Dwyer Brownfield

2nd Lt. Dwyer C. Brownfield, Co-Pilot, B-24H, #41-28716, 759th Bomb Squadron, 459th Bomb Group (H), 15th Air Force. Killed in Action on 2 April 1944 when his aircraft ditched in the Adriatic Sea returning from a bombing mission over Styer, Austria. Born on 16 April 1918, he entered the service on 1 October 1943 from Los Angeles, California.

On 2 April 1944, Lt. Brownfield was the co-pilot commanded by Capt. Donald A. Garrard. They departed their Giulia Airfield, Italy and proceeded to their target of Styer, Austria. As the aircraft completed it's bomb run and turned toward the rally point, two ME-109s attacked the B-24 passing from the front of the aircraft to the rear. Witnesses state that they observed the aircraft's #2 and #4 engines begin to smoke as Lt. Dwyer's aircraft pulled up higher and dropped out of formation to the right. T/Sgt. Kenneth H. Foley, on another aircraft, stated that the #4 engine was smoking and the # 2 engine was feathered. In an effort to keep up with the formation, Capt. Garrard un-feathered #2 engine and started to catch up with the formation. This did not help for long and he was forced to feather the engine again and fell out of the formation for the last time. The last reported sighting of the B-24 was made by P-38 fighter pilots who reported observing a B-24 with one engine out and another smoking attempting to make a forced landing in the Adriatic Sea. No trace of the crew or aircraft were ever found despite multiple rescue missions being flown over the reported crash sight.

His body was never recovered and is listed on the Tablet of the Missing at the Florence American Cemetery, Florence, Italy. He was 25 years old and married.

MACR: 3884

2nd Lt Dwyer C Brownfield was assigned to the 459th BG 759th Squadron.
Military Occupational Specialty (MOS): Co-pilot.

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