Personnel

CREW

2ND LT JOHN W.BROWN                 P EVADEE    4 FEB 44 FRANKFURT see note below

2ND LT ALBERT F. FITZPATRICK       CP POW        4 FEB 44 FRANKFURT

2ND LT THEODORE H. KLEINMAN   NAV EVADEE    4 FEB 44 FRANKFURT

2ND LT LAWSON W. CLEMENTS     BOM POW        4 FEB 44 FRANKFURT

 S/SGT CHARLES R. ARMBRUST         WG NOC

 S/SGT RICHARD F. BRADY             ROG NOC

 S/SGT LAWRENCE M. PRATT         TTE NOC

    SGT MILTON GRABEL                  TG KIA          25 MAY 44 BERLIN  (see Roeder crew below)

    SGT GORDON F. KEON             BTG POW       4 FEB 44 FRANKFURT

    SGT OWEN D. STOCKTON        WG POW        6 MAR 44 BERLIN ( see Amiero crew below)



349th Sqdn. Crew joined the 100th Gp on 28 Nov 1943.. Sgt Gordon Keon was the only enlisted man of this crew

 to particiapte in the Frankfurt mission of 4 FEB 44.  Other aboard for this mission and their fate is a follows:



S/SGT GEORGE E. TOOMEY  ROG POW (FROM C.I. MONTGOMERY CREW) see below

S/SGT LOLA D. FLORIDA       TTE POW (FROM C.I. MONTGOMERY CREW) see below

S/SGT WILLIAM F. KEMP        WG KIA    (FIRST MISSION)

S/SGT HAROLD F. JANDERUP  WG POW  (FROM H.M. HENINGTON CREW) ( TAPS 25 SEP 69) 

S/SGT RICHARD A. TANGRADI  TG POW 



Ship suffered severe flak damage and had three engines out over the German-Belgian border. The crew with the exception of William Kemp, who was apparently badly wounded, bailed out safely. Gordon Keon had a flak wound in one arm.



A statement by Theodore Kleinman after his return say the bail-out occured about 10 miles SSE of Turnhout, Belgium and continues:  "After contacting an underground unit I was placed in a house in Turnhout. Several days later I was told something in French concerning the rest of the crew. With my meagre understaning of French, Kemp was unable to leave th ship due to severe wounds and he went down with the plane. A man was found by the Germans in the rear half of the ship with his head badly battered, but alive. I later recieved a report the man with the

battered head died."



German records in the MACR file confirm a badly wounded man found in the ship died in the hospital the following day.





Excerpts from a letter to Paul West 22 Feb 1994 from Sherman Gillespie, a cadet class mate of John W. Brown.

.. John Brown and I were in a group of twenty sent to Blythe, CA. Our orders read "Twin engine fighters" for assignment to light bombardment!!! We expected A-20s!!! We all ended up in B-17s for the duration....Brown and I were in "B" Flight Squadron 65 in flight training at Santa Ana, CA in 1942...He never told me much about his evasion, eventual capture and escape, this would make a real adventure yarn....only that the Germans kept him in solitary for a month trying to crack him -- wouldn't even give him salt to brush his teeth with...The Brown family may have pictures of him and a Belgian family taken before the Gestapo caught him...Sherm Gillespie 1994.



Mr Sherman Gillespie completed a tour as a pilot in the 413th Squadron of the 96th Bomb Group based at Snetterton Heath.  100th veterans will remember flying with the 96th by the "Square C" on the  tail of their planes. The 96th was in the 45th Combat Wing of the 3rd Air Division and made many of the missions with the 100th of the 13th Combat Wing, 3rd Air Division.





Subj: FW: John W. Brown  

Date: 4/8/2004 2:10:53 PM Pacific Daylight Time 

From: wcs31@swbell.net 

To: charlie.cole@charter.net 

CC: janr@cei.net, MPFaley@aol.com 

Sent from the Internet (Details) 

 

Is there agreement that John's Taps data can now be finished and perhaps this information added to his crew page. I will attempt to contact Sherman Gillespie of the 96th with this information in case he does not already have it.  John was from all account and outstanding individual amount a group of outstanding individuals. If there is any way possible we should try and contact his family - it could lead to a gold mine of history. This man once escapted from the Gestapo!!

 

Paul

 

 -----Original Message-----

From: Kleinman Steve M LtCol JPRA/PRA-DI [mailto:Steve.Kleinman@fairchild.af.mil]

Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2004 3:16 PM

To: Paul West

Subject: RE: John Brown





Mr. West,



I recently came across additional information regarding John "Bud" Brown in some notes found among my father's effects.  In a note written in 1988, my father wrote:



" Bud was recalled for the Korean conflict, checked out in the C-46, and crashed into Mt. Fujiyama, in Japan, while in heavy weather in 1950.  I was recalled [to active duty] in January 1951 and we were aware of his death some time prior to that."



He also wrote:



"For what it's worth, Bud played left halfback for Alonzo Stagg at the College (now University) of the Pacific and played in the 1939 Rose Bowl game."



Hope this is of some value.



Regards,



Steven M. Kleinman, Lt Col, USAF

Director of Intelligence

Personnel Recovery Academy, JPRA

DSN 657-9778/Comm (509) 247-9778





-----Original Message-----

From: Paul West [mailto:wcs31@swbell.net]

Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2004 4:00 PM

To: Jbittle@Swfla. Rr. Com; Robert Wolff; Ralph Bradley; Grant Fuller;

Kleinman Steve Lt Col JPRA/PRA-DI

Cc: Joel Russell; Cindy Goodman; Ceh100bg@aol. Com; Betray1@Hotmail.

Com; Jan Riddling; Harry Nelson; Charles M. Cole; Mike Faley

Subject: John Brown





Colonel Kleinman, do you or your father have any information as to what

happened to John Brown after the war? The story of John's evading, capture,

escape, recapture and second escape is something the 100th desperately needs

for the History Section. If at all possible we desire to contact John Brown

via phone, e-mail, or a member of the historical staff would be happy to

visit him.



A cadet Class-mate of John's (Sherman Gillespie), who last saw him after the

war, at the Fairmont Hotel San Francisco in December 1945 has been trying to

locate John Brown for over fifty years. Mr. Gillespie completed a tour with

the 96th BG,  in the 45th Combat Wing.



Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.



Thank you,

Paul West

3rd WebMaster





CREW 



2ND LT COY I. MONTGOMERY       P KIA   6 MAR 44  BERLIN

2ND LT ROBERT F. CONNAWAY     CP POW 6 MAR 44  BERLIN

2ND LT FRANK C LAVER           NAV POW 6 MAR 44  BERLIN

2ND LT JAMES D. FULTON       BOM POW 6 MAR 44  BERLIN

T/SGT     GEORGE W. BURTON     TTE POW 6 MAR 44 BERLIN (SEE NOTE BELOW)

 S/SGT LOLA D. FLORIDA          TTE POW 4 FEB 44  FRANKFURT (with Lt John Brown Crew)

 S/SGT GEORGE D. TOOMEY, JR. ROG POW 4 FEB 44  FRANKFURT (with Lt John Brown Crew)

    SGT JOHN A. MILLER             WG CPT 17 JUL 44 MONTGOURNEY (NO-BALL)

    SGT EARL W. RITTER             TG POW 6 MAR 44  BERLIN

    SGT JUNIOR L. BUCHER         WG POW 6 MAR 44  BERLIN



349th Sqdn.  Crew, as above, joined the 100th Group on 6 Jan 44  (Crew #40)



For 6 Mar 44 mission see MACR #3014, Microfiche #1019.  They were flying A/C #42-30170 which had flown under three names: Torchy 2nd, HOT SPIT, and MISS CARRIAGE.



On 6 Mar 44, Lt Frank C. Laver was the Navigator and a POW; Sgt Wilbur Trembley, (from Lt Stout Crew) was the ROG and a POW; T/Sgt George W. Burton was the TTE and a POW; S/Sgt Anthony Ruda was the RWG and a POW, and S/Sgt Louis P. Savell was the BTG and a POW 



Eyewitness Account:  

"At 1215 hours just north of Hanover an A/c believed to be #170 was atttacked by enemy fighters & was shot down. four or five chutes were seen.  I.D. of this aircraft is not positive, it may have been #051."……..Lt. Chadwick



The Germans buried Lt Montgomery (Coy I.) on 10 Mar 1944, noting the cause of death as crash/ burns...



Roeder Crew (MIlton Grabel)

2ND LT ROBERT G. ROEDER               P KIA    24 MAY 44 BERLIN

F/O PAUL V. LAMMERS                     CP KIA    24 MAY 44 BERLIN

2ND LT CLAUDE E.  ROBINSON, JR     NAV KIA   24 MAY 44 BERLIN

2ND LT JAMES H. MADDOX             BOM NOC                                       MACR 5172, Mcrofiche 1855

S/SGT WADE D. EASON                  TTE KIA   24 MAY 44 BERLIN         A/C 42-102648

SGT FRANK GOLDSTEIN                  ROG KIA   24 MAY 44 BERLIN

SGT NATHAN E. McELROY               BTG POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN

SGT WILLIAM A. POKLEMBA              LWG POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN

SGT FRED E. CEBALO                     RWG POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN

SGT ANTHONY P. LOMBARDI             TG POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN



349TH SQDN.. CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH ON 12 APR 1944



ON THE BERLIN MISSION OF 24 MAY 44, T/SGT MILTON GRABEL WAS FLYING AS TOGGALIER AND WAS KIA...pw

This crew,except for T/Sgt Grabel,joined the 100th Group on 12/4/44. At that time,

Lt James H..Maddox was the Bombardier. This was about the 10 mission for the crew.



Statement in MACR by Fred Cebalo -made in 1945 - follows:



"Circumstances of loss of aircraft: On a raid to Berlin we were hit by fighters,

ME 109s. They shot the left wing off. I was thrown back and trapped in the

waist,fracturing my right leg. As I was trying to get out,the ship broke at the

Ball Turret and tail section, I crawled to the door and jumped. I saw four other

chutes as I was going down. I was caught immediately by civilians with a couple of

soldiers upon landing.

I was taken first to a barn,and then by a civilian to a doctor's house.There I saw

the pilot and the tail gunner. We were joined about twenty minutes later by the left

waist gunner and the ball turret gunner. The pilot's right foot was shot off,and

they were amputating the shreds. He was also shot in the arm. We gave him our own

morphine,for the Germans had none. The tail gunner was limping,possibly from a

sprained ankle. Both the left waist gunner and I had broken legs. The ball turret

gunner complained of his back. They had the pilot in a separats room,and the rest

of us in the next room. The pilot who shot us down came in to question us,and

thought me rude when I refused to answer his questions. He visited the pilot and

left..About four hours later,the five of us surviving were taken into a truck along

with other airmen who had just been shot down,about a mile down the road toward camp.

An ambulance met us and took the pilot and another man off. I did not see him again.

My mother received a letter from the pilot's folks,with a clipping from his home

town paper saying that he had died of wounds.



Statement by Anthony P.Lombardi:



"We were going to Berlin. Made land fall between Kiel & Hamburg. McElroy (BT) was

ordered into turret. I saw something whlz by my tail -asked what it was. Soon McElroy

called on intercom to say the door fell off ball & he escaped falling out sans chute.

He was ordered to radio room to complete mission.. I called out fighters at six o'clock

as the navigstor called an attack at twelve o'clock. We were also attacked at nine

O'clock and the ship broke in half at the radio room. Tho radlo operator (Goldstein)

fell out without his chute. The ball turret gunner (McElroy) grabbed his chute and

managed to put it on and save himself. Both waist gunners (Cebalo & Poklemba) bailed

out and reached ground 0K.

The ship broke again at the tail wheel well. That left me and the tail floating thru

space.After riding the tail part way down,I bailed. When we got together later we came

to the conclusion on how the other boys made out. The Navigator(Robison),Toggalier

(Grabel) and Engineer(Eason) were killed by the fighters. The pilot(Roeder) and the

Co-pilot (Lammers) were blown out of the cockpit.The pilot had a seat type chute but

was shot up badly & later died. The co-pilot had no chute on.

The four survivors spent a year at Stalag Luft #4 and finally made it home again."





Amiero Crew (Owen D. STockton)

1st Lt Albert F.Amiero                P    KIA   6/3/44  BERLIN

  F/O Howard L.Kilmer           CP   KIA   6/3/44  BERLIN 

2nd Lt Albert P.Rule          NAV    KIA   6/3/44  BERLIN

 S/Sgt Thomas S.Elliott        BOM    KIA   6/3/44  BERLIN

 T/Sgt John J.Kovacs         ROG    KIA   6/3/44  BERLIN

 T/Sgt Russell G.Gilbert         TTE    KIA   6/3/44  BERLIN

 S/Sgt Virgil F.Summers        BTG    KIA   6/3/44  BERLIN 

 S/Sgt Hobart H.Spires        WG    KIA   6/3/44  BERLIN

S/Sgt Owen D.Stockton        WG   POW 6/3/44  BERLIN (ORIGNALLY WITH J.W.BROWN CREW) see below

S/Sgt Thomas D.Baer             TG   KIA   6/3/44  BERLIN





349th Sqdn.   See MACR #3019 (Micro fiche #1021).  Flying A/C #42 31731 on 6/3/44



This appears to be a "pick up" crew. Kilmer joined tne 100th on 26/2/44 as 

an indlvidual. Baer was from the original crew of V.Reed. Kovacs was a 

"spare" on original 100th Air echelon. Stockton was from the crew of 

J.W.Brown. Hobart Spires was from the original crew of Sam L. Barr.



A.P.Rule on original crew of Leon R.Morgan.

Date = 5 Jul 3 04:09:53

subject = TAPS REPORT

messages = 1069

EMAIL = cookie@clover.net

UNAME = Cookie Sisco

DIED = Lawrence Marion Pratt

DEATH_DATE = 6-25-2003

UNIT = 349th

POSITION = Top Turret / Engineer

RELATION = Other Relative

COMMENTS = I have two pictures of this airman I'd like to submit. Can you tell me how?

Following is his obituary.

A funeral service for Lawrence Marion Pratt, 82, of Newark, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Newark Chapel of Henderson, Van Atta & Johnston Funeral Service, with the Rev. Robert L. Knox officiating. Burial will follow in Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Mr. Pratt, who served our country during World War II in the U. S. Air Force, 100th bombing group, 8th Air Force as a technical sergeant, B-17 engineer. He flew 25 missions over Germany and then retired from Martin Heating after 40 years, died June 25, 2003, at the Selma Markowitz Care Center of Hospice of Central Ohio. He was born Aug. 28, 1920, in Meigs County, to the late William D. and Daisy M. (Birch) Pratt.