Robert Westcott Brown

Military

Assigned to 338FS, 55FG, 8AF USAAF. While engaged in dog fight over Germany on 22-Dec-43, P-38 42-67047 'Saldora' was damaged and crash landed in Holland. Prisoner of War (POW) Stalag Luft I for 18 months. While in prison camp, played saxophone in jazz band with instruments donated by Red Cross. Volunteered for duty in Pacific but war ended before service began.



Awards: AM, POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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

Units served with

Aircraft

42-67047

  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron

Places

Prisoners of war, including Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group at Stalag Luft I.

Stalag Luft I

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany
Lieutenant-Colonel Elwyn G. Righetti of the 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group stands beside his P-51 Mustang, "Katydid". Print signed 'Best of everything your big loud Elwyn', 1944-1945.

Wormingford

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Bures / RAF Wormingford / RFC Wormingford / USAAF Station 159 / Wormingford Landing Ground

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Erie, Pennsylvania 21 June 1916 Son of Howard and Alma [Passmore] Brown.

Enlisted

Pittsburgh, PA, USA 18 January 1942

Other

Promotion

Wormingford, UK 1 December 1943 Promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Barth, Germany 22 December 1943 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft I.

Other

Shot down

Netherlands 22 December 1943 Failed to Return (FTR) escort mission to Osnabruck A/C damaged in dogfight, crash landed Holland. 22-Dec-43 POW MACR 1534.

Died

Erie County, PA, USA 23 December 2001

Based

Wormingford 22 December 1943 Assigned to 338FS, 55FG, 8AF USAAF.

Buried

Millcreek Township, PA, USA Laurel Hill Cemetery Millcreek Township Erie County Pennsylvania, USA

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Capitalized the words in the "Role/job" field to aid readability.

 

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/28688491
https://www.fold3.com/page/83754946_robert_w%20brown/details/
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6048446

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

MACR 1534 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list
https://www.fold3.com/image/28688491
https://www.fold3.com/page/83754946_robert_w%20brown/details/

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self/MACR 1534 shows him as KIA