36th/856th BS/406th NLS

Bronar Crew

Status: Replacement crew, they arrived at Harrington just in time for the reorganization of 13 August 1944. An extract of SOs #224 issued from an 8th AF Replacement depot dated 11 Aug '44 shows they arrived at the base with the Leichmann, Reilly, Blume, Garvey, Schaefer, Hunter, Wiebe, Hansen and Wonnel crews.

Robert W. Bronar        - Pilot
Irwin T. Kelly          - Copilot
Henry T. Dixon          - Navigator 
William H. Kibbie       - Bombardier
Robert C. Nelson        - Dispatcher      
Thomas Braswell  Jr.    - Radio Operator
Verne R. Jacobs         - Engineer
Robert C. Willems       - Tail Gunner

Walter S. Halstead      - Gunner (Orphaned)
Thomas E. Marron        - Gunner (Orphaned)

With a scarce sample of only four mission reports for September of 1944, we can say about their aircraft only that they favored B24D 42-40768, a H-model that survived the war and was returned to the ZI in July of 1944.  The crew scored three out of four missions for a 75% success rate, not bad for beginners.

Pilot	MR#	OK	Failed	Joes	Cntnrs	Pkgs	Date	DZ	Aircraft
Bronar	2096	1	0	0	12	10	11	Percy 29	B24H 42-50444 A
Bronar	2119	1	0	0	12	10	12	Bob 346	B24D 42-40768 N
Bronar	2210	1	0	0	12	7	16	Bob 303	B24D 42-40768 N
Bronar	2262	0	1	0	0	0	17	Glover 20	B24D 42-40768 N

All targets were in France.

Following the temporary cessation of operations in mid-September of 1944 the crew moved to Cheddington to be with the Night Leaflet Squadron. Presley W. Smith, formerly of the lost Pratt crew, went with them.  On the night of 4/5 January 1945, after suffering an engine loss, their plane was shot down by an English AA battery, but all survived.

Their number of sorties there undetermined at present.

 

 36th/856th Menu                  Aircrew Menu                Main Menu