Singleton and Related Genealogy Pages
A history of many families.
1914 - 2008 (94 years)| Name | William Hall “Bill” BROWN [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] | |
| Birth | 14 May 1914 | Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina  [8] |
| Gender | Male | |
| HIST | of Fort Walton Beach, Florida he was the eldest of eight children News - Obituaries Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008 William Hall Brown FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. — William Hall “Bill” Brown passed away peacefully at the age of 94 Christmas Day, December 25, 2008, at his Westwood apartment in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He was born May 14, 1914, in Sumter, South Carolina, the eldest of eight children of Robert Tillman and Mildred Hall Brown. Bill Brown served in World War II as an Army Air Corps Flight Officer glider pilot. He was injured when his CG-4A Waco glider crashed during the Normandy D-Day invasion, earning him the award of the Purple Heart. After recovering from his injuries, he took part in the “Market Garden” Holland invasion, where his glider was hit by ground fire before landing. In his third major assault operation, Bill Brown took part in the “Varsity” Germany invasion, where his glider was hit by machine gun fire and forced down deep inside Germany. He and the 101 Airborne troopers carried in the glider fought their way through German lines to rejoin the American assault group, with Bill and his fellow glider pilot carrying a seriously wounded airborne soldier on a makeshift litter. During this invasion, he earned the award of the Bronze Star when he and his fellow glider pilots fought off a German infantry and panzer tank assault in the famous battle of “Burp Gun Corner.” After World War II he remained in the Air Force as an aircraft crew chief and squadron line chief and was involved in the Japanese occupation, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He retired from the United States Air Force with 30 years of service and the rank of Chief Master Sergeant, one of the first non-commissioned officers to achieve this rank. Bill was married to Linnette Lindler for almost 65 years, who preceded him in death August 2, 2001. He is survived by his son, Robert L. Brown, and daughter, Billie Brown Chappell; three grandchildren, Sharolynn Brown Kucera, Robert L. Brown, Jr. and Sunnie G. Chappell; four great-grandchildren, Kimberly Brown Clark, Shannon M. Kucera, Caitlyn A. Kucera and Nathan E. Kucera; and great-great-grandchild, Riley J. Clark. Also surviving are two brothers, Robert T. Brown, Jr. and Murr H. Brown; and three sisters, Mildred Brown Shaw, Alice Brown Beatty and Jane Brown Jeffress. He was preceded in death by his brother, Tom Brown, and sister, Betty Brown Cain. Funeral services will be held at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Fort Walton Beach, at 11:00 a.m. Friday, Jan. 2, 2009. Interment with military honors will be held at Beal Memorial Cemetery following the service for the immediate family. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church “Build The Vision” fund, 363 Miracle Strip Parkway SW, Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32548. Reflections by Sammy Way: Bill Brown, World War II glider pilot This group of civilians arrived at Shaw Field recruiting station in June 1942 all set to "Soar to Victory," signing up for glider pilot training. SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO Posted Saturday, February 3, 2024 6:00 am By SAMMY WAY Sumter Item archivist and historian This issue of Reflections focuses on the introduction of the glider into military applications. Several men assigned to this new weapon completed their training at Shaw Field before enlisting in the glider pilot school at Twenty-Nine Palms, California. Robert N. Boykin, William H. Brown, John W. Chastain, Jackson L. DuBose, William Harrison, William Moody, Walter S. Osborne and Charles P. Osteen were the first contingent of glider trainees from Sumter to enter glider school. This report focuses on the career of William H. "Bill" Brown, who received numerous medals for his outstanding military career. Information and photos used to prepare this piece were acquired from The Sumter Item archives, Wikipedia Encyclopedia and the writings of Cassie Nichols. The son of Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Brown, Flight Officer Brown graduated from Sumter High School in 1941. He was employed by the South Carolina Highway Patrol before entering the service. He was in continual training as a glider pilot both in the United States and in England. According to Wikipedia Encyclopedia, the aircraft used to train the pilots was the CG-4A Glider. This glider was "constructed of fabric covering wood and metal and was operated by a pilot and copilot. It had two fixed mainwheels and a tailwheel. The CG-4A could carry 13 troops and their equipment. Cargo loads could be a ј-ton truck (i. e. Jeep), a 75 mm howitzer or a ѕ-ton trailer, loaded through the upward hinged nose section. "Douglas C-47 SkyTrains were usually used to tow the aircraft. A few Curtiss C-46 Commando tugs were also used during and after Operation Plunder, the crossing of the Rhine River in March 1945. A USAAF CG-4A tow line consisted of a 350-foot section of nylon." "The CG-4s went into operation in July 1943 during the invasion of Sicily. They were flown 450 miles across the Mediterranean from North Africa for nighttime assaults such as Operation Ladbroke. They participated in the American airborne landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, and in the China-Burma-India Theater. Although not the intention of the Army Air Forces, gliders were generally considered expendable by high-ranking European Theater officers and combat personnel; the gliders were abandoned or destroyed after landing." Flight Officer William H. Brown was a member of the 73rd Troop Carrier Squadron, 9th Air Force. He participated in a number of combat operations including the Normandy D-Day invasion. He was awarded a Purple Heart for injuries received in this action. He also participated in Operation Market Garden on Sept. 19, 1944, and the invasion of Germany on March 24, 1945. His glider was hit by machine gun fire and crash landed outside the glider landing zone. He carried a squad of 17th Airborne troopers who fought their way back to the Allied line. For this and numerous acts of heroism, Flight Officer Brown received the Bronze Star. Flight Officer William H. Brown died in 2006. Models of the gliders he flew during WWII, which he constructed, can be viewed at the Sumter Military Museum. [1, 2, 3, 9] | |
| MILI | he served in World War II as an Army Air Corps Flight Officer glider pilot He was injured when his CG-4A Waco glider crashed during the Normandy D-Day invasion, earning him the award of the Purple Heart. After recovering from his injuries, he took part in the “Market Garden” Holland invasion, where his glider was hit by ground fire before landing. In his third major assault operation, Bill Brown took part in the “Varsity” Germany invasion, where his glider was hit by machine gun fire and forced down deep inside Germany. He and the 101 Airborne troopers carried in the glider fought their way through German lines to rejoin the American assault group, with Bill and his fellow glider pilot carrying a seriously wounded airborne soldier on a makeshift litter. During this invasion, he earned the award of the Bronze Star when he and his fellow glider pilots fought off a German infantry and panzer tank assault in the famous battle of “Burp Gun Corner.” After World War II he remained in the Air Force as an aircraft crew chief and squadron line chief and was involved in the Japanese occupation, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He retired from the United States Air Force with 30 years of service and the rank of Chief Master Sergeant, one of the first non-commissioned officers to achieve this rank. [3, 9] | |
| _UID | 83752D7C81704DC39527EBDE2D56DF10999B | |
| Death | 25 Dec 2008 | at his Westwood apartment in Fort Walton Beach, Florida |
| Burial | 2 Jan 2009 | Beal Memorial Cemetery [3] |
| Person ID | I99159 | Singleton and Related Families |
| Last Modified | 11 Feb 2024 | |
| Father | Robert Tillman BROWN, Sr., b. 23 Nov 1890, Pinewood, Sumter County, South Carolina d. 25 Dec 1973 (Age 83 years) | |
| Mother | Mildred Lee HALL, b. 31 May 1891, Wilmington, North Carolina d. 30 Apr 1982 (Age 90 years) | |
| _UID | 6E0DD752FC8D4AF1AB8C72436B2D00AF9BD4 | |
| _UID | 6E0DD752FC8D4AF1AB8C72436B2D00AF9BD4 | |
| Family ID | F68703 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family | H. Linnette LINDLER, b. 1918 d. 2 Aug 2001 (Age 83 years) | |||||
| Marriage | 1937 [3, 9] | |||||
| _UID | D48C05585D1A4346AB70FB69819A807A5163 | |||||
| _UID | D48C05585D1A4346AB70FB69819A807A5163 | |||||
| Children |
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| Family ID | F68706 | Group Sheet | Family Chart | ||||
| Last Modified | 2 Jan 2009 | |||||
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