. His parachute opened and I saw him land in a field. He then ran and lay down in some tall grass. I circled once and made sure no one was after him, and then left. I came back later and both the parachute and Maj Brown were gone.”

‘The report of burial (the body was re-interred in a military cemetery) received by the group states that the pilot died of gunshot wounds in the head and neck, and that he had been interred by German civilians. It continued: “It is believed that the remains were looted of personal effects prior to burial. “ ‘

12.33

Connections

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

Units served with

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 78th Fighter Group 84th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 06934161
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Crew chief
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 84th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18053116
  • Highest Rank: Corporal
  • Role/Job: Asst Crew Chief

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Okie II Jeanie
  • Unit: 78th Fighter Group 84th Fighter Squadron
First Lieutenant Quince L. Brown of the 84th Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group, with P-47 Thunderbolt (WZ-J, serial number 42-74753) probably at Duxford air base. 1943-1944. Printed caption on reverse of print: '50203 USAF - Europe - First man in the European theatre to destroy four German planes on one day while flying a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter is 1/Lt. Quince L. Brown, Jr. of Bristow, Okla. He is pictured here with his dog, right next to his plane insignia "OKIE". For 19 long months a fligh
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Okie
  • Unit: 78th Fighter Group 84th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 78th Fighter Group 84th Fighter Squadron

Places

Line up of P-47 Thunderbolts of the 82nd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group, at Duxford air base. September 1944. Printed caption on reverse of print: '55432 AC - War Birds Home To Rest - Republic P-47 Thunderbolts lined up on an 8th Air Force field in England after a daylight sweep over Germany. Crews have finished inspections and refueling.'
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: "Duckpond"

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Bristow, OK 74010, USA 7 December 1917 Son of Quince L Sr and Pearl Belvia [Bond] Brown.

Enlisted

Tulsa, OK, USA 14 August 1940 11-Sep-40 or 14-Aug-40.

Based

Duxford 13 June 1943 - 28 July 1944 Assigned to 84FS, 78FG, 8AF USAAF. Completed 1st tour, 94 x combat missions.

Other

E/A Destroyed [2]

48653 Coesfeld, Germany 4 January 1944 2 destroyed, 1 me109, 1 Fw290* [* mis-ID'd probably Fw190D] Coesfield, Germany. 4-Jan-44.

Other

E/A Destroyed

La Rochelle, France 5 January 1944 1 x Me109 destroyed La Rouchelle 5-Jan-44.

Other

E/A Destroyed

Münster, Germany 15 March 1944 1 x Me109 destroyed Munster 15-Mar-44.

Other

E/A Destroyed [4]

Germany 16 March 1944 4 x kills in a day 16-Mar-44.

Other

E/A Destroyed

Goch, Germany 23 March 1944 1 x Fw190 destroyed Goch, Germany 23-Mar-44.

Other

E/A Destroyed

Düren, Germany 12 April 1944 1 x Fw190 destroyed Duren, Germany 12-Apr-44.

Other

30 day leave pass

Oklahoma, USA 28 July 1944 - 28 August 1944 30 days leave, offered instructor post stateside, decided to do 2nd tour with 78FG.

Other

Promotion

Duxford, Cambridge CB22 4QR, UK 28 August 1944 Promoted to Major.

Based

Duxford 28 August 1944 - 6 September 1944 Returned to 84FS, 78FG, 8AF USAAF for 2nd tour as Major.

Died

Schleiden, Germany 6 September 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) strafing mission to Liege. Hit by flak whilst strafing Vogelsand aerodrome, baled out captured by armed civilian and executed before he could be handed over to authorities.

Other

Final combat mission

Liège, Belgium 6 September 1944 136th combat mission.

Buried

Killed in Action (KIA)

53937 Schleiden, Germany 7 September 1944 Interred Schleiden

Other

Flight instructor US

Kelly, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA 19 long months as flight instructor at Randolph and Kelly Fields, in Texas.

Other

Flight instructor UK

Atcham, Shrewsbury, UK 12 June 1943 3 months as flight instructor at Atcham, probably with 495FTG.

Other

Promotion

Duxford, Cambridge CB22 4QR, UK Promoted to Captain.

Other

Promotion

Atcham, Shrewsbury, UK Promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

Other

Promotion

United States Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.

Other

Flight training

United States Flight training - Basic, Primary, advanced.

Buried

Magnolia Memorial Cemetery Bristow Creek County OK Re-Interred Magnolia Memorial Cemetery Bristow Creek County Oklahoma, USA

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesChanges to events. Changes to Role of Honour Picture. Changes to Role of Honour Picture
Date
ContributorKauko56
ChangesChanges to events
Sources

map reference for place

Date
ContributorKauko56
ChangesChanges to biography and events
Sources

corrected obvious typo, corrected place name from own knowledge

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesChanges to middlename, suffix, service number, highest rank, role, biography, awards, events, person associations, unit associations and place associations
Date
ContributorAnne Hughes
ChangesChanges to biography
Sources

78th Fighter Group Narrative April 1945 0787-8 Capt Bowen I Hosford, Air Corps Historian

Date
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Fighter Aces of the U. S. A. and Mustang Aces of the Eighth Air Force MACR 8407 / MACR 8407 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Quince Lucien Brown: Gallery (14 items)