William R Brice

Military
media-20671.jpeg UPL 20671 Lt. William R. Brice, Bombadier
418th Bombardment Squadron
100th Bomb Group (Heavy)
Third Air Division
Eighth Air Force

James W Brice, son of
MAJ William R Brice, Bombadier
418th Bombardment Squadron

Object Number - UPL 20671 - Lt. William R. Brice, Bombadier 418th Bombardment Squadron 100th Bomb Group (Heavy) Third Air Division Eighth Air Force

My father flew 29 missions with the James S. Seamans' Crew. The nickname for the crew was Seamans' Demons. He was lead bombadier on several if not most missions. He was a good man whom I loved very much. He told me stories of his missions and escapades while in England. The time we spent together while he told those stories are the times I remember most. He told me how the propeller flew off on landing and came through the nose. He told me how a P-51 pilot caught a shrapnel round right in the cockpit right after waving at my father. He told me how some fellows would get flacked up. He told me how cold it was at altitude and how cold his feet would get. He explained the Norden bombsight and how the bombardier would fly the ship on the bomb run and everyone would drop their bombs when they saw my father drop his. There are so many stories.

Connections

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Units served with

  • Unit Hierarchy: Division
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 418th Bomb Squadron
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Seamans Demons
  • Unit: 3rd Air Division 3rd Bomb Division 100th Bomb Group 418th Bomb Squadron

Missions

  • Date: 6 October 1944

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Died

Santa Cruz, CA, USA 26 August 2004 My father died in August 2004 due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. My father was a good friend of Bill Wilson and was sober for 35 years until he died. The last lucid conversation that I had with him, in fact, was when a month before he died I asked if he wouldn't mind having a beer with me, since I had never drunk one with him. Something inside of him clicked and we talked for about three hours, as if he'd never had Alzheimer's. No one could believe it. That was the thing about my dad. Once he believed in something he believed in it with his whole heart.

Revisions

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Sources

100th Bomb Group website

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James W Brice

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James W Brice

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James W Brice

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James W Brice, son of
MAJ William R Brice, Bombadier
418th Bombardment Squadron
100th Bomb Group
13th Combat Bombardment Wing
3rd Air Division

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ContributorJameswbrice
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James W Brice, son of
MAJ William R Brice
418th Bombardment Squadron
100th Bomb Group

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ContributorJameswbrice
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Sources

James W Brice; son of CPT William R Brice, Lead Bombadier

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ContributorJameswbrice
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James W Brice, son

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ContributorAAM
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Sources

100th Bomb Group Foundation Directory, 2000 - 2001 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

William R Brice: Gallery (2 items)