Personnel

CREW



Ist Lt Herbert Howard,Jr.              P SEE NOTES OPERATIONS OFFICER, 350TH BS

2nd Lt Gerald A.Brewer               CP  CPT 14/7/44  SOUTH OF FRANCE SUPPLY DROP FOR MAQUIS

2nd Lt William P.Roche             NAV RFS 13/4/44 AUGSBURG

2nd Lt Charles W. Howison         BOM  CPT 19/6/44  CORME ECLUSE. AF

S/SgtEdward C.Montgomery     ROG  CPT 19/6/44  CORME ECLUSE, AF   

S/Sgt Harmon W.Thomas        TTE  RFS 12/4/1944 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)  Sgt Mancini took over as TTE

Sgt Edward Q.Lupia                BTG  CPT 25/7/44 ST LO GROUND SUPPORT

Sgt Robert E. "Ace" Mace       RWG  CPT 25/7/44 ST LO GROUND SUPPORT

Sgt Benjamin J.Mancini            LWG  CPT 19/6/44 CORME ECLUSE, AF (Moved to Top Turret Engineer when Thomas RFS)

Sgt Earl R.Wilbur                       TG  CPT 19/6/44 CORME ECLUSE, AF



350th Sqdn.  Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 17/3/44.



NOTES:

According to a letter from Edward Lupia (Dec.1983) Lt Howard was made Operations Officer of the 350th after 5 or 6 missions and Brewer became Pilot of the crew. "Lt.Roche & Sgt.Thomas quit after the 5th mission, if my memory serves me right ". Lupia adds that Ben Mancini "passed away some years ago".



350th Sqdn. Diary for Sept.1944 says Capt.Howard releived as Operations Officer and sent to 55th Fighter Group flying P51s. Replaced as Operations Officer by Capt.Henry Smith. See: T.N.H.I.5.G. p.115 for Howard.Hugh R.Davidson who joined the 100th without a crew flew as navigator with this crew from 1 June 1944.



Bertram Lobdell,CP on the M.D.Rupert crew 350th flew with this crew for a while as CP. G.Brewer says Jack E.Smith joined his crew as WG (to replace Mancini)  but I can find no record of Smith,...jb



Note: See Lt Bert Lobdell record for information regarding 2nd Lt Brewers crew missions from May 20, 1944 until completion of tour.



10. 20/5/44-Brussells, Belgium-Now flying with Brewer.  overcast on takeoff, nearly cracked up on takeoff.  Undecided about Brewer, brought back Bombs

11. 29/5/44-Leipzig-Germany-2nd mission with Brewer- flew #934 LN-W, new ship.  Flew #6 position in lead Squadron, Col Kidd led group.  Composit lost 3 ships, none from 350th Sq.  On return a loose formation of B-24's about 40 in number ran head on into rear of our group.  

Two 24's "flying Coffins" struck  a B-17 and the 17 lost the top Turret, the 24's exploded in a terrible mass of flame.  One minute, two 4 engine bombers with 20 men, the next, nothing but a few pieces of burnt debrie floating down. Hope I never see such a thing again.

12. 30/5/44-Troyes, France-Marshalling Yards, poor formation, good fighter support.

13. 31/5/44-Osnabruck, Germany-rail road yards, heavy flak, Flew No 6 in high Squadron

14. 02/6/44-Versailles-Paris, France-Flak was very accurate.  390th lost 2 ships, I sweated it out for some reason. We came back with no losses.

15. 05/6/44-Abbeyville, France-some flak, two 349th ships ran together and went down.

16. 06/6/44-D-DAY-went to Oren River carried two external 1000 lb bombs Alot of airplanes, We were hit by flak over Gurnesey Island. Pretty Heavy flak.

17. 06/6/44-D-DAY-went to Falise, in the afternoon. Took off 4:50pm got back at 12pm.  Very tired, flew 15 hours without stopping.

18. 08/6/44-Tours, France-Easy mission.  Expect Dear "DoLittle" to increase missions again.

19. 11/6/44-Boulogne, France-a very easy mission, No Flak

20. 14/6/44-Mons, France-Airfield.  Did not drop bombs, returned to base.  Hydraulic pressure gave out on runway but we stopped it alright.

21, 15/6/44-Hanover, Germany- did not bomb due to clouds, hit small town Wilster.  Hit us once with flak and put several holes in ship.  Flew No 3 position on Rosenthal in lead squadron.

22. 16/6/44-Brunsbottelkoog,Germany (note that this mission looks like it was flown on June 18)-Rumoured we will run a shuttle mission to Russia,  Postponed.  No ships lost except out of 390th. Ship was apparently out of control and I saw chutes come out of it like popcorn.

23. 19/6/44-Marannis,France-Airfield, no flak, mission about nine hours long.  Hope to go on Flak leave.

24. 20/6/44-Fallerslaben, Germany-Flew with lead crew "Giles".  Direct hits, good results.

25. 07/7/44-Leipzig, Germany-Missions have been set at 35. Heavy flak, didn't drop bombs.  Went to airport called Gottingion. All ships came back. Two 95th ships (Andrews says planes were 390th) had mid air collision over Holland. Only four chutes seen.  I feltpretty rotten on this one.

26. 08/7/44-Clanecy-Joigny, France- took off 3:30am went on easy trip to france, return 8:30am. NICE. Rosino cracked up our ship "934" this evening at Manningtree. No one injured. SIDE NOTE: Ball Turret gun ran away and guns fired about 50 rounds. Turret gunner operating turret had his head blown off as he tried to get into a ditch.  "Brewer says he probably kicked a couple of times"

27. 12/7/44-Munich, Germany-Heavy Flak.  A 95th ship went down.  Broke in two pieces, no chutes. We flew "991" in No 3 position on lead.  Logged 9 hrs.  Boy am I tired.

28. 13/7/44-Munich, Germany-Flew no 2 on lead in low Sqandron.  Mission was 9 1/2 hrs long.  Heavy flak.  Four ships were lost, one of those went to Switzerland.  We were attacked by a ME 109 on return.  They made one pass at 12 O'Clock on one and 6 O'Clock.  My first glimpse of an ememy fighter and hope my last one.

29. 14/7/44-Brire, France- took ten parachutes, Bombs made up of food, medicine, and guns.  Dropped stuff on plateau out an altitude of 50 feet. 8 1/2 hour mission.  Brewer flew his 35th and last mission.

 

Second Crew:

 Brewer-Pilot-Texas

 Harrison-Bomb-Kansas

 Huge R. Davidson-Nav.-Montana  Joined crew on May 30, 1944

Jack E. Smith



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I'd like to submit the following obituary from the Houston Chronicle:

 

1st Lt. Gerald Averitt Brewer, 8th AAC, 3rd Division, 13th CW, 100th BG, 350th Sqdn.

 

    Houston. . .Former Vernon, TX resident Gerald Averitt Brewer, 77, died Thursday, October 3, 1996 in Houston.  A graveside military funeral service will be held at 1:30 pm Monday at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Houston with the Rev. Harry Adamson officiating.

    Brewer was born August 15, 1919 in Kerens, TX to Donald and Corinne Mitten Brewer.  He graduated from Vernon High School with academic honors and attended the Rice Institute in Houston, where he earned a bachelor's degree.  There he met and married Patricia Helton.

    In May 1942 he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was assigned to the 100th Bombardment Group as a pilot.  He was credited with 35 combat missions and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with oak leaf clusters, and the WWII Victory Medal.

    Following his discharge he owned and operated Brewer Sales Company in Houston until his retirement in 1992.  He was a member of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church.

    Surviving is his daughter, Donna Brewer Jackson of Houston, and his stepmother, Leta Brewer Peck of Vernon.

 

Thank you very much.

Donna Brewer Jackson, daughter  (9/25/51)



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Missions ofT/Sgt Harmon W. Thomas TTE 



            Date Crew Nbr Mission Nbr Last Name Initial Rank Position Aircraft Nbr Target

1.    3/26/1944 15 136 THOMAS H.W. T/SGT TTE 31074   SCHKEUDITZ/JU-88 PLANT

2.    3/27/1944 15 137 THOMAS H.W. T/SGT TTE 31074   BORDEAUX/ MERIGNAC

3.    3/28/1944 15 138 THOMAS H.W. T/SGT TTE 107024 CHATEAUDUN/ EVREUX

       3/31/1944 15 139 THOMAS H.W. T/SGT TTE 31991   LUDWIGSHAFEN/RECALLED

4.      4/1/1944 15 140 THOMAS H.W. T/SGT TTE 31991   LUDWIGSHAFEN

5.      4/9/1944 15 143 THOMAS H.W. T/SGT TTE 31991   KRZESINKI (POSEN)

6.    4/10/1944 15 144 THOMAS H.W. T/SGT TTE 31991   RHEIMS/ CHAMPAGNE

7.    4/11/1944 15 145 THOMAS H.W. T/SGT TTE 991       POSEN / ROSTOCK T.O.

8.    4/12/1944 15 146 THOMAS H.W. T/SGT TTE 90        SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)



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Missions of Lt William R. Roche 



        Date Crew Nbr Mission Nbr Last Name Initial Rank Position Aircraft Nbr Target

1.    3/26/1944 15 136 ROCHE W.R. LT NAV 31074     SCHKEUDITZ/JU-88 PLANT

2.    3/27/1944 15 137 ROCHE W.R. LT NAV 31074     BORDEAUX/ MERIGNAC

3.    3/28/1944 15 138 ROCHE W.R. LT NAV 107024   CHATEAUDUN/ EVREUX

4.    3/31/1944 15 139 ROCHE W.R. LT NAV 31991     LUDWIGSHAFEN/RECALLED

5.      4/1/1944 15 140 ROCHE W.R. LT NAV 31991     LUDWIGSHAFEN

6.      4/9/1944 15 143 ROCHE W.R. LT NAV 31991     KRZESINKI (POSEN)

7.    4/10/1944 15 144 ROCHE W.R. LT NAV 31991     RHEIMS/ CHAMPAGNE

8.    4/13/1944 15 147 ROCHE W.A. LT NAV 24          AUGSBURG

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