Charles L. Brown
B-17G "Carol Dawn"
Artwork and Research is By;
Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette
There are 750 limited edition prints in this series. Print size 12x18"
Limited Edition Prints are signed and numbered by the Artist and by B-17 pilot, Charlie Brown. $75.00
Shipping $6.00 anywhere in the world.
Artist Proofs
There are 25 Artist Proof Prints in this series. Only a few are left. 12x18"
Artist Proof Prints are signed and numbered by the Artist and by Charlie Brown. $95.00
Shipping $6.00 anywhere in the world.
Poster Prints
There are 1000 poster prints in this series. 12x18"
Poster Print $14.95
Poster prints are autographed by the artist only.
Shipping $6.00 anywhere in the world.
Review Your Shopping Cart
Lt. Charles L. Brown
By Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette
In November, 1943, Lt. Charles L. Brown and his crew were assigned to the 379th Bomb Group, 527th Squadron, at Kimbolton, England. Brown flew his first mission as a co-pilot on a bombing run before he is given his own B-17 and crew. Brown was already assigned to a crew that he has trained with for the past several weeks. A bomber pilot's first mission was to fly as a co-pilot on a combat mission. Brown's first bombing mission had been an easy in-and-out. Or a "Milk Run" as many would call it. A milk-run was a mission where the bombers faced minimum anti-aircraft fire as well as enemy fighter opposition. Which again means that there was no big aerial combat melee. Almost none in fact.
On December 20,1943, Brown was
to lead his crew on their first combat mission. The crew had been assigned to
fly a war veteran Fortress called “Yea Ole Pub.” The target was a heavily defended Focke-Wulf aircraft plant at Bremen, Germany. “Yea Ole Pub”
was hit by enemy fighters before they had reached the target. They survived but
they had caught a few enemy bullets. While on the bomb-run their B-17 was severely damaged by flak.
The Plexiglas nose had been blown off and two engines were damaged. The injured B-17
fell out of formation as they left the target area.
Like a pack of wolves, 15 Bf-109 and FW-190 German fighters
pounced on the straggler. The brief one-sided battle resulted in one German
fighter destroyed and one damaged. “Yea Ole Pub” received near
fatal damage. The controls were damaged, another engine and both the electrical and oxygen
systems received injury. Five of the crew were also wounded including Brown who had a bullet fragment in his
right shoulder. The bomber spiraled from 25,000 feet to just above the ground.
To the German pilots it looked like “Yea Ole Pub” had been shot down by the
way it fell. After Brown regained in Fortress they found themselves flying just
above the tree tops. As they were trying to get their bearings as to where they
were they flew over the edge of a German airfield.
On that German airfield Oblt. Franz Stigler had
landed to re-fuel and re-arm his Bf-109 from the morning battle. Franz and his
group had intercepted an American bomber formation earlier in the day where he shot down two
of the American Fortresses. Franz saw the American bomber carrying Brown and his
crew fly by his base just above tree top altitude. Franz immediately took off in pursuit of
his third victory for the day. As he approached the B-17, he could hardly
believe what he saw. He described the B-17 as “the most badly damaged aircraft
I ever saw, which was still flying.” When Stigler saw the defenseless, wounded men
in the bomber plus the dead tail gunner, he could not shoot as, “It would be like shooting at a
parachute.” He stated.
Stigler tried to get Brown to surrender, but when Brown
refused to land, Franz flew alongside the B-17. Once they passed over the
coast heading out over the North Sea, Franz saluted the American pilot
and crew. Franz pulled his Messerschmitt around and headed back to his base. “Yea Ole Pub” barely made it to England and never
flew again.
After receiving crew replacements in January, 1944, Brown was assigned to fly “Carol Dawn.” M/Sgt. Clarence G. “Shack” Ashcraft, was the crew chief assigned to this bomber. The "Carol Dawn" was a new bomber for Ashcraft as well as Brown and his new crew. Ashcraft had convinced himself that he was "Jinxed."
The “Jinxed" crew chief had lost his previous three aircraft and crews on
their first combat mission. That was a heavy burden to bear. Now here he was
head of the maintenance crew of the “Carol Dawn”. A new bomber for
Ashcraft and the first mission for Brown.
The “Carol Dawn” and Brown's crew broke the
"Jinx" for
Ashcraft who was later awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his exceptional
maintenance record. Charlie Brown and his crew never aborted for mechanical
reasons while flying the “Carol Dawn.” Brown was followed by a
series of other pilots who also did not abort while flying the "Carol
Dawn." Ashcraft never doubted his abilities again.
By March 25, 1945, the “Carol Dawn” had flown an
amazing 125 combat missions. This was spanning three calendar years without a
single abort for mechanical reasons. Believe it or not but the "Carol
Dawn" was shot down twice. Once landing in Belgium where she was repaired and returned to England; a unique, if not “one of a kind”
record. The record for the entire squadron took hold. All the crews were
exceptional in their care for their bombers and the care of their crews.
These abort-less missions made a major contribution to the
379th BG distinguished records of the lowest abort rate, most sorties
flown, best bombing accuracy, and most bombs on target of any Heavy Bombardment
Group in the European Theatre during WWII. That is a whopping accomplishment
ever! Brown's crew completed 29 bombing
missions over Europe with 24 of these being against targets in Germany.
Over 12,000 plus B-17’s were
built during the war. A staggering 5,000 plus of these bombers were lost to
German flak and fighters. That is an incredible forty-one percent of all B-17
constructed were shot down by the Germans and their allies. “Carol Dawn” received battle damage on many of her
missions. Brown's crewmembers were credited with shooting down 7 German
fighters which is a healthy record. There were other Luftwaffe fighters damaged
as well during the battles.
After his combat tour, Charlie Brown ferried fighters, bombers, and
transports around the UK between April and August 1944. He spent a few months as
an instructor pilot in the United States and finished WWII flying C-54 transports in the
Pacific/CBI Theatre. He ended WWII as a Captain, having earned the Distinguished
Flying Cross, The Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, The Purple Heart, two
Distinguished Unit Citations and several service ribbons.
German Ace, Franz Stigler, Artist, Ernie Boyette and B-17 Pilot Charles Brown.
Below is a photo of a flight jacket that was worn by one of the crew of the Carol Dawn.
This photo was e-mailed to me by the son of one of the crewman that flew on the Carol Dawn. It shows all the missions that the crewman flew on. This is not my jacket and it is not for sale.
My brother Bill and Charlie Brown.
Charlie Brown, Franz Stigler, Ernie Boyette.
This is a photo of the "Carol Dawn" during a bombing mission. Charlie Brown was at the controls of the Fortress in this very photo.
This photo was taken by SSgt. Truman Phillips of the 379 Bomb Group, 525th Squadron.
David Phillips, the B-17 gunner's son, donated this photo for us to enjoy.
Above is another photo sent to me with the "Carol Dawn" and a crew member but I do not know which crewman it is. I am almost positive that he was a crewman in a later crew and not with Brown. But none the less the fellow flew in the "Carol Dawn." Again this photo was sent to me by family members but the information on this photo has been misplaced. I am sorry.
This is great. This photo has been kept in a family album for who-knows-how-long. And now everyone can see it. I love the yellowed tape.
This is our Main Directory.
All research, writings and artwork are by Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette.
No one is permitted to republish any part of this story with out my personal permission.
Please call or e-mail me for any use of this story.
I do not mind sharing, just call or e-mail and ask for permission.
Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette
Aviation Artist/Historian
107 Arthur Moore Drive
Green Cove Springs, Florida 32043
Phone Number; 1-904-406-5791
E-Mail Address aviationartstore@peoplepc.com
Posted 2-9-07
Counter Added on July 24, 2011