Staff Sergeant Rhodes Lewis Brown, Army serial number 20445218, was born at Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana on December 2, 1920. His family and crewmates called him Lewis. His parents were Jesse McConnell Brown (18 Nov 1882 – 12 Jul 1946) and Martha Isabelle (Holladay) Brown (1 Apr 1892 – 3 Aug 1979), who were born at Altus, Franklin County, Arkansas. His parents married at Altus, Arkansas on September 3, 1911. His father was a coal miner, and later worked in the petroleum industry. He had seven siblings: Dora Mae (Brown) Lipscomb (12 Aug 1912 – 16 Apr 1959), Clyde Mack Brown (4 Feb 1914 – 17 May 1994), Lloyd Finis Brown (1916 – 1986) (called Finis), Martha Imogene (Brown) Crump (9 Mar 1918 – 20 Feb 2018) (called Imogene), Glynn M. Brown (abt 1926 – ), Robert Doyle 'Bob' Brown Sr (Jan 1931 – 20 Sep 2017), and Jimmie Ray Brown (27 Sep 1932 – 2 Mar 1937).
In 1940 the family lived at 3001 DeSoto Street, Shreveport, Louisiana, and his father worked as a billing clerk at a petroleum refinery. He completed four years of high school, and worked as a truck driver for a wholesale electric store. He was single, without dependents, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Camp Hulen, Texas on July 25, 1941.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery and flight engineer training, and was assigned to the heavy bomber crew of Second Lieutenant Robert O. Shacklett in the 839th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group. The Shacklett crew completed B-24 crew training with the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. There is a photo of S/Sgt Brown and the Robert O. Shacklett crew, taken at Herington, Kansas during the overseas deployment, that is posted on the 487th Bomb Group website. They flew B-24H 42-52618 'Chief Wapello' overseas via the southern Atlantic ferry route—a journey of about 10,000 miles—and arrived in England by mid-April 1944. The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. In July 1944 the 487th Bomb Group transitioned to flying the B-17 'Flying Fortress'
After arrival at Lavenham, S/Sgt Rhodes L. Brown was assigned to the crew of Lt Joseph A. Duncan in the 839th Bomb Squadron. Here is Lt Duncan's crew roster on August 25, 1944:
B-17G 43-37980 – 839th Bomb Squadron
• Duncan, Joseph A – 1/Lt – Pilot – POW
• Rogers, Winston S – Capt – Air Leader – KIA
• Jones, Richard L – Capt – Pilotage Navigator – KIA
• Friedman, Ely N – 2/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Dolan, James J – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Henahan, Joseph W – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Brown, Gerard F – T/Sgt – Radio operator – KIA
• Everett, Lloyd E – S/Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Brown, Rhodes L – S/Sgt – Waist Gunner – KIA
• Wolyn, Monroe S – S/Sgt – Waist Gunner – POW
• Hood Jr, James – 2/Lt – Tail Gunner – MIA
On August 25, 1944, the Duncan crew took off from Lavenham Airfield in B-17G 43-37980 on a mission to bomb the German airfield at Rechlin, Germany. Captain Winston S. Rogers flew in the copilot position as Air Leader. Copilot Lt James Hood Jr moved to the tail gunner position as Officer Tail Gunner and formation observer. S/Sgt Rhodes Brown and eight of his crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft was hit by flak just after bombs away over Rechlin, Germany. The right outer wing was lost, and the burning aircraft went into a spin, exploded, and crashed in Muritz Lake (Müritzsee) near Boek, Germany, north of the target. Two crew members, 1/Lt Joseph Anderson Duncan and S/Sgt Monroe Stanley Wolyn, were blown clear and survived. Lt Hood apparently never left his position in the tail, and went down with the aircraft wreckage in Muritz Lake.
The bodies of S/Sgt Rhodes L. Brown and seven of his crew mates were buried at the Retzow Cemetery in Retzow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, a short distance north of Rechlin Airfield. Lt Hood's body was never found, and his remains were deemed nonrecoverable in August 1949.
After the war, S/Sgt Brown's remains were returned to the United States and reinterred at Greenwood Cemetery in Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana. He is buried in Section 78, Lot 8.
Sources:
1. 49 Squadron Association. Retzow Cemetery in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
2. 487th Bomb Group Association
3. 487th Bomb Group Formation Diagram for 25 Aug 1944
4. 1900 US Census; Arkansas; Franklin County; Hogan Township; Altus. Brown, John M. 25 Jun 1900 (his father's father)
5. 1920 US Census; Arkansas; Franklin County; Hogan Township; Altus. Brown, Jessie M [sic]. 13 Jan 1920 (his father)
6. 1930 US Census; Louisiana; Caddo Parish; Shreveport. Brown, Jesse M. 13 Apr 1930 (his father)
7. 1940 US Census; Louisiana; Caddo County; Shreveport; 3001 Desoto Street. Brown, Jessie M [sic]. 13 Apr 1940 (his father)
8. Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957: Jesse M. Brown and Martha Holladay married at Altus, Franklin County, Arkansas, on 3 Sep 1911 (his parents)
9. Brown, Jim M. Personal Communication. July 2013 (his nephew)
10. Brown Sr, Robert D. Personal Communication. May 2011 (his brother)
11. Cemetery records of Greenwood Cemetery, 130 Stoner Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71101
12. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
13. Enlistment Record of Rhodes L. Brown
14. HQ, 359th Combat Crew Training School, Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. Special Orders Number 71. 10 March 1944 (487th Bomb Group flight echelon order to proceed from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Herington, Kansas during the deployment to England)
15. Louisiana Death Index, 1894-1956: Jessie McConnell Brown died at Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana on 12 Jul 1946. (his father)
16. Social Security Death Index
17. Spaulding, Sharon. Partial Transcription of Greenwood Cemetery: B
18. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 8470
19. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
20. World War I Draft Registration of Jesse McConnell Brown. 12 Sep 1918 (his father)
Research by:
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
Last edited 3 Mar 2024
Staff Sergeant Rhodes Lewis Brown, Army serial number 20445218, was born at Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana on December 2, 1920. His family and crewmates called him Lewis. His parents were Jesse McConnell Brown (18 Nov 1882 – 12 Jul 1946) and Martha Isabelle (Holladay) Brown (1 Apr 1892 – 3 Aug 1979), who were born at Altus, Franklin County, Arkansas. His parents married at Altus, Arkansas on September 3, 1911. His father was a coal miner, and later worked in the petroleum industry. He had seven siblings: Dora Mae (Brown) Lipscomb (12 Aug 1912 – 16 Apr 1959), Clyde Mack Brown (4 Feb 1914 – 17 May 1994), Lloyd Finis Brown (1916 – 1986) (called Finis), Martha Imogene (Brown) Crump (9 Mar 1918 – 20 Feb 2018) (called Imogene), Glynn M. Brown (abt 1926 – ), Robert Doyle 'Bob' Brown Sr (Jan 1931 – 20 Sep 2017), and Jimmie Ray Brown (27 Sep 1932 – 2 Mar 1937).
In 1940 the family lived at 3001 DeSoto Street, Shreveport, Louisiana, and his father worked as a billing clerk at a petroleum refinery. He completed four years of high school, and worked as a truck driver for a wholesale electric store. He was single, without dependents, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Camp Hulen, Texas on July 25, 1941.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery and flight engineer training, and was assigned to the heavy bomber crew of Second Lieutenant Robert O. Shacklett in the 839th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group. The Shacklett crew completed B-24 crew training with the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. There is a photo of S/Sgt Brown and the Robert O. Shacklett crew, taken at Herington, Kansas during the overseas deployment, that is posted on the 487th Bomb Group website. They flew B-24H 42-52618 'Chief Wapello' overseas via the southern Atlantic ferry route—a journey of about 10,000 miles—and arrived in England by mid-April 1944. The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. In July 1944 the 487th Bomb Group transitioned to flying the B-17 'Flying Fortress'
After arrival at Lavenham, S/Sgt Rhodes L. Brown was assigned to the crew of Lt Joseph A. Duncan in the 839th Bomb Squadron. Here is Lt Duncan's crew roster on August 25, 1944:
B-17G 43-37980 – 839th Bomb Squadron
• Duncan, Joseph A – 1/Lt – Pilot – POW
• Rogers, Winston S – Capt – Air Leader – KIA
• Jones, Richard L – Capt – Pilotage Navigator – KIA
• Friedman, Ely N – 2/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Dolan, James J – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Henahan, Joseph W – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Brown, Gerard F – T/Sgt – Radio operator – KIA
• Everett, Lloyd E – S/Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Brown, Rhodes L – S/Sgt – Waist Gunner – KIA
• Wolyn, Monroe S – S/Sgt – Waist Gunner – POW
• Hood Jr, James – 2/Lt – Tail Gunner – MIA
On August 25, 1944, the Duncan crew took off from Lavenham Airfield in B-17G 43-37980 on a mission to bomb the German airfield at Rechlin, Germany. Captain Winston S. Rogers flew in the copilot position as Air Leader. Copilot Lt James Hood Jr moved to the tail gunner position as Officer Tail Gunner and formation observer. S/Sgt Rhodes Brown and eight of his crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft was hit by flak just after bombs away over Rechlin, Germany. The right outer wing was lost, and the burning aircraft went into a spin, exploded, and crashed in Muritz Lake (Müritzsee) near Boek, Germany, north of the target. Two crew members, 1/Lt Joseph Anderson Duncan and S/Sgt Monroe Stanley Wolyn, were blown clear and survived. Lt Hood apparently never left his position in the tail, and went down with the aircraft wreckage in Muritz Lake.
The bodies of S/Sgt Rhodes L. Brown and seven of his crew mates were buried at the Retzow Cemetery in Retzow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, a short distance north of Rechlin Airfield. Lt Hood's body was never found, and his remains were deemed nonrecoverable in August 1949.
After the war, S/Sgt Brown's remains were returned to the United States and reinterred at Greenwood Cemetery in Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana. He is buried in Section 78, Lot 8.
Sources:
1. 49 Squadron Association. Retzow Cemetery in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
2. 487th Bomb Group Association
3. 487th Bomb Group Formation Diagram for 25 Aug 1944
4. 1900 US Census; Arkansas; Franklin County; Hogan Township; Altus. Brown, John M. 25 Jun 1900 (his father's father)
5. 1920 US Census; Arkansas; Franklin County; Hogan Township; Altus. Brown, Jessie M [sic]. 13 Jan 1920 (his father)
6. 1930 US Census; Louisiana; Caddo Parish; Shreveport. Brown, Jesse M. 13 Apr 1930 (his father)
7. 1940 US Census; Louisiana; Caddo County; Shreveport; 3001 Desoto Street. Brown, Jessie M [sic]. 13 Apr 1940 (his father)
8. Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957: Jesse M. Brown and Martha Holladay married at Altus, Franklin County, Arkansas, on 3 Sep 1911 (his parents)
9. Brown, Jim M. Personal Communication. July 2013 (his nephew)
10. Brown Sr, Robert D. Personal Communication. May 2011 (his brother)
11. Cemetery records of Greenwood Cemetery, 130 Stoner Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71101
12. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
13. Enlistment Record of Rhodes L. Brown
14. HQ, 359th Combat Crew Training School, Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. Special Orders Number 71. 10 March 1944 (487th Bomb Group flight echelon order to proceed from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Herington, Kansas during the deployment to England)
15. Louisiana Death Index, 1894-1956: Jessie McConnell Brown died at Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana on 12 Jul 1946. (his father)
16. Social Security Death Index
17. Spaulding, Sharon. Partial Transcription of Greenwood Cemetery: B
18. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 8470
19. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
20. World War I Draft Registration of Jesse McConnell Brown. 12 Sep 1918 (his father)
Research by:
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
Last edited 3 Mar 2024
Inscription
RHODES L BROWN
LOUISIANA
STAFF SGT 839 AAF BOMB SQ
WORLD WAR II
DEC 2 1920 AUG 25 1944
