Homefront to Battlefront: Brothers in Arms

Heinz and Hans Wobst (Images courtesy David Wobst)

Heinz and Hans Wobst were born in Dresden, Germany; Heinz in 1921 and Hans in 1922. Their parents came to America in 1923, eventually settling in Southampton, NY. Their father, Martin, found employment as a waiter and caretaker at the National Golf Club. On December 11, 1941, shortly after Imperial Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Nazi Germany declared war on the United States. Alhough they were from Germany, the Wobst's loyalty to America was never in doubt.

Heinz Wobst (kneeling on left) with his B-25 crew (findagrave.com)

Heinz Wobst joined the US Army Air Corps in June 1942 and was assigned to the 69th Bomb Squadron of the 42nd Bomb Group (the "Crusaders") based in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific. He flew as a radio operator on Dottie, a B-25 Mitchell medium bomber modified to attack Imperial Japanese airfields and shipping at low level.

B-25 Mitchell #42-65143, Dottie, on duty in the Pacific, ca. 1944 (WW2Aircraft.net)

Flying at low altitude against enemy anti-aircraft fire was dangerous work. Equally dangerous were the long flights over the Pacific Ocean. During a mission to Papua, New Guinea, on June 7, 1944, his squadron encountered bad weather and Heinz’s plane disappeared into a cloud bank. Dottie and her six crewmen were never seen again.

While Heinz flew in the Pacific, Hans was on his way to England. After enlisting in the US Army Air Corps shortly after his older brother, Hans was assigned to the 324th Bomb Squadron of the 91st Bomb Group, operating B-17 “Flying Fortress” bombers from Bassingbourn, England, where he joined the crew of a B-17 nicknamed Connecticut Yankee. Hans later shared with his family that he was occassionally troubled while flying bombing missions over Germany, the country of his birth.

Troubled or not, Hans did his job as a ball turret gunner, tucked into the belly of his Flying Fortress. The ball turret was small, just 3.5 feet in diameter, and armed with two .50-caliber machine guns. It was a tight and claustrophobic position, leaving the gunner no room for a parachute. It was also difficult to get out of in an emergency.

Crew of the Connecticut Yankee (Hans standing, second from the left) (American Air Museum in Britain)

Hans with his ball turret (Image courtesy David Wobst)

Connecticut Yankee was a lucky ship, completing 25 missions by May 1943, and was a contender with Memphis Belle for the honor of a tour of the U.S. to support War Bonds. Although Memphis Belle was ultimately chosen for the tour, Connecticut Yankee and her crew continued to fly in combat.

Luck finally ran out for Connecticut Yankee on September 6, 1943, when she was badly damaged by antiaircraft fire over Stuttgart, Germany. With one good engine Connecticut Yankee eventually made landfall on the English coast. As the plane ran out of fuel, the pilot, William G. Pegram, kept the aircraft steady, allowing the rest of the crew to bail out over Hastings, England. When a crewman’s chute opened inside the plane, Hans pushed it outside, saving the man’s life. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his bravery.

Hans with Lady Luck (Image courtesy David Wobst)

Hans finished his 25th combat mission in late 1943 on another B-17, aptly named Lady Luck. After completing his combat duty in 1943, Hans returned to the US and served as an instructor until finally discharged in October 1945. By that time, Heinz had been missing for over a year. He was officially declared dead in February 1946. Heinz was posthumously awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart and is remembered at the Manila American Cemetery’s Tablets of the Missing. He is also remembered at the Southampton Cemetery, next to his brother Hans, who died in 2010. Although Heinz and Hans were born in a foreign country, they bravely served their adopted country with honor and sacrifice.

Wobst gravestones, Southampton Cemetery (Findagrave.com)

Learn more about the Wobst brothers and other Southampton heroes at Homefront to Battlefront: Southampton during WWII, the Southampton History Museum's revolving display featuring the legacies and sacrifices of Southampton's citizens during World War II. The exhibition is open Saturdays from 11 AM to 4 PM at Veterans Memorial Hall in Southampton Village.

As the voices of the "Greatest Generation" grow fainter with time, we invite you to help preserve their memory and honor heroes like Heinz and Hans. If you have a loved one who served or lived through World War II, we welcome you to share their story with us by clicking on this link: https://forms.gle/ZXxMabyJQyGvjc3m7