Codes

F/O Charles A. Brooks

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Related Pages: 1st Lt. Victor Reed  |  2nd Lt. George Ford

 

The Charles A. Brooks Crew (left to right)
Standing:
Lt Paul A. Levy-Bom. (Lt Gerald Putnam Crew), Capt Charles A. Brooks-Pilot,
 Lt Robert E., McCormick-Nav. (Lt L. R. Morgan Crew), Lt Albert Mikkelsen -CP (had own crew)
Kneeling: Sgt R.E. Cliff-TTE (Sammy Barr Crew), T/Sgt James Dougherty- ROG (Lt Victor Reed Crew)
Sgt. Durio WG (?), S/Sgt Kenneth Lash-WG (Lt L. R. Morgan Crew)
S/Sgt David C. Lyons-BTG (Lt L. R. Morgan Crew)
Sgt Ernest R. Gomez-TG (Lt L. R. Morgan Crew)

(100th BG Photo Archives)

1ST LT. CHARLES A. BROOKS
CO-PILOT WITH CREW #8 AND PILOT WITH CREW #37
(CREW 37 MAKE UP LIST UNAVAILABLE, PLEASE CONTACT US WITH ANY CREW MEMBERS NAMES)

MISSION LIST OF 1ST LT CHARLES A. BROOKS (mpf 2001)

NBR DATE MISSION A/C # & NAME
1 29/06/43 LeMANS 230035 TORCHY
2 17/07/43 HAMBURG 230063 PICKLEPUSS
3 25/07/43 WARNEMUNDE, KIEL 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
4 26/07/43 HANOVER 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
5 28/07/43 OSCHERSLEBEN 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
6 12/08/43 WESSELING, BONN 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
7 31/08/43 LeMERUEAUX --
8 03/09/43 PARIS --
9 09/09/43 BEAUVAIS-TILLE --
10 15/09/43 PARIS --
11 16/09/43 LaPALLICE --
12 23/09/43 VANNES 25861 LADEN MAIDEN
13 26/09/43 PARIS 25861 LADEN MAIDEN
14 27/09/43 EMDEN 25861 LADEN MAIDEN
15 02/10/43 EMDEN 230088 SQUAWKIN HAWK
16 04/10/43 SAARLUIS, HANAU 230088 SQUAWKIN HAWK
17 20/10/43 DUREN --
18 03/11/43 WILHELMSHAVEN --
19 05/11/43 GELSENKIRCHEN --
20 07/11/43 DUREN --
21 13/11/43 BREMEN --
22 16/11/43 RJUKAN, NORWAY --
23 11/12/43 EMDEN --
24 12/12/43 KIEL   
25 16/12/43 BREMEN 230088 SQUAWKIN HAWK
26 19/03/44 CROSSBOW --

CREW
1ST LT VICTOR REED
ORGINAL 100TH PILOT
349TH CREW #8 A/C #42-30090 "El P'sstofo"

1ST LT VICTOR REED P WIA TRANSFERRED FROM 100TH
F/O CHARLES A. BROOKS CP CPT 16 DEC 43 BREMEN
2ND LT HOWARD D. BASSETT NAV CPT 14 JAN 44 FORET D' HESDIN
2ND LT JOSEPH P. ARMANINI BOM CPT DATE & MISSION UNKNOWN
T/SGT GLENN N. ALBRIGHT TTE CPT 14 JAN 44 FORET D’HESDIN
S/SGT RICHARD O. DETWEILER WG CPT 13 FEB 44 LIVOSSART
T/SGT JAMES S. DOUGHERTY ROG CPT DATE & MISSION UNKNOWN
S/SGT RICHARD M. PRICE BTG NOC --
S/SGT THOMAS D. BAER WG KIA 6 MAR 44 BERLIN
S/SGT CLIFFORD T. MINER TG NOC --

349th Sqdn. This is an "Original" crew that flew over with the group. Charlie Brooks became pilot of the crew and completed the tour. Howard Bassett replaced me (J. R. Brown) as navigator of the Sam Barr crew after I was wounded 15 Sept. 1943. Joe Armanini had replaced Joe Kelly as bombardier of the Barr crew somewhat earlier.

Although no records have been found to substantiate the completion of their tours (25 missions) it is certainly a safe assumption that both Price and Miner did become "Lucky Bastards".

Thomas "Teddy" Baer was with the crew of Lt. Albert Amiero when killed over Berlin.

MISSIONS OF LT VICTOR REED (mpf 2001)

  NBR DATE MISSION A/C # & NAME
1 29/06/43 LeMANS 230035 TORCHY
2 04/07/43 LaPALLICE 230042 OH NAUSEA
3 10/07/43 LeBOURGET 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
4 17/07/43 HAMBURG 230063 PICKLEPUSS
5 25/07/43 KIEL 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
6 26/07/43 HANOVER 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
7 28/07/43 OSCHERSLEBEN 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
8 29/07/43 WARNEMUNDE 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
9 12/08/43 WESSELING, BONN 230090 EL P'SSTOFO

"ON THE BONN MISSION 12 AUGUST 1943, LT VICTOR REED'S LIFE WAS SAVED BY A NEAR MIRACLE. JUST AS THE SHIP LOOSED HER CARGO OF BOMBS ON THE TARGET, A BURST OF FLAK LITTERED THE COCKPIT WITH SLIVERS OF HOT STEEL. ONE SIZEABLE FRAGMENT PENETRATED REED'S OUTER CLOTHING BUT STRUCK THE SILVER WINGS HE WAS WEARING OVER HIS LEFT SHIRT POCKET. THE VELOCITY OF THE SHARD WAS SO GREAT AS TO DRIVE THE INSIGNIA THROUGH THE SKIN AND CAUSE SEVER BRUISING OF THE CHEST MUSCLES. WITHOUT THE WINGS TO DEFLECT IT, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE PIECE OF FLAK WOULD HAVE KILLED OR SEVERELY WOUNDED LT REED. THIS EPISODE SO UN-NERVED REED, THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO FLY FOR A TIME AND WAS EVENTUALLY TRANSFERRED FROM THE 100TH.

AT ABOUT THIS TIME, "BIG JOE" ARMANINI REPLACED "CRYING JOE" KELLY ON THE SAMMY BARR CREW AND SOME WEEKS LATER HOWARD BASSETT REPLACED JIM BROWN AS NAVIGATOR ON SAMMY BARR’S CREW. T/SGT DOUGHERTY WAS ALSO MOVED TO THE BARR CREW REPLACING MIKE TANOWIGCH AS ROG.

CHARLES BROOKS CONTINUED AS CO-PILOT AND THEN AS A FIRST PILOT. A FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS 1943, CAPT BROOKS FLEW HIS 25TH MISSION AS PILOT OF "SQUAWKIN HAWK".

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