BROWN, Harold Leonard
NAME BROWN Harold Leonard
RANK Flying Officer / Wireless Operator / Air Gunner 26853 RAF Special Duties Services SQUADRON RAF No. 148 RAF Special Missions
“trusty to the end”
Gambut airfield in Libya
Squadron Markings FS Born December 3, 1923 - Crediton - Township of Stephen - County of Huron Residence Toronto - Ontario Died August 5, 1944 20 years 8 months CEMETERY Krakow Rakowicki Cemetery - Krakow - Poland
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Parents Mr. Henry Brown - Crediton.
Harold was born on December 3, 1923, and took his education at Crediton public school and continuation
school 1930-40 and upon completion of his education he graduated from Exeter High School following Grade XI 1940-41 at the age of 17. Growing up he had whooping cough and the measles. The family was United and would have attended Zion United Church. During Grade XI he took a correspondence course from the Radio College of Canada. He likes basketball, baseball and swimming and his hobby was radio. He then moved to Toronto and was employed at at the machine shops of Massey Harris Farm Machinery as a machine operator.
Canada
On May 20, 1942, he enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force with the rank of Aircraftsman 2. At the time he stood 5' 10" tall and weighed 134 pounds. He had a medium complexion with blue eyes and fair hair. and was then posted to No. 1 Manning Depot. His first posting was on September 24 to No. 3 Wireless School in Winnipeg - Manitoba and while here received the rank of Leading Aircraftsman. he placed 13 in a class of 60 and his average was 81%. Then it was to No. 5 Bombing and Gunnery School on April 17, 1943 based at Dafoe - Saskatchewan. Here he was 1st out of a class of 24 and his average was 82%. He also received his Air Gunner Badge and the rank of Sergeant and then the rank of Pilot Officer... In the middle of June he was posted to the "Y" Depot in Halifax in preparation for overseas duties. He received the rank of Sergeant at this time. A week later he volunteered for the RAF Training Pool.
Overseas
Sergeant Brown embarked from Canada on June 23 and disembarked in the United Kingdom on July 1. The following day he reported to Bouremouth - Dorset to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre. His first posting overseas was on July 20 to RAF No. 6 Observer Advanced Flying Unit. The next station was to No. 22 Operation Training Unit on August 19 based at RAF Wellesbourne Mountford in Warwickshire. Here he trained on the twin engine Wellington bomber. Then on November 19 he was transferred to RAF 61 Base where he received the rank of Flying Officer and he was here until December 29 when he was stationed at RCAF No. 1664 Heavy Conversion Unit based RAF Croft - North Yorkshire and here he trained on four engine aircraft and he remained here until March 1944.
In the Field
About the first week of March 1944 he reported to No. 3 Aircrew Recruitment Centre and shortly after this he was posted to North Africa to 61 Base holding establishment and on March 16 he reported to RAF No. 148 Squadron who flew the Hadley Page Halifax B Mk II / V. The squadron at this time was based at Brindisi in Italy. RAF 148 Squadron was formed to be part of the Balkans Air Force and the objective was to drop supplies to the resistance forces and in early 1944 they began flying supplies into southern Poland. During the evening of August 4th, F/O Brown and his crew of seven in Halifax lifted off at 20:00 hours from
the Italian city of Brindisi along with 23 other aircraft. The mission was to make a drop in the zone "SAN 125 near Skierniewice. This aircraft did not return from this secret mission
over southern Poland. It is possible the aircraft that shot F/O Brown’s aircraft out of the sky in the early morning of August 5th was either German or Russian.
Polish witnesses on the ground said the aircraft was in great difficulty near the town of Dabrowa Tarnowski,
was on fire and flying toward the village of Morzychna where it crashed into the ground, and exploded,
killing the entire crew. The crash took place at 00:30 hours. Upon impact there was a very heavy detonation. After the crash of Halifax JP 276 a Polish soldier and members of the Polish underground gathered the remains that could be found from a wide area, but at that time they were unable to confirm the exact number of bodies. They sent the remains to Dabrowa Tarnowski where they were buried in the state cemetery. They did this because of the presence of the German Gestapo. These crewmen were later exhumed and reburied in Krakow. The local people raised 5,000 zolty for burial services for F/O Brown and his crew. The Polish soldier and the members of the underground were all punished by the Germans.
Mr.Brown then received a telegram on August 11, 1944 informing them that his son F/O Brown was missing in action. Then in February 1946 they received a letter explaining the details of their son’s final mission.
Some- time after the crash it was apparent it had crashed into soft, wet ground. The wreck was visible and
the area began to fill with water and eventually a small pond had been created. Sometime after the end of the war, the Polish Communist Government wanted to get rid of what was left of Halifax JP 276, but decided to just bury it after realizing just how big it was.
These 23 aircraft were attempting to fly arms to reinforce the uprising in Warsaw. Only 12 aircraft were
able to make it to their objective. Six were shot down by Russian aircraft. The Russian land forces had advanced and stopped just short of Warsaw. They told the Polish General to rise up and to attack the Germans occupying forces. The Poles did this for 2 months and during this period the Russian forces never moved a foot and their hope was that the 40,000 non - communist Polish forces would be destroyed - and they nearly all were! About 2004/2005 ex - Polish underground survivors informed authorities as to the exact location of this aircraft. The Warsaw Uprising Museum began to excavate and in the process discovered 2 Rolls Royce Merlin engines in good shape. Upon further investigation in the summer of 2006 it was discovered that 2 crewmembers were still in the aircraft, they were removed and buried with full military honours with their crew mates. As well they found
documents and maps and personal belongings such as folding knives and a badge. These items were well
preserved in the damaged hull. In 2006 they again raised engine parts, plate, and undercarriages In August 2007 a solemn ceremony took place in Dapbrowa Tarnowski Parish Cemetery the monument placed on the site of the first burial of the crew of Halifax JP276. Then in November the remains of the crew recently found in the wreckage were buried in Krakow Rakowicki Cemetery with full military honours and with dignity.
In June of 1946 Harold's father Mr. Henry Brown received the Memorial Cross and in early 1947 he received the 1939-45 Star, the Italy Star, the Defence and War Medal plus the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp and these had been awarded to Flying Officer Brown.
Harold is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of the Exeter High School and Zion United Church, in the Books of Remembrance which can be found in the Centre Block of the Canadian Parliament, on the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial and on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
