Donald Septimus Bryan

Military
media-16294.jpeg UPL 16294 Lt. Donald S, Bryan, a fighter pilot ace with over 13 air kills, had four aircraft assigned to him during his tour with the 352nd Fighter Group, 328th Fighter Squadron, one of which was a P-47C, and three were P-51s, all of which were coded PE-B and named, Little One, in honor of his petite wife Frances. 352nd Fighter Group collection

More details added. - Kickapoo

Object Number - UPL 16294 - Lt. Donald S, Bryan, a fighter pilot ace with over 13 air kills, had four aircraft assigned to him during his tour with the 352nd Fighter Group,...

Lieutenant Colonel O-5 - U.S. Air Force

Veteran of:

U.S. Army Air Forces 1942-1947

U.S. Air Force 1947-1964

World War II 1942-1945

Cold War 1945-1964



Tribute:

Donald S. Bryan was born on August 15, 1921, in Hollister, California. He enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces on January 6, 1942, and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. and awarded his pilot wings at Luke Field, Arizona, on July 26, 1942. After pilot training, Lt. Bryan completed P-40 Warhawk transition training from July to October 1942, followed by service as a P-40 pilot with the 304th Fighter Squadron of the 337th Fighter Group at Drew Field and, then, Sarasota Army Airfield, Florida, from October 1942 to March 1943. His next assignment was as a P-47 Thunderbolt pilot with the 328th Fighter Squadron of the 352nd Fighter Group at Mitchel Field, New York, from March to June 1943.





Lt. Bryan was, then, sent to England as a combat fighter pilot with the 352nd Fighter Group, from July 1943 to May 1945. During this time, he was credited with the destruction of 13.333 enemy aircraft in aerial combat, plus 4 more damaged in the air. He served as Commander of the 328th Fighter Squadron from January to April 1945.

On 2 Nov 1944, Major Bryon became a fighter pilot "Ace" in one day, attacking and breaking up a much larger force of approximately 50 German fighter planes, with a total of 6 air victories, with five shot down on that day, and with two more damaged. For that battle, he received the nation's second highest honor, The Distinguished Service Cross, and finished the war, as a double Ace with 13.33 aerial victories.



- Don Bryan died, 15-May-2012, and was buried at the Christ Episcopal Church Urn Garden in Valdosta, Georgia.



Donald Bryan's Distinguished Service Cross Citation reads:



For extraordinary heroism, while serving as a squadron flight leader pilot of his P-51 airplane on a bomber escort mission over Miersberg, Germany, 2 November 1944. On this date, while Capt. Bryan was leading his flight of P-51s in escort of our heavy bombers, he observed a large formation of approximately fifty enemy fighter aircraft below him, coming in to attack his bombers. Captain Bryan immediately led his formation, diving down on the German fighters, and leading them into the center of the large formation of enemy aircraft, where he closed on one ME-109 and hit it several times with his .50 cal. guns, destroying it. He immediately pulled up, looking for more enemy aircraft to attack, and did shoot down two more German fighters, just barely evading another one who nearly shot him out of the air. Now alone and in the midst of the formation of enemy airplanes, who were attacking his smaller group of P-51s aggressively and vigorously, Capt. Bryan made another pass from astern at eight ME-109's, shooting two down in flames, and damaging another. Still outnumbered and low on ammunition, Bryan continued to fight with the enemy, while being simultaneously attacked, himself. Before the fight was over, he shot down and destroyed five enemy aircraft, and damaged two others, having engaged the last enemy plane with but a single one of his .50 cal. guns, still operating. His courage and outstanding aggressiveness in the presence of great danger were exemplary of the highest traditions of the Army Air Forces.





Awards : DSC, DFC (2OLC), AM (14OLC), WWll Victory, EAME (5 x Battle Stars).



Note : The P-51 3/4 scale model in The Mighty 8th Air Force Museum, is copy of one of Don Bryan's planes. He named each of his P-51s, Little One, in honor of his wife.

Connections

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Units served with

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-727398
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
Captain Donald S. Bryan of the 328th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group, watches his latest 'kill' being marked on his aircraft by one of the aircraft's ground crew. The 352nd Fighter Group was stationed at Bodney air base between July 1943 and November 1945.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39606648
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Crew Chief

Aircraft

P-47 Thunderbolts (LJ-B, serial number 42-8381, "War Weary") nicknamed "Little One" and (LJ-D, serial number 42-7896, "War Weary") and RAF AT-6 Texans at East Wretham, home of the 359th Fighter Group. Assoicated caption:' P-47 "Little One" LJ-P 28381 dark green w/ white cowl band, tow target ship that TP Smith flew up to 39,500 ft.'
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: - Little One
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron 3rd Gunnery & Tow Target Flight
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: - Little One II - Name missing in this photo
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Little One III
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Little One IV
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron

Places

Aerial photograph of Bodney airfield, looking south east, the barrack sites are in the top centre of the image, 8 June 1945. Photograph taken by No. 542 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/369. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Royal Air Force Bodney

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Paicines, California 15 August 1921

Other

Promoted from Second to First Lieutenant

26 July 1942

Other

Promoted from First Lieutenant to Captain

31 January 1944

Other

Promoted from Captain to Major

7 April 1945

Other

Ended Tour of Duty

24 April 1945

Died

Adel, GA, USA 15 May 2012

Buried

Christ Episcopal Church Urn GardenValdosta, Lowndes County, GA 26 May 2012 Christ Episcopal Church Urn Garden Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia

Other

Served as Squadron Commander

328th Fighter Squadron

Revisions

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Contributorjmoore43
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Removed extra info in the "Role/job" field.

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Find-A-Grave Memorial - Donald Septimus Bryan

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Punctuation. - Kickapoo

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Details added for accuracy and clarity. - Kickapoo

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Veteran Tributes - Honoring Those Who Served - Lt. Col. Donald S. Bryan

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ContributorKickapoo
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Veteran Tributes Honoring Those Who Served - Lt. Col. Donald S. Bryan

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ContributorLucy May
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ContributorLucy May
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Sources

Combined two entries for Donald S Bryan into a single entry. This entry now includes information from the following sources:
Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Also used:
VeteransTributes,org: http://www.veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=114
Article posted on the Preddy Foundation website: http://www.preddy-foundation.org/memorials/lieutenant-colonel-don-bryan/
Jerry Scutts - 'Aces and Pilots of the US 8th/9th Air Forces' (2001), p. 151.

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ContributorAAM
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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

Donald Septimus Bryan: Gallery (12 items)