Okla-homey
5/15/2006, 07:59 PM
on WWII Oklahoma aces.
This guy was a stud.
Major Quince L. Brown - 12.3 air victories (14.3 total )
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/3862/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa10.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Brown was born on December 7, 1917 in Hydro, Oklahoma, near Weatherford. He was the fifth of five sons, hence his name. Quince was celebrating his 24th birthday when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and he marched right down and joined the Army as an air cadet. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant and received his wings on April 25,1941 at Kelly Field, Texas.
After earning his wings, he served as an instructor pilot for two years at Randolph Field, Texas and Enid , Oklahoma. He logged over 1326 hrs., 45 min. training time.
After two years as a Flight Instructor at Kelly and Enid, he was transferred to the ETO. He was assigned to the 84th Squadron of the 78th Fighter Group in April, 1943 in England. On May 26, 1944 he was assigned as Squadron Operations Officer for the 84th.
He was assigned to the 84th Fighter Squadron of the 78th Fighter Group at Duxford UK on April 21, 1943. He also was assigned a personal aircraft, a P-47D-6RE, s/n 42-74753, WZ-J, which was named "Okie" after his home state. 8.333 of Brown's 12.333 aerial victories were scored in this aircraft.
Quince flew "razorback" Thunderbolts -- so called because of the the way the topline of the rear fuselage joined with the fighter's canopy. Later model P-47's had "bubble" canopies and a lowered topline which gave the pilot better all-round visibility.
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/9027/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa12.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Quince L. Brown's first assigned personal aircraft, P-47-6RE s/n 42-74753, WZ-J, "Okie". 10 victory markings are shown (includes both aerial and ground kills per 8th Air Force claim criteria), suggesting the artwork depicts the aircraft in early April, 1944. The red bordered national insignia also confirms a Spring 1944 time frame. The markings in front of the personal artwork are small broom symbols indicating the number of "sweep" missions/sorties completed.
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/8500/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa13.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
During his second combat tour, Major Quince L. Brown was assigned this aircraft at the start of his second combat tour in August 1944. The aircraft was a P-47D-21, s/n 42-25698, WZ-J, which was named "Okie II".
During his second tour of duty and while piloting "Okie II" he was shot down by anti-aircraft fire west of Schleiden, Germany on September 6, 1944. Apprehended by a German civilian with a gun, Brown was taken prisoner. But before the military arrived he was shot in the back of the head at close range and killed.
The civilian informed the German authorities that the brave Oklahoman had tried to escape, but in 1946 a War Crimes court found him guilty of murder and ordered his execution by hanging. In those final months of hostilities, Quince Brown was one of many Allied fliers killed out of hand by irate German civilians. Personal loss or the general devastation and casualties resulting from air attack generated intense hatred.
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/206/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa11.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Quince Brown was inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation and Space Hall of Fame in 1994. On July 30, 1943, Quince Brown was credited for the first strafing attack by an 8th Air Force P-47 pilot. (For you non-airedale savvy types, that means he lined-up his Thuderbolt on Nazi ground targets such as truck convoys, trains or airfields and let fly with his eight .50 caliber machine guns 'til they assploded in a big honkin' fireball.)
So, here's to you Quince Brown. Proud son of the Sooner State! You were larger than life and one helluva fighter pilot.
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/9027/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa12.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
This guy was a stud.
Major Quince L. Brown - 12.3 air victories (14.3 total )
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/3862/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa10.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Brown was born on December 7, 1917 in Hydro, Oklahoma, near Weatherford. He was the fifth of five sons, hence his name. Quince was celebrating his 24th birthday when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and he marched right down and joined the Army as an air cadet. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant and received his wings on April 25,1941 at Kelly Field, Texas.
After earning his wings, he served as an instructor pilot for two years at Randolph Field, Texas and Enid , Oklahoma. He logged over 1326 hrs., 45 min. training time.
After two years as a Flight Instructor at Kelly and Enid, he was transferred to the ETO. He was assigned to the 84th Squadron of the 78th Fighter Group in April, 1943 in England. On May 26, 1944 he was assigned as Squadron Operations Officer for the 84th.
He was assigned to the 84th Fighter Squadron of the 78th Fighter Group at Duxford UK on April 21, 1943. He also was assigned a personal aircraft, a P-47D-6RE, s/n 42-74753, WZ-J, which was named "Okie" after his home state. 8.333 of Brown's 12.333 aerial victories were scored in this aircraft.
Quince flew "razorback" Thunderbolts -- so called because of the the way the topline of the rear fuselage joined with the fighter's canopy. Later model P-47's had "bubble" canopies and a lowered topline which gave the pilot better all-round visibility.
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/9027/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa12.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Quince L. Brown's first assigned personal aircraft, P-47-6RE s/n 42-74753, WZ-J, "Okie". 10 victory markings are shown (includes both aerial and ground kills per 8th Air Force claim criteria), suggesting the artwork depicts the aircraft in early April, 1944. The red bordered national insignia also confirms a Spring 1944 time frame. The markings in front of the personal artwork are small broom symbols indicating the number of "sweep" missions/sorties completed.
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/8500/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa13.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
During his second combat tour, Major Quince L. Brown was assigned this aircraft at the start of his second combat tour in August 1944. The aircraft was a P-47D-21, s/n 42-25698, WZ-J, which was named "Okie II".
During his second tour of duty and while piloting "Okie II" he was shot down by anti-aircraft fire west of Schleiden, Germany on September 6, 1944. Apprehended by a German civilian with a gun, Brown was taken prisoner. But before the military arrived he was shot in the back of the head at close range and killed.
The civilian informed the German authorities that the brave Oklahoman had tried to escape, but in 1946 a War Crimes court found him guilty of murder and ordered his execution by hanging. In those final months of hostilities, Quince Brown was one of many Allied fliers killed out of hand by irate German civilians. Personal loss or the general devastation and casualties resulting from air attack generated intense hatred.
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/206/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa11.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Quince Brown was inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation and Space Hall of Fame in 1994. On July 30, 1943, Quince Brown was credited for the first strafing attack by an 8th Air Force P-47 pilot. (For you non-airedale savvy types, that means he lined-up his Thuderbolt on Nazi ground targets such as truck convoys, trains or airfields and let fly with his eight .50 caliber machine guns 'til they assploded in a big honkin' fireball.)
So, here's to you Quince Brown. Proud son of the Sooner State! You were larger than life and one helluva fighter pilot.
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/9027/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa12.jpg (http://imageshack.us)