A Lost Plane
by Kathleen M. Brosius
World War II was soon to be over. A young pilot from Colorado, along with several other fighters were asked to ferry some new planes back to the combat zone. “Scotty” and the other pilots took off on June 5, 1945. They were flying Lockheed P-38 Lightning Aircrafts.
These “Fly Boys’” dream was to fly P-38s. The war came. “Scotty” volunteered for duty as an aviation cadet in the U. S. Army Corps at Colorado. Flight school finished, he was promoted to Second Lieutenant, as a fighter pilot. His assignment was the U. S. Thirteenth Army Air Force and was sent to the Pacific Theater of Operations.
The weather began deteriorating as the afternoon passed. P-38s were made to withstand weather, but as the storm set in, it became clear that trouble was ahead. The other P-38s lost their way and scattered, losing the lead plane. “Scotty” stayed tight on his wingman. The two headed for a break in the clouds, when “Scotty” realized that his airspeed indicator had frozen up. His left engine and propeller began to fail, and the electrical system went out. He lost control and broke away from his lead man; his plane began to spiral downward. His last radio contact to the leader was, “I’m bailing out.”
As soon as the lead pilot broke clear of the clouds, he contacted the 2nd Emergency Air Rescue Squadron, reporting the last known location of his fellow P-38 pilot, in the area around the Sangihe Islands, in the Philippines. The next day the Air Rescue Search Squadron searched the area. The following day, “Scotty’s” lead pilot led six planes in a detailed search of the area. After four days of intense searching, a Missing Air Crew Report stated Second Lieutenant George Ellery Brosius missing in action June 5,1945 over the Sangihe Islands, attributing mechanical failure as the sole reason for the plane’s tragic disappearance. The War Department notified the Brosius family by telegram, informing them George was missing in action—presumed dead.
“Scotty” was a nickname his squadron pals lovingly called him. Evidently, he was very protective of his money. During economic hardships, of long ago, the Scottish people were protective of their funds. “Scotty’s” wife called him Georgie. His family called him Ellery. His son was named after him. As a young boy, little George was called Bud. I call him Buddy. He speaks of his father, as “my dad.” His wife waited the rest of her life for a report on Georgie’s plane being found. In the last several years, there have been reports of planes being detected at the bottom of the ocean in the South Pacific. Buddy and I longed for a day that we could take Betty’s hand and say, “He’s been found.” That day never came. Our prayer is that one day, they will find each other and spend forever in eternity.
