Flight Officer F. Dick Brock, 23, son of Mrs. Lucille Brock, now of Spencer but formerly a Webster City resident, was killed in China, June 13, his mother has been notified by the war department. In late June he was reported missing in action.
Lieutenant Brock, a pilot of a transport plane on the “hump” route between China and India, apparently died when his parachute failed to open as he and his crew abandoned their plane in the mountainous area of that war theater, reports here indicate.
It is believed that Brock’s plane failed to gain enough altitude to fly over the mountains, necessitating the abandonment of the ship.
Lieutenant Brock, only son of Mrs. Brock, entered the Army in December, 1939, and was located at several airfields in California and Colorado before being transferred to Elmendorf Field in Alaska, where he was stationed for two years.
Entered Air Corps
Upon return to the states he qualified for air corps training and took his cadet training at San Antonio, Texas, receiving his wings Oct. 1, 1943, at Lubbock Field, Texas. He received advanced training at Langley Field, Va., shortly after which he was sent overseas.
He had been in the India-China war theater for only about six weeks when he was reported missing
Married Oklahoma Girl
Lieutenant Brock was married the day of his commissioning to Miss Jacqueline Guthrie of Oklahoma City, who is now employed in that city.
Besides his wife and mother, he leaves six sisters: Mrs. Ray Hill, Mrs. Paul Carsey and Mrs. Weldon Parrish of this city; Mrs. Orville Brandrup and Miss Adabelle Brock of Spencer, and Mrs. Melvin Bittner of Peoria, Ill.
Source: Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, IA - July 24, 1944
Franklin Dick Brock, Lt. Army Air Corps, MIA/KIA
Franklin Dick Brock was born Mar. 16, 1921 to Lawrence W. and Mabel Lucille Sterling Brock. He was first buried near Shanghai, China but his final resting place before being brought to the U.S. was Scofield Mausoleum, Hawaii. He was laid to rest in Graceland Cemetery, Webster City, IA with a tribute on his tombstone to ‘Chennault’s Flying Tigers’.
Flight Officer F. Dick Brock was killed in China, June 13, 1944. In late June he was reported missing in action. He had been in the India-China about six weeks when he was reported missing.
Lt. Brock, pilot of a transport plane between China and India, apparently died when his parachute failed to open as he and his crew abandoned their plane in the mountainous area of that war theater. It is believed that Brock’s plane failed to gain enough altitude to fly over the mountains, necessitating the abandonment of the ship.
Sources:
Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, IA
ancestry.com
World War II Memorial
