TSGT JAMES STEPHEN BROWN; U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE

DOB/DOD: October 20, 1921 (Wilton, CT) – January 4, 1944; 22 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: 161 South Main Street, South Norwalk
ENLISTMENT: May 1, 1942, at Westover Field in Chicopee, Massachusetts; living in Franklin County, Massachusetts at that time
SERVICE NUMBER: 11034006
UNIT: 577th Bombardment Squadron, 392nd Bombardment Group (Heavy)

FAMILY: Born to James S. [WWI veteran] (1896-1979) and Mary F. Flynn Brown (1896-1991). Two sisters: Mary J. Brown Pulizzi (1933-1988) and Anne Brown Forcellina (1936-2023).

DECORATIONS: Awarded the Air Medal two times

OTHER: TSgt Brown’s cousin, Captain Joseph Orville “Joey” Brown, was an Air Force pilot who was shot down and killed in Laos during the Vietnam War.

CIRCUMSTANCES: Target: Kiel, Germany. Missing Air Crew Report Details; USAAF MACR#: 01908; Date Lost: 4-Jan-44; Serial Number: #42-7482; Aircraft Model B-24; Aircraft Letter: “P”; Aircraft Name: “SHACK RAT” — 13th Mission. German Report #KU623 of the mission date, 4 January, notes that this particular ship was found crashed in the North Sea at 1300 hours just off the small island of Langeness after having exploded in the air. Five dead crew members were located in this wreckage. German Report #A133 from Air Command XI, dated 18 February 1944, noted the following crewmen whose bodies were found in the plane’s wreckage: Sgts Day, Magee and Tantum; and Lts Haviland and Godfrey. All (5) of these men were buried on 12 January 1944 at 1500 hours in the Nordmarschers Cemetery on the island of Langeness. No individual grave markers were cited. A separate report stated that the body of the Pilot, Lt. Lambert, was found washed ashore on 7 January 1944 near land identified as Hallig Hooge. He was interred the next day, 8 January, in the Old Churchyard Cemetery of Pellworm in Grave #58. The total of the (6) crewmen thus found and buried initially were then subsequently interred in the U.S. National Cemeteries as follows: Lambert (ARDENNES, Grave D10-47); Godfrey (ARDENNES, Grave D-10-26); Tantum (ARDENNES, Grave number D6-3); Day (ARDENNES, Grave A-8-3); and one other crew member not identified prior in enemy records, Kapp, who is also buried in the ARDENNES Cemetery, Grave D-16-15.. At U.S. National Cemetery of the Netherlands (Margraten), Sgt. Pfeifer is listed on the WALL OF THE MISSING. Except for the German interment of Lt. Haviland, no U.S. Cemetery lists his name later for burial in an overseas National plot as is the same case for Sgt. Magee. Lambert, Kapp, Godfrey, Tantum, Pfeifer, and Day. All are recorded as having received an Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart. No records exist on a posthumous award for the remaining four members.

CREW

Pilot 1st Lt, Raymond P. Lambert; Lebanon, New Hampshire
Copilot 1st Lt Archie F. Haviland Jr.; Spokane, Washington
Navigator 1st Lt Rudolph A. Kapp; New York, New York
Bombardier 1st Lt Herbert M. Godfrey; Boston, Massachusetts
Radio Operator Tech Sgt James S. Brown; Wilton, Connecticut
Engineer and Top Turret Gunner Tech Sgt William J. Reese; Alpharetta, Georgia
Asst Radio Operator Staff Sgt Walter N. Day; Peru, New York
Asst Engineer and Waist Gunner Staff Sgt William R. Tantum; Groveville, New Jersey
Armorer-Gunner and Waist Gunner Staff Sgt Ambrose R. Pfeifer; Ellis, Kansas
NOTE: SSG Pfeifer’s body was never recovered
and
Ball Turret Gunner Staff Sgt John H. Magee, Jr.; Albany, New York

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From the Greenfield (Massachusetts) High School yearbook, Class of 1940

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General Briefing for aircrews was held at 0330-0400 hours. The Command Pilot with Cassell’s crew for this mission was Major Keilman, 579th CO. Takeoff for (25) aircraft began around 0800 hours with the 579th Squadron leading the mission. This raid was to be the costliest one for the 392nd in airmen and aircraft lost more so than the first Bremen mission on 13 November 1943. Before the Group returned, (6) B-24s would be lost in combat, with (6) more badly damaged and (60) aircrew members killed or missing in action. Six (6) Liberators were damaged (3) due to enemy fighters and (3) to flak. Mission aircraft began returning at 1445 hours.

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MISSION LOSS CIRCUMSTANCES: No specific 392nd crew eye-witness account is detailed concerning the loss of this aircrew and plane. A German Report, #KU623, of the mission date, 4 January, notes that this particular ship was found crashed in the North Sea at 1300 hours just off the small island of Langeness after having exploded in the air. Five dead crew members were located in this wreckage, and the probable cause of the shoot-down was a fighter aircraft. No other account exists on further circumstances of the crew’s loss.

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The “SHACK RAT” crew
1stLt Raymond P. Lambert, Pilot; Lebanon, NH
2ndLt Archie F. Haviland Jr., Co-Pilot; Spokane, WA
1stLt Rudolph A. Kapp, Navigator; New York, NY
1stLt Herbert M. Godfrey, Bombardier; Winthrop, MA
TSgt William J. Reese, Engineer; Alpharetta, GA
TSgt James S. Brown, Radio Operator / Gunner; Norwalk, CT
SSgt William R. Tantum, Gunner; Pennington, NJ
SSgt Ambrose R. Pfeifer, Gunner; Ellis, KS
SSgt Walter N. Day; Albany, NY
SSgt John H. Magee; Albany, NY

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From The Norwalk Hour September 21, 1945

Tech Sgt James S. Brown, reported by the War Department as missing in action over Kiel, Germany, since January 4, 1944, is now listed as dead, according to a telegram received on Wednesday by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. James S. Brown of 49 ½ East Avenue. Sgt Brown had been stationed in England since August 1943 and had been awarded the Air Medal and Oak Leaf Cluster, receiving the latter medal only the day before his last mission. No details regarding his death have been received by the family. Sgt Brown, who attended St. Joseph’s School, was a graduate of Greenfield (Mass.) High School, before he went into the service on June 6, 1942, was a cost clerk with the Boston and Main Railroad Company. After he went into the service, he attended a radio school in Chicago, where he learned to be a radio operator. He next went to Panama City, Florida, where he was awarded his wings as an aerial gunner. Before he was sent overseas, he had further training at Kansas City, Kansas, and Alamogordo, New Mexico.

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From The Norwalk Hour November 5, 1951

Military funeral services for T/Sgt James S. Brown, who was Killed In Action in Germany on January 4, 1944, were held in the late home, 49 1/2 East Avenue. A solemn requiem mass was celebrated at 10 o’clock in St. Mary’s Church. Rev Francis McGuire was celebrant; Rev Harold J. Flanagan, deacon; and Rev John Cavanaugh, sub-deacon. James Vick rendered “Abide With Me” for the processional, “Ave Maria” at the offertory, and “America” at the conclusion of the mass. Interment took place in the family plot in St. John’s Cemetery, where committal services were conducted by Father Flanagan. The bearers were: Sgt Phillip Kelley, SSgt James W. Morris, Sgt Norman Mirmom, Cpl Richard Maynard, Cpl Frederick C. Allard, and Cpl Earl D. Freeland. The firing squad constituted Lt R. Merkert, SSgt GW French, Cpl FE Chaisson, Cpl CF Corette, Cpl RV Healy, PFC KA Patterson, and PFC Cantone Paul. The bugler was PFC WF Broaddus, all of the 2500 Medical Squadron, Mitchell Air Force Base, NY. A representative group of students from the Sacred Heart Academy, Stamford, where TSgt Brown now has two sisters attending, were present at the services. Services by the Frank C. Godfrey Post No. 12, American Legion were conducted at the late home, Friday evening at 7:45 with Chaplain Archibald Merriam, Post Commander Nicholas D. Lamorte, Finance Officer Howard Farrington, Service Officer John Roberto, Trustee Frank Damato, Sergeant at Arms Patrick Mace, and many Legionnaires were present. Representing the Auxiliary and the Gold Star Mothers Association were Mrs. Warren Hyde, President of the Auxiliary; Mrs. William Crook, Past President; Mrs. Anna Durner, President of the Gold Star Association; Mrs. Otto Goldstein; Mrs. Harry Jobrack, and other members of the Auxiliary and the association. Services were also conducted by the Mulvoy-Tarlov-Aquino Post Veterans of Foreign Wars. Participating were Department Junior Vice Commander Charles Post, Post Commander John Kordos, Senior Vice Commander Alfred Leonard, and other members. The services were very largely attended.

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Sergeant Brown was reinterred in 1951 to St. John’s Cemetery, 223 Richards Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut; Section A, Lot 30, Grave 1.

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