Capt. Harley L. "Lefty" Brown

Info

CAPT. HARLEY L. "LEFTY" BROWN
(Total Number Victories: 6)

� � � � A native of Wichita, Kansas, Brown joined the 55th.FS, 20th.FG in August of 1944, just after the Group had transitioned to the P-51 Mustang. His biggest day came on 2 November, 1944 when he scored victories over two Fw-190s and an Me-109. Brown flew P-51 Serial #44-13779, Squadron code KI-N , and P-51 Serial #44-11250, Squadron code KI-A. He completed his tour of duty in March, 1945. After returning home Brown purchased a Stearman trainer for $750, outfitted it with a $750 spraying rig and for four years ran a crop dusting business.("The average life span of a crop duster was five, so I thought I'd better give it up while I was ahead!") He later became a 737 pilot for United Airlines. He currently resides in California.

� � � "November 2nd. (1944), there were 500 Jerries in the sky and by we were in a dogfight. The sky was just full of planes, bombers burning and falling and parachutes were out everywhere. You know, it's a wonder there weren't more mid-air collisions than there were! That's the day I got three destroyed and one damaged. Everywhere you looked there were planes, it's mind boggling. Hollywood couldn't reproduce one like that, the sky was just too crowded. It was something to see!
(From a conversation with Harley Brown, October, 1999.)
� � � "...Ironically my 5th. victory was my toughest dogfight! I spotted this 109 two or three thousand feet below me. As I was diving and closing into range he pulled up into a vertical climb with me right under him. I kept giving him short bursts and pieces of debris kept falling all around me. As I closed to within 20 yards under him we both stalled out at the same time and fell into a spin. We fell several thousand feet spinning almost in formation. That black cross on his fuselage looked big as a barn! I recovered from the spin and got on him just as he recovered. The next three or four minutes he used the most evasive tactics I have ever experienced, turning left and right, climbing and diving slowly down. One time I had to dump gear, flaps and firing my six 50's to keep from over-running him. I finally got in good long bursts apparently hitting the petrol tank as the fuselage exploded into a huge ball of flame. I then observed just the wing tips and the tail fluttering to the ground. This Jerry was by far the smartest pilot I encountered! In a way I was sorry to see him go!"
(Reprinted from King's Cliffe Remembered, Summer, 1988 issue)
About this story, Capt. Art Heiden adds:
"I would like to emphasize that that story was not only reprinted in KCR, but was also printed in the book 'Best Little Stories of WWII', published by The National Historical Society, and is still used as a free gift when joining that book club.
In my opinion, it certainly deserved that attention and I feel it is the best individual combat story to come out of WWII. Not only does it tell a story of intense combat between two expert fighter pilots, but how Brown brought himself to the degree of ability to fight and win over the best. I have seen no better story of what it's about. I only wish that I would have had that story when I was a fighter training instructor!"
� � � My last mission, I volunteered for it. Never volunteer, you know? (laughs) I had volunteered so a friend of mine, who still had one mission to go, could come home with me.
� � On the way back we had just crossed the coastline and a minute or two in my engine quit on me. I looked down and there was a base right out there, I had enough altitude to make a 360 and I set it in there.
� � � I discovered it was a Lancaster, British bomber base and when they saw the swastikas on my plane they took me over to their officer's club and wined and dined me.
� � � Anyway, when the C.O. of the base came over and found out it was my last mission he ordered a crew to fly me on back that evening. So, I finished my tour in a 4-engine British bomber. I claim that I was the only active fighter pilot to finish his tour in a British bomber!
� � � Then the cream on the cake...usually on you last mission boy there would be guys there to meet you and everybody would start drinking. But, when I got there the Squadron Room was closed and no one was there. I had my parachute, didn't leave it with the plane, and there I was,walking down the raod from the Squadron Room to the Officer's Club carrying it. It was about a mile and a half. A Jeep came along when i was about halfway there and took me on back. Everyone was all glad to see me and had wondered what happened...
From a conversation with Harley Brown, October, 1999

Syd Edwards with Harley Brown at the Mighty 8th.AF Heritage Museum, 25 October, 1999.

RETURN TO ACES OF THE 20TH.FG
RETURN TO THE 20TH.FG

(Photograph of Syd Edwards and Harley Brown By Nancy Barker � 1999 The Art of Syd Edwards)
Unless otherwise noted, all content � copyright The Art of Syd Edwards 1998-1999-2000. All rights reserved and reproduction is prohibited.