Written by Clay Riley – During WWII, a number of different configurations of aircraft were flown into and out of the Brownwood Regional Airport, or Brownwood Army Air Field, as it was designated at that time.
The airfield was used for aircraft pilot training along with supply and troop transport activity. One of the aircraft designated for training purposes, was the Curtiss A-25A. As could be anticipated, several airplane crashes were recorded with training designated aircraft. Training flights were common between the Brownwood air field and the Abilene air field.
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On a Saturday in September 1944, a Curtiss A-25A was out of Abilene with a crew of two, and was flying low over Lake Brownwood approaching the Brownwood Army Air Field. The crew consisted of the pilot, 22-year-old 1st Lt. Ernest J. Boruski and 21-year-old Radio Operator/Gunner Cpl. Edward J. Peterson, both from the Abilene Army Air Field.
During their approach to land at the Brownwood air field, the pilot checked his instruments and returned his attention to the windshield trying to see through the noon-day sun’s glare. He recalled suddenly seeing something dark ahead and above him, and instinctively pushed the control stick forward with all his strength to avoid a possible collision. Unfortunately, the aircraft was unable to pull out of the dive fast enough and exploded upon impact with the water off the shore of an island in the lake. The young Radio Operator, Cpl. Peterson perished in that crash and the pilot 1st Lt. Boruski, sustained serious injuries. The body of the young Cpl. Peterson was retrieved the next day. Pilot Boruski was hospitalized at the Camp Bowie Station Hospital to recover from his injuries.
Curtiss A-25A “Shrike” Dive Bomber
This aircraft was very powerful and had a cruising speed of 158 mph, and a maximum speed of 285 mph. By the time that the A-25A production was underway, the Army had found that it no longer had any need for dive bombers. As a result, Army pilots had not been well trained in dive-bombing techniques. The aircraft also had maneuverability problems, and were not well liked by maintenance nor flight crews. In 1943, the Army’s A-25A had been re-designated RA-25A and relegated to flight training duty and used as target-tow-aircraft by the Women Army Air Corp. It is important to note that the R prefix was for “Restricted, not to be used in combat.” That designation is important, in that it was not reliable in combat as evidenced by frequent mishaps and malfunctions in difficult dive maneuvers.
A General Court-Martial
The young pilot, 1st Lt. Boruski, was court-martialed in December of that same year. Results of that court-martial were published in the Abilene Reporter, December 28, 1944. In part, that article (Colorado Springs, Colo. Dec. 27-AP) stated – “The dismissal of 1st Lieutenant Ernest F. Boruski, Jr., of Des Moines, Iowa, from the Army Air Forces for low flying was announced today by headquarters of the Second Air Force. Corporal Edward J. Peterson, a passenger, was killed the announcement said, when the plane of Lieutenant Boruski struck power lines over Lake Brownwood. Besides being dismissed, Boruski was ordered confined at hard labor for six months.” Dishonorable discharge due to pilot error, was the official finding of the court-martial.
The Plane Resurfaces
In 1978 during a severe drought in Central Texas, the lake level had lowered dramatically. An airplane had been discovered in Lake Brownwood. The plane’s propeller was found when local residents were exploring the drought-lowered lake near an island.
The resurfacing of the aircraft also brought back the story of its demise. In 1978, Ernest Boruski was employed as a computer programmer in New York City. His court-martial was reversed in 1951, but he continued to feel as though he was treated unfairly. He continued to pursue vindication, and in 1957 received more than $20,000 in back pay for the years before his dishonorable discharged was reversed, but he was not allowed to resume his military career.
The propeller from that old Curtis A-25A is now located at the front entrance of the Brown County Museum of History. I have walked by it many times, not knowing its tragic history. Maybe you have done the same.
This and many other stories are available at the Brownwood Public Library – Genealogy & Local History Branch at 213 S. Broadway. Volunteers from the Pecan Valley Genealogical Society are there to assist you in your family or local history research.
Clay Riley is a local historian and retired Aerospace Engineer that has been involved in the Historical and Genealogical Community of Brown County for over 20 years.
Should you have a comment, or a question that he may be able to answer in future columns, he can be reached at; [email protected].