~ The Old Sachem ~ Remembering another Saugus World War II Hero – Charlie Glebus

By Bill Stewart

During the Second World War there were many heroes from Saugus. I will list here Sergeant Charles Glebus, who flew in the United States Army Air Force over Augsburg, Germany.

During World War II the United States had four military air forces. Among the lesser two were the Coast Guard and the Marine Corps. The major forces were the U.S. Naval Air Force and the U.S. Army Air Force. The Coast Guard patrolled the east and west coast for Axis (German and Japanese) submarines. They also recovered personnel of ships and planes in the waters off America.

The Marines, being a part of the Navy, started out in the 1700s to be protectors of ship personnel, while the sailors had shipboard assignments. In the Second World War, the Marine air forces fought mostly in the Far East, supporting Marines in their securing the islands occupied by the Japanese forces. They principally included fighter pilots. One of the fliers was Ted Williams, who went from the Red Sox to fighter pilot. Williams returned to the Red Sox after the war but returned to the Air Force in Korea.

The U.S. Naval air force operated principally from aircraft carriers in the Far East. They included bombers and fighters to protect the fleet. The Naval air force also flew in the Atlantic to protect the fleet carrying troops and armaments to the forces in Europe.

The largest air force unit was the U.S. Army Air Force, whose principal duty was to support the troops in Europe and to bomb the German war machine. The troops on the ground were vitally supported by fighters, and bombers fought ahead of the ground forces to deplete the Germans in equipment and troops.

Sergeant Charles Glebus was a left-wing gunner on a B17 bomber named “Snowbank.” The intended target was an aerodrome and assembly plant located in Laingsburg, Germany. Five B17 bombers were lost in the air strike. Charlie’s plane was hit on its oxygen tanks, causing fire. The plane dropped 19,000 feet and crashed in a wooded area near the town of Reutlingen. Only the bombardier was able to bail out and was taken to jail by the Germans – later taken to a hospital.

The body of Charles Glebus was located after the war, and his family was notified in 1950. He and his flight mates’ bodies were flown to the United States and were buried in Camp Butler National Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois.

Charlie is one of many heroes of World War II and we have two plaques in the apse of the East Saugus United Methodist Church located on the corner of Winter Street and Chestnut Street that honor our service personnel.

Rest in peace, heroes of the military of the United States of America, from the many conflicts that they were called on to serve.

  (Editor’s Note: Bill Stewart, who is better known to Saugus Advocate readers as “The Old Sachem,” writes a weekly column – sometimes about sports. He also opines on current or historical events or famous people.)