Sidney Brown, gunner shot down twice

Sidney C. Brown of North Port, Fla., and Westbrook, a World War II bomber gunner who was shot down twice during World War II, died Jan. 7 at Middlesex Hospital, Middletown, after a brief illness. He was 83 years old.
A native of Ridgefield, Mr. Brown was born on Jan. 15, 1919, one of 12 children of William M. and Louise Brown. He had lived most of his life in Danbury.
Mr. Brown was married to Charlotte Virginia Cohn on Dec. 7, 1941, the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, and was drafted by the U.S. Army only weeks later.
Trained in the Army Air Corps, he flew two dozen missions in the 34th Bomb Group as a gunner, first in a B-17 and then B-24, “The Flying Fortress.”
He was shot down twice, first over his own airfield in England and second over the Black Forest in Germany where he was captured and held in a German prison camp for 13 months.
He earned a Purple Heart, four Oak Clusters for successful missions, the Bronze Star and many other ribbons and medals for service to his country. He was active in a national ex-prisoner of war organization and attended reunions annually.
Mr. Brown retired early from the Perkin-Elmer Corporation in 1978 after working on numerous projects, especially the Mercury space capsule flown by Scott Carpenter.
He also served on the Civilian Conservation Corps building roads in Connecticut after World War II.
Mr. Brown is survived by three children: son Ronald Brown of Venice, Fla.; daughter Jo Ann Brown of Danbury; and Francine DeLelle of Stamford; grandchildren Shelly Brown of Middletown, Del., Stephanie Cypher of Waterbury; Meredith McDermott of Danbury; Jason DeLelle of New Milford, Michelle DeLelle of Stamford; Virginia Greenwood of Nokomis, Fla., Michael Brown of Venice, Fla; great-grandchildren Jozlyn, Madison and Blain; and his second wife Eileen D. Porter Cohn Brown.
There are no calling hours and no funeral. Mr. Brown will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery within the next two weeks and be honored at a military ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Condolences may be sent to his daughter Jo Ann Brown at 45 Tamarack Avenue, Danbury, CT 06811.