steven Posted March 7, 2010 Share #1 Posted March 7, 2010 Hello This weekend i went to Groesbeek to search with my metal detector. One of the findings that day was a spare barrel from a .30 browning machine gun and a US life jacket with co2 bottle. There was a name on the life jacket and thats great ,but i can`t find it on the nara site maybe someone can help me. The name is G R Brendle and his number is o-681286 or o-631386 or o-687286 or 637386 i`m not sure about the number because its not so clear. On the site where landed 82nd 505pir and 325 gir. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWalsh Posted March 7, 2010 Share #2 Posted March 7, 2010 My 1st thought was Air Corps - is that actually a parachute harness there with the Mae West? And is the O2 bottle not a "bail out" bottle from an aircraft?? I think this is actually your man... this would agree with the officer's serial number you listed: From the National WW2 Memorial website: George Robert Brendle BRANCH OF SERVICE U.S. Army Air Forces HOMETOWN Edwardsville, IL HONORED BY Steve Brendle, Son ACTIVITY DURING WWII BOMBER PILOT. FLEW 67 MISSIONS IN B-26 MARAUDER, EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS. AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS AND AIR MEDAL WITH 12 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS. RETIRED FROM THE U.S. AIR FORCE AFTER 31 YEARS OF SERVICE. MW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWalsh Posted March 7, 2010 Share #3 Posted March 7, 2010 To clarify - isn't the round thing the locking clasp to lock shut the parachute harness on an aircrew paperchute rig? MW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWalsh Posted March 7, 2010 Share #4 Posted March 7, 2010 Check out this link too - looks like he was in the early stages of the US Air Force missle program too, after his flying time ended: http://books.google.com/books?id=FTJHUKAN8...%22&f=false Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWalsh Posted March 7, 2010 Share #5 Posted March 7, 2010 My 1956 Air Force Register shows George R. Brendle's serial number to be 9946A if that helps... that Register and another book I have show he served from July 1941 through 1971... He is also listed on this website - that means he is named in an aircraft accident report or in a missing air crew report i it'd be well worth your $25.00 to get copies of what reports they have... you might find he was shot down in the vicinity of where you found these items... http://www.accident-report.com/crews/alpha/namebr_bz.html MW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWalsh Posted March 7, 2010 Share #6 Posted March 7, 2010 A couple more interesting tidbits on Brendle... these from the on-line history of his unit (I Google searched his name) - he was in the 596th Bomb Squadron, obviously flying in / over Europe... perhaps his items were lost then... Here is the site: http://b26.com/img/misc/596_squadron_history.pdf the info below was from the January 1945 entires... 5. The following Officer Promotions took place during the month: F/O Wm. R. McGillicudy to 2nd Lt. 1st Lt. George W. Parker to Captain. CWO E.D. Walker to 2nd Lt. 1st Lt. F.E. Brown to Capt with date of rank from 23 June. Under the Air Liaison Program at IX TAC and 1st Army, the following crews spent a week at the front: Lt. Col. McLeod, Captains Domke, Yeast and crew from Jan. 1st to 8th. Maj. Weltzin, Lts. Brendle, Hill, Joy and crews from Jan 15th to 23rd. Captain Roberts R. Evans went on DS to XIX TAC for six weeks as Air-Ground Liaison Officer. 6. In order to better understand the problems and operations of other branches of service, we have been sending crews to the front and they have been sending men to our base. During January we had 3 Officers and 3 Enlisted Men from the 3rd Cavalry Group. They were shown our Operations, Intelligence, etc., and flew on several missions. In going through that unit history quickly, I did not see any entry for Brendle being shot down over Holland, but his squadron did in fact fly missions there... they did lose some crews to flak & fighters too, so maybe someone else had his gear that day, maybe he left it / lost it when he did that stint of ground duty... Still be worth getting or at least checking to see what those AccidentReports.com reports have... MW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted March 7, 2010 Share #7 Posted March 7, 2010 To clarify - isn't the round thing the locking clasp to lock shut the parachute harness on an aircrew paperchute rig? MW Mike You are correct.Thats a locking ring from the box on a parachute harness. RD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWalsh Posted March 7, 2010 Share #8 Posted March 7, 2010 Thanks Ron! Check this website out then scroll down it a ways & a couple bailout bottle are pictured... http://www.303rdbg.com/uniforms-gear4.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWalsh Posted March 7, 2010 Share #9 Posted March 7, 2010 Bell's Aviation shows the type of parachute lock - well, one similar anyway... MW http://www.bellsaviation.com/mm5/merchant....ategory_Code=PC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven Posted March 7, 2010 Author Share #10 Posted March 7, 2010 Bell's Aviation shows the type of parachute lock - well, one similar anyway... MW http://www.bellsaviation.com/mm5/merchant....ategory_Code=PC Thank you very much M W for all the information you gatherd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaptonIsGod Posted March 7, 2010 Share #11 Posted March 7, 2010 Field Title Value Meaning ARMY SERIAL NUMBER 36042030 36042030 NAME BRENDLE#GEORGE#R######## BRENDLE#GEORGE#R######## RESIDENCE: STATE #1 Undefined Code RESIDENCE: COUNTY 119 Undefined Code PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 6120 CHICAGO ILLINOIS DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 15 15 DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 07 07 DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 41 41 GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION ##0# Undefined Code GRADE: CODE 8 Private BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION BI# Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA BRANCH: CODE 00 Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA FIELD USE AS DESIRED # # TERM OF ENLISTMENT 0 Undefined Code LONGEVITY ### ### SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 0 Civil Life NATIVITY 61 ILLINOIS YEAR OF BIRTH 18 18 RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 1 White, citizen EDUCATION 4 4 years of high school CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 770 Firemen, other than process firemen MARITAL STATUS 6 Single, without dependents COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 7 Selectees (Enlisted Men) CARD NUMBER # # BOX NUMBER 1027 1027 FILM REEL NUMBER 5.89# 5.89# Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted March 7, 2010 Share #12 Posted March 7, 2010 According to his entry in the 1947-48 Officers Register he started out as an enlisted man: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share #13 Posted March 8, 2010 Thanks forum support and claptonisgod for your post. But MW what was the number you find G R Brendel and do you have a link to the memorial site where this text stands. Thank you All Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobrahistorian Posted March 8, 2010 Share #14 Posted March 8, 2010 I've found a MACR that he's a witness on. MACR 11483 for B-26B-55 42-96144 "Bank Nite Betty" from the 596th Bomb Squadron, 397th Bomb Group. This was not a mission that he went down on, but he witnessed this particular bomber get hit and crash. His serial number is O-687286 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenm Posted March 8, 2010 Share #15 Posted March 8, 2010 Isn't that circular item in the first photo made of grey plastic? If so, it's the inner piece for a hand access "porthole" for a CG-4A glider. Fits in a grey circular outer ring that goes in various places on the glider fuselage. Cheers, Glen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share #16 Posted March 8, 2010 Isn't that circular item in the first photo made of grey plastic? If so, it's the inner piece for a hand access "porthole" for a CG-4A glider. Fits in a grey circular outer ring that goes in various places on the glider fuselage. Cheers, Glen. Hey Glen It`s made from grey plastic. Do you have a example of this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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