Robert D Brown
Military
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
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
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
- 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
Removed punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
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
