Neil M Gobrecht

Military
media-17405.jpeg UPL 17405 LT Neil Gobrecht
Pilot
Crew #768
466th BG - 787th BS Neil Gobrecht Collection

466th BG Historian

Object Number - UPL 17405 - LT Neil Gobrecht Pilot Crew #768 466th BG - 787th BS

Flew B-24 in combat in WW 2.

Flew B-29 during the Korean War.

Flew U-10 in combat during the Vietnam War

Retired as a Lt. Colonel.

Was a science teacher for 12 years before retiring.

Connections

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Units served with

Three little girls hold up a balloon celebrating the 100th mission of the 466th Bomb Group in front of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-95592) nicknamed "Black Cat". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'On our 100 Mission party Day- 18 Aug 1944, Attlebridge, 466th- wouldn't it be something if we could identify these girls? How could I do it?'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-713684
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot -- Squadron Operations Officer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39466267
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12220360
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Flight Engineer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 784th Bomb Squadron 787th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-2064309
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 34720173
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Nose Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Delores Jean
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Damifino
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 784th Bomb Squadron 785th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Judy Sue
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Huckle de Buck
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 493rd Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron 863rd Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Aerial photograph of Attlebridge airfield, looking north, the fuel store and a T2 hangar are in the upper centre, 31 January 1946. Photograph taken by No. 90 Squadron, sortie number RAF/3G/TUD/UK/51. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Attlebridge Arsenal, Station 120

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Findlay, OH 45840, USA 5 February 1924

Other

Graduated from Flight School

Albany, GA, USA 8 February 1944 Class 44-B

Other

466th BG Tour

Attlebridge, Norwich, Norfolk NR9, UK 12 October 1944 - 14 May 1945

Other

16th Mission

Orly Airport, 94390 Orly, France 16 January 1945 "Our 12th mission was to Dresden, the longest mission ever for the 466th BG. After 8 hours we were notified over France that our bases in England had gone below landing minimums because of weather and we were to proceed to an alternate field in Scotland. None of our planes had enough fuel to reach Scotland so the Group leader took us all into Orly Field in Paris where we "had" to spend the night in a hotel in the center of Paris. Needless to say most crewmembers in the 466th had a difficult time flying home the next day. A GREAT time was had by all!

Died

Poquoson, VA, USA 4 May 2011 POQUOSON - Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Neil M. Gobrecht, 87, died Wednesday, May 4, 2011. He was a native of Findley, Ohio, and attended Ohio State University as a pre-med student prior to enlisting in the Air Force in 1942. He later continued his education and graduated from George Washington University with a B. A. degree. He was a Peninsula resident since 1961. He is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Sally; a loving son, Dana Neil Gobrecht and wife, Camille; two loving daughters, Karen Fowler and husband, Dick and Kimberly Huskey and husband, Rod; nine grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.Lt. Colonel Gobrecht entered the Air Force in 1943, trained as a pilot and graduated from Turner Field, Albany, Ga., in 1944. He was retained at Turner Field as an instructor pilot for a short time and then reassigned to train as a pilot in a B-24 bomber. He trained with a crew at Westover Field in Massachusetts. After training as a co-pilot he and his crew were assigned to Langley AFB for a short time flying submarine patrol. The crew was then assigned to the Eighth Air Force in England where they flew 35 sorties bombing missions over Germany. After their return to the U.S. the war in Europe ended and he returned to college. He was recalled to active duty in 1953, trained in B-29 bombers and served during the Korean War. During the Vietnam War, he was the commander of the Psychological Warfare unit in the I Corp area, the northernmost part of South Vietnam. During this period he flew 341 missions.During his career, he was a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College, and was selected to fly in the world's largest airshow held in Paris, at LeBourget, France; flew 18 different airplanes, had a total of 5,000 hours of flying time; flew 376 combat missions; and flew more than 648 hours of combat flying time. He had over 1,500 hours of instruction pilot timeHe was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with 14 clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with two clusters, the Air Force Meritorious Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm, the American Defense Service Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, the World War II American Theater Ribbon, European WWII Theater Ribbon with three battle stars, the National Defense Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two stars, the Republic of Vietnam Service Medal with three battle stars, the Presidential Unit Citation, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.He was a member of the Military Officers Association of America, the Eighth Air Force Historical Society, the Second Air Division Association, the National Officers Association, was a Founding member of the American Air Museum in Duxford, England. He was also a member of the American Legion Poquoson Post #273.After his retirement from the Air Force, he taught science for 12 years at Spratley Middle School, Phoebus High School in Hampton, and Poquoson Middle School in Poquoson. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dailypress/obituary.aspx?pid=150797198#sthash.Q3afsJx5.dpuf

Buried

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington Arlington County Virginia, USA

Revisions

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466th BG Historian

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466th BG Historian

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Attlebridge Arsenal - Brassfield & Wassom

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466th BG Archives

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Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit roster in the book ATTLEBRIDGE ARSENAL by Wassom & Brassfield, p345

Neil M Gobrecht: Gallery (3 items)