Bruce Howard Brown

United States Army Air Forces

8th Air Force

401st Bombardment Squadron

91st Bombardment Group (Heavy)

1st Lieutenant Bruce Howard Brown, 23, of Richmond, California, was killed in action on Sunday, December 20, 1942, when the B-17F Flying Fortress he was co-piloting was shot down over France shortly after crossing the English Channel. The plane crash landed near the town of Bernierès-sur-Seine, France, and eight of the nine crew members lost their lives.

Bruce’s remains were returned to Houston Hobby Airport from Offutt AFB, Nebraska on Thursday, October 18, 2024, at 3:35 p.m. The plane carrying Lt. Brown and his military escort 1st Lt. Evan Jaksfa was welcomed by family, friends, and military personnel. There was a short but moving ceremony as the casket was transferred from the plane to the hearse for the procession to Heights Funeral Home. The procession was escorted by the Houston Police Department and volunteers from the Southeast Texas Patriot Guard Riders and accompanied by family, friends, and military personnel from Joint Base San Antonio.

Lt. Brown will be laid to rest with full military honors on Friday, October 25, 2024, at Houston National Cemetery at 11:15 a.m. There will be a procession leaving Heights Funeral Home to accompany Lt. Brown to the cemetery at 10:15 a.m.The Committal Service will be conducted by the Rev. Ian S. Pacey, Senior Pastor, of Immanuel Lutheran Church (LCMS), located in the historic Houston Heights. Everyone is welcome to join the procession or meet at the cemetery.

In 2019, remains were disinterred from three X-Graves (Unknowns) at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. It was determined that these graves were more than likely associated with the crew of Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) 5381 and disinterment was authorized. The remains were flown to Offutt AFB, Nebraska, where the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Laboratory is located. "The DPAA’s forensic anthropologists analyze and inventory skeletal remains, identify bones, and determine a biological profile in an effort to identify unknown service members who died in previous wars. They also work as scientific recovery experts, helping excavate sites around the world."

In 2023, 1st Lt. Bruce H. Brown (Co-Pilot) along with three of his fellow crew members: 1st Lt. Daniel W. Corson (Pilot), Staff Sgt. Robert L. Ferris, Jr. (Ball Turret Gunner), and Staff Sgt. Jackson M. Barbour (Waist Gunner) were identified from these remains. Bruce is the last of this group of four heroes to be laid to rest on American soil. There are still three unaccounted for crew members including 1st Lt. Mark B. Connor (Navigator), 1st Lt. Reeves S. Carper (Bombardier), and Technical Sgt. Edwin D. Byrdic (Radio Operator/Gunner).

Bruce was the Co-Pilot of a Boeing B17-F Flying Fortress #41-24432 called the Danellen stationed at RAF Bassingbourn Airfield near Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. (There is no known photograph of this B17-F Flying Fortress nor a photograph of the crew.) The target that day was the Luftwaffe Air Depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, which was approximately 80 miles southeast of Paris. The Danellen was one of two B17-F Flying Fortresses shot down over Nazi occupied France on December 20 during the strategic daylight bombing raid. The crash occurred between the town of Bernierès-sur-Seine and the village of Tosny (which would play a big part in the recovery of the remains that day and later on). The plane was badly hit on a second attack by 20 mm cannon shells resulting in wing damage and loss of power to smoking engines 3 and 4. The plane began a tight nose over tail spiral, the tail broke off, and crashed nose first into the ground. Staff Sgt. Salvatore Dalterio (Tail Gunner) was able to parachute to safety with only minor injuries after the tail broke off. While the villagers of Tosny were tending his wounds he was taken prisoner. The crew also included Technical Sgt. Martin G. Bacon, Jr., (Crew Chief/Engineer/Top Turret Gunner) Staff Sgt. Robert L. Ferris, Jr. (Ball Turret Gunner) and Staff Sgt. Jackson M. Barbour (Waist Gunner) The crew members probably perished from enemy cannon fire during the second wave of the attack. Luftwaffe flying ace, Josef Priller, took credit for downing the plane. The Danellen never made it to the target.

Bruce was survived by his mother, Bertha Punkoney Barron, and step-father, Fred Westle Barron, of Hanford and Richmond, California. Also surviving were his uncles: William Louis Punkoney, Sr. (Mamie) and their children Leroy, William, Jr., Melvin, Clyde, Mary Lou, and Ruth and Albert Richard Punkoney (Lena) and their children Robert, Eugene, Clarence, and Oleta Faye.

Today, there is no one living who actually new Bruce, but he has first cousins, once removed, and a host of second cousins and beyond who are descendants of Louis Punkoney and Emma Geldmacher, Amalie Ponkoney and Herman Freitag, Adeline Ponkoney and Samuel Stallcup, Paul Ponkoney and Ottilie Geldmacher, Henry Ponkoney and Julia Stefka, Carl Geldmacher and Emilie Mauer, and Minnie Geldmacher and Otto Baumbach. These couples, all living in Texas, were Bruce’s grand aunts and uncles.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to:

Southeast Texas Patriot Guard Riders (setexaspgr.org)

c/o Roy Duke

11756 1371

Chappell Hill, TX 77426

Tunnel to Towers Foundation (T2T.org/donate)

(Homeless Veteran’s Assistance)

2361 Hylan Blvd

Staten Island, NY 10306