This item is part of A Gentleman's Collection; A Comprehensive Selection of 20th Century American Gallantry & Casualty Awards. Click Here to view all items in this collection.
United States. Army Air Force Navigator Badge, silver, 74mm (w) x 20mm (h), stamped SILVER on reverse, brooch pin back, dark patina, extremely fine condition; Army Air Corps 10th Air Force Bullion Patch, silver and silver-gilt bullion with red, white, and blue embroidery on ultramarine velvet back with reinforced backing, 78mm Flying Tiger Shoulder Patch, multi-coloured embroidery, 66mm, very fine condition; 490th Bombardment Skull and Wings Emblem, leather, 132mm (wing tip to wing tip) 129.5mm (h), four small rust marks along rim, right-wing separating from backing, made post-war era, very fine condition; Type AN 5835-I Dead Reckoning Computer, copper, nickel plating and plastic, 122mm x 241mm, slight wear, very fine condition.
Accompanied by: Eight photographs depicting 490th squadron, McFann in uniform, etc.; YANK army weekly paper dated March 9, 1945 (three pages, one duplicate); Customs Declaration from November 15, 1945; Service record page and hospitalization file list; photocopied version of Howard F. Bell’s book “The Burma Bridge Busters” edited by McFann (53 pages); reunion sticker bearing skull and wings from PA, 1991; Unofficial name tag for 490th reunion.
Footnote: Lt. Robert McFann was born on August 16, 1921. He served as a navigator with the 490th Bombardment Squadron, often referred to as the “Burma Bridge Busters.” This squadron became activated by the United States Army Air Force 10th Division on September 18, 1942 in Karachi, India, assigned to the 341st Operations Group. The 490th Bombardment Squadron provided support to ground forces in Burma from 1943-1944, flew supplies from Chittagong to Imphal in May-June 1944 and later dropped leaflets for the U.S Office of War Information. This unit perfected bombing bridges in early 1944 using a ‘hop’ method developed by Major Robert A. Erdin. The Skull and Wings emblem was an adapted version of unit’s commanding officer Major James Philphott’s personal insignia, although it was never officially designated by the USAAF. In war correspondence, the 490th was described as “one of the most specialized bombardment squadrons in the world.” The unit returned to the United States and was declared inactive on November 2, 1945. The “Burma Bridge Busters” completed 615 missions between February 18, 1943 to August 4, 1945, flying 4194 sorties and dropping 11,000,000 lbs of bombs. The squad successfully bombed 191 major bridges in Burma, Thailand and China. Two Distinguished Unit Citations were awarded to the 490th Bombardment, along with 1285 personal citations.
In early April, 1944 McFann was hospitalized for supposed cholera but was discharged the same day. He arrived at Warazup, Burma from Calcutta, West Bengal around December 30, 1944. In April 1945, four B-25s were sent to Sian with the 311 Fighter Group. McFann was the lead navigator on this mission, and two bridges were successfully bombed. His customs declaration is dated November 15, 1945, most likely when he returned to the United States. Following the war, Lt. McFann moved to Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. He founded the Bobby Sands Dauphin County Division No. 1 and the Michael Collins Cumberland Division No. 1 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH). He died at the age of 78, on July 9, 2000 in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.