"I Miss You Grandpa" - Granddaughter of WWII 303rd Bomb Group Pilot Visits RAF Molesworth

  • Published
  • By Peter G. Park, Jr. Commander's Action Group
  • JIOCEUR Analytic Center
Royal Air Force Base, England --  On January 22, 1945, 358th Bomb Squadron pilot 1Lt Harry D. Gobrecht flew a mission to attack the Synthetic Oil Plant at Sterkrade, Germany in which he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. On January 25, 2011, sixty five years after the 303rd's 306th mission, his granddaughter Ms. Theodora "Teddi" Gobrecht visited RAF Molesworth.

Beginning her tour of Molesworth at the 303rd Bomb Group (Heavy) Memorial, Ms. Gobrecht found her grandfather, and former 303rd Bomb Group President's signature in the visitor book recorded when retired Lt. Col Gobrecht helped dedicate the memorial on June 3, 2000 along with Maj Gen Lewis E. Lyle and other veterans of the group.  In an emotional moment while signing the guest book herself, Ms. Gobrecht penned "I Miss you grandpa!" (Lt. Col. Gobrecht passed away on August 10, 2010).

Teddi Gobrecht is only the second 303rd BG granddaughter to visit the B-17 unit's wartime base on her own (Ms. Kelly Akens, granddaughter of Sergeant Thomas I. Akens of the 359th Bomb Squadron was the first grandchild to visit on November 7, 2008.

Navy Captain Gary S. Powers, Deputy Commander of the JIOCEUR Analytic Center at RAF Molesworth welcomed Ms. Gobrecht to the base and presented her with a commemorative certificate of the occasion. On the Captain's desk is a well-worn copy of Lt Col Gobrecht's book "Might in Flight," the seminal 303rd History of the Group often referred to when checking facts in maintaining the legacy of the group at the English base. As CAPT Powers noted, "We have a proud heritage here and are always deeply moved either by those who are a part of that legacy or by those like Ms. Gobrecht who pause to pay tribute to those brave Americans." 

Ms. Gobrecht visited the WWII "J-type" hangar still in use today where heavy repairs were carried out on battle damaged B-17s. As she walked the floor of the hangar it was easy to imagine her grandfather there checking on repairs to his ship "Neva - The Silver Lady" which was often in for flak and bullet hole repairs."

During a tour of the artwork and artifacts lining the hallways of the 303rd Bomb Group Memorial Building, Ms. Gobrecht noted a plaque by British wood carver Bill Adams depicting the nose art of "The Floose," the first Flying Fortress flown by 1Lt Gobrecht at Molesworth. She noted that a similar Bill Adams plaque was owned by her grandfather. Also in the hallways of the 303rd Memorial Building are two large frames with photos of her grandfather and his crew - some of which she had not previously seen in 1Lt Gobrecht's photo album proudly held by her father.

Ms. Gobrecht is on a visit to the United Kingdom before returning to her home in California.