FWA gets a unique set of wartime artefacts from WWII US pilot’s daughters

Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna on Thursday received a rather unusual set of wartime artefacts including a US Air medal and other effects that belonged to US Army Air Corps Lieutenant Dr Jesse Herman Brewer Junior from his daughters Lisa Staap and Carla Brewer, who flew to Malta specially for the ceremony.

The effects will be put on display at the Lascaris War Rooms.

Long-time Waco physician Dr Jesse Herman ‘J.H.’ Brewer Junior was born on 14 January 1920 in Slaton, Texas. He went off to college at Texas University before enlisting in the Army Air Corps in mid-1941, with plans to enter service in spring 1942.

However, his service was moved up after the bombing of Pearl Harbour by the Japanese in December 1941. He eventually became a fighter pilot flying the North American A-36 Apache and the P-51 Mustang in North Africa, Sicily and Italy from April 1943 to December 1943.

He returned home after contracting malaria in Italy.

After WWII he returned to Slaton and resumed his studies in Texas where he attended the University of Texas Medical School in Glaveston, graduating in 1955.

As a fighter pilot Brewer saw active service over Sicily and took part in the invasion of that island which makes him of high interest to Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna which is presently working on the addition of a large scale permanent exhibition dedicated to Operation Husky – the Invasion of Sicily at the Lascaris War Rooms.

Malta had played a key role in that campaign which had given start to the liberation of Europe on 10 July, 1943.

The Fighter Operations room at the Lascaris War Rooms was used to coordinate the bulk of the air forces covering the invasion.