Lewis H. Brereton

Lewis Hyde Brereton was a military aviation pioneer and United States Army Air Forces general in the Second World War. He was born on June 21, 1890 and died on July 20, 1967.

Early career

Brereton graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1911 and in 1913 was one of the first graduates of the Signal Corps Aviation School.

World War One

In World War I, Brereton commanded the 12th Aero Squadron, one of the first American flying units on the Western Front. He rose to be chief of aviation of the US First Army Corps. After the armistice, he was appointed chief of staff, Headquarters Air Service of the US Third Army.

World War Two

Far East

At the beginning of American participation in World War, Brereton was commander of the Far East Air Force (FEAF) in the Philippines. Following the outbreak of war he urged immediate air attacks against Japanese bases on Formosa. However Brereton was over-ruled by General Douglas MacArthur and FEAF was consequently largely destroyed on the ground.

In early 1942 Brereton was named Deputy Commander Air Forces, in the short-lived American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM), which unified Allied forces in South East Asia and the South West Pacific.

Middle East

In June 1942 Brereton was appointed commander of US Middle East Air Forces. This unit eventually became the US 9th Air Force.

European Theatre

With the end of operations in the middle east Brereton retained control of the Ninth Air Force as it was reassigned to the European Theater in October 1943. During this time the 9th Air Force sucesssfully raided German controlled oil facilities in Ploieşti, Romania

In August 1944 Brereton was appointed to command the First Allied Airborne Army and retained this post until the end of the war in Europe.

Post War Career

From the war until his retirement in 1948, Brereton was Chairman of the Military Liaison Committee to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.