Charles L Brown, B-17 Pilot

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This page is an exclusive interview and writings by Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown.

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Here along with my artwork I have stories of dozens of the many aviators I have personally interviewed over the years.

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Charles L. Brown

B-17G "Carol Dawn"

By Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette

Print size 12 x 18"

Limited Edition $60.00

Limited Edition prints are signed and numbered by the artist and signed by the aviator.

Open Edition $18.00

Open Edition prints are signed by the artist.

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Lt. Charles L. Brown

By Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette

In November, 1943, Lt. C.L. Brown and crew were assigned to the 379^th Bomb Group, 527^th Squadron, at Kimbolton, England. On December 20,1943, Brown’s crew flew their first combat mission against the heavily defended Focke-Wulf aircraft plant at Bremen, Germany. Their B-17F Flying Fortress, “Yea Old Pub”, was severely damaged by flak on the bomb run. With their Plexiglass nose blown off and two damaged engines, the B-17 fell out of formation.

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; however, “Yea Old Pub” received near fatal damage, including controls, a third engine, the electrical and oxygen systems and five casualties including Brown, who had a bullet fragment in his right shoulder. The Plane spiraled from 25,000 feet to just above the ground, where it flew over the edge of a German airfield.

Oblt. Franz Stigler having shot down two B-17’s had landed to re-fuel and re-arm his Bf-109. He 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 he saw the defenseless, wounded men and the dead tail gunner, he could 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, he escorted the B-17 out over the North Sea, saluted the pilot and crew and departed. “Yea Old Pub” barely made it to England and never flew combat again.

After receiving crew replacements in January, 1944, Brown was assigned to fly “Carol Dawn”. M/Sgt. Clarence G. “Shack” Ashcraft, the “Jinxed crew chief, who had lost his previous three aircraft and crews on their first combat missions, headed the maintenance crew of “Carol Dawn”.

“Carol Dawn” and the Brown 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 magnificent “Carol Dawn.” Brown was followed by a series of other pilots who also did not abort.

By March 25, 1945, the “Carol Dawn” had flown an amazing 125 combat missions, covering parts of three calendar years, without a single abort for mechanical reasons. She was shot down twice, landing in Belgium, repaired and returned to England; a unique, if not “one of a kind” record.

These abort-less missions made a major contribution to the 379^th 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. The Brown crew completed 29 bombing missions over Europe with 24 of these being against targets in Germany.

Of over 12,000 plus B-17’s built, over 5,000 were lost to German flak and fighters. “Carol Dawn” received battle damage on many of her missions. The Brown crewmembers were credited with most of their 7 German fighters destroyed while flying “Carol Dawn.”

After combat, 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 U.S. 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.

Story written by Charles L. Brown.