Lincoln Felix "Babe" Broyhill (January 31, 1925 – November 21, 2008) was a record-setting American tail-gunner in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and later a successful real estate developer.

Early years

Broyhill was born in

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in ...

, and grew up in

Hopewell, Virginia Hopewell is an independent city surrounded by Prince George County and the Appomattox River in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 23,033. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Hopewell with Prin ...

, and later in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county ...

Military service

Broyhill joined the

U.S. Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

in 1943. He served with the 8th Air Force in England, before being assigned to the 483rd Bombardment Group, based in Foggia, Italy. In March 1945, Broyill was the tailgunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress known as the "Big Yank." The nose-art on the "Big Yank" included a portrait of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was painted by Italian artist Mario Rucci. On March 24, 1945, Broyhill and the "Big Yank" flew in a 28-plane formation targeting the Daimler-Benz tank works near Berlin. The mission was the longest escorted bomber mission of World War II in Europe. The American bomber group was confronted by Luftwaffe Messerschmitt

Me 262 The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed ''Schwalbe'' (German: "Swallow") in fighter versions, or ''Sturmvogel'' (German: "Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the German ...

jet fighters. In the air battle that followed, The 483rd Bombardment Group set several records, including the following: * Most German jets destroyed by a single bomb group on one mission: six. * Most German jets destroyed by one bomb group for the entire war: seven. * Most German jets destroyed by a single crew on one mission: three. * Most German jets destroyed by a single crew for the entire war: three. * Most German jets destroyed by a single bomber for entire war: three. The 483rd Bombardment Group received a Distinguished Unit Citation, and Broyhill set two individual records that day: (1) most German jets destroyed by a single gunner in one mission (two), and (2) most German jets destroyed by a single gunner during the entire war (two). Broyhill later recalled the record-setting mission as follows:

Career as a real estate developer

After being discharged from the Air Force, Broyhill returned to

and graduated from Washington-Lee High School. He later joined the L.R. Broyhill Co., a real estate company that developed residential communities in Arlington and Fairfax Counties in northern Virginia. Broyhill formed his own company, Broyhill Enterprises, Inc., in 1969. He continued to work as a residential real estate developer until he retired in 1980 and was one of the early developers of the planned community of Reston, Virginia.

Death

Broyhill died on November 21, 2008 of congestive heart failure at INOVA Fair Oaks Hospital in Oakton, Virginia. He was 83 years old, and was survived by his wife of 62 years, two children and a grandson.

References

External links

Big Yank website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Broyhill, Lincoln 1925 births 2008 deaths United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II United States Army Air Forces soldiers