Vernon L Briscoe (1916 - 2008)

Born 24 Jan 1916 in Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, United States

Died 12 Apr 2008 at age 92 in Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, United States

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Biography

Crew XX
1st Lt. James M. Neff Pilot
2nd Lt. James I. Harris CP
2nd Lt. Vernon L. Briscoe Bomb.
2nd Lt. Russell H. Trapper Nav.
M/Sgt. Parris W. Hooper GEE
S/Sgt. William F. Gamble EG
T/Sgt. William J. Thompson, Jr. ROG
S/Sgt. Walter H. Simmons AG^[1]

Martin B-26G-5-MA Marauder
Sn: 43-34303
Squadron Code: FW-Y
First Sortie 9 Dec 44
Last Sortie 25 Dec 44
Total 2

Crew Chief: T/Sgt. Dwight J. Hemphill
Asst. Crew Chief: Cpl. Luther Evans*

1st Lt. James M. Neff was our crew's pilot, and I might add, a damn good one. His skills were certainly taxed to the limit during the afternoon mission to Saint Vith, Belgium on Christmas day.

After waiting most of the morning for a special mission, which did not materialize, our six plane flight was tacked on to the Group's second mission. The I.P. was the town of Malmedy, approximately twenty-eight miles north of St. Vith. The target was heavily defended, and the scene of much Allied aerial efforts to disrupt German traffic in the area. We had a fresh snowfall on Xmas morning, the first of that cold winter. The visibility over the target was excellent, and each flight bombed visually.

I was in my gun position as tail-gunner, as our flight leveled out for the bomb run. Lt. Vernon Briscoe was calling last second corrections., when our plane seemed to shudder. The next second, I saw the planes in our flight do what I thought was a climbing right turn. This brief recollection lasted only a millisecond before I realized our plane was descending fast in a steep left turn. I saw smoke coming from one of the engines and called Neff on the intercome. His calm reply was, "I know it." He called Gamble to come forward, "On the double." I then saw that the left wing had holes in it, as well as the tail section. Neff adroitly managed to control our descent, and told the crew to standby to bail out. I grabbed my chest pack and met Walt Simmons(AG-top turret gun.) at the waist gun window. Walt plugged into the waist window intercom as I made ready to jump.

I learned later... that when Gamble went forward, he waded through ankle deep gasoline in the aft bomb bay. He notified Neff of this potential danger. The pilot's compartment was a shambles. Jimmy Harris, our copilot, was bleeding from shoulder and face wounds, the plexiglas was shattered and the pilot's instruments were shot out. Neff had his hands full trying to maintain control of our aircraft's desecent. Bris and Lt. Russ Trapper, our navigator, along with M/Sgt. Paris "Hoop" Hooper, our GEE operator, were feverishly, but methodically, plotting our position, and relaying headings for Neff to steer in order to be over friendly lines. The left engine seized up and Neff feathered it, when Harris announced that our right engine had burst into flames. The danger was very great for a mid air explosion, and Neff and Gamble realized it. At the persistent coaxing of our calm bombardier, Neff delayed the bail out order until Bris assured him we were over our lines. Neff ordered Trapper and Briscoe out of their nose compartment, and then gave the order to bail out. Walt and I exited the flaming aircraft from the waist window, while the other six members used the open bomb bay. Neff was the last member of the crew to jump. The B-26G circled under him, and then exploded in mid air! The fuselage fell into the Muese River near Huy, Belgium, while its two engines fell on each embankment. Four of us descended by parachute into the front-line positions held by the 84th Inf. Div., where we ate our Xmas supper. Harris ended up in a Paris hospital, and the rest of us arrived back to the 387thBG within three days. I suffered injuries to my ankles, while Bris was crippled with a knee injury. Luckily, no one else was injured. On board were:

Pilot 1st Lt. James M. Neff
Copilot 2nd Lt. James I. Harris.
Bomb. 2nd Lt. Vernon L. Briscoe (Received DFC)
Nav. 2nd Lt. Russell H. Trapper
GEE M/Sgt. Parris W. Hooper (Received DFC)
ROG T/Sgt. Wm. J. Thompson, Jr.
EG S/Sgt. Wm. F. Gamble
AG S/Sgt. Walter H. Simmons
– William J. Thompson, Jr., 556th Bomb. Squadron, B-26 Marauder Reference and Operations Guide, p. 61.^[2]

Vernon L. Briscoe was born January 24th, 1916 in Kansas City, Kansas, and passed away on April 12th after an extended illness. He was preceded in death by his parents, Carrie (Ebert) Briscoe and Lloyd Briscoe, his wife Charlotte (Mahoney) Briscoe and grandson Ira K. Briscoe. He is survived by his wife Margaret Rehm-Briscoe and her children; and his family, daughters Judith (Briscoe) Dell'Orco, and Sharon (Briscoe) Baroody both of Allen, TX, sons Richard Briscoe of Chesterfield, MO, Robert Briscoe of Harris, MN., and David Briscoe of Oroville, CA.; thirteen grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Vernon was a decorated World War II veteran, serving in the 9th Air Force of the Army Air Corps as a Bombadier- Navigator. He survived parachuting from a B-26 Bomber that had been hit by anti-aircraft fire on Christmas Day 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Seven Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart. He continued his military service in the Kansas National Guard retiring with the rank of Major. He was a long-term Executive with the Milgram Food Stores retiring as Senior Vice President and Director of Store Operations after forty-seven years. He served in Leadership Roles in many of his beloved Wyandotte County civic and charitable organizations including, the Kansas City Kansas Optimist Club, Disabled American Veterans, the Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Cancer Action Board, and the Serra Club. He was also a Trustee of Donnelly College, and served on the Board of Public Utilities and the Board of Providence Medical Center. Visitation for Family and Friends will be held at the Joseph A. Butler & Sons Funeral Home, Kansas City, Kansas on Tuesday, April 15th from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM. The Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, April 16th at Christ The King Catholic Church of Kansas City, Kansas at 11:00 AM. Burial with Military Honors will follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery, Kansas City, Kansas. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to Providence Place Nursing Home, and The Sisters Servants of Mary both of Kansas City, Kansas. Published by Kansas City Star on Apr. 14, 2008.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.387bg.com/556th%20Bombardment%20Squadron.htm
2. ↑ https://387bg.com/Aircraft/B-26%2043-34303.htm
3. ↑ https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansascity/name/vernon-briscoe-obituary?id=4345283