Aero Vintage Books

Four B-17Fs, 42-30514/30517, were received by the USAAF but retained at Seattle. Four months later all are recorded as being with 'Brewer Co Se Civ Sch Area Seattle' and then assigned to the Sub Depot at Paine Field, Everett.
42-30514 had an accident at Tonopah and later assigned to 'Special Weapons' while the other three were assigned from Seattle to a factory school at Burbank July/August 1944.
Can anyone suggest who or what was 'Brewer Co'? What would they want with four bombers, all at the same time and for nearly one year?
Doubt there is any connection with beer.

doing a quick search of the Maxwell files gives one possible answer:

Brewer Command - Seattle Civilian School Area, Seattle.



ACTIVATED 20 APR 43 AT SEATTLE WA WITH LT COL A. FRANK KATZENTINE ASSUMING COMMAND. LT COL J. H. BREWER ASSUMED COMMAND 19 JUL 43. CONTAINS INFORMATION ON ACTIVATIONS OF SUBORDINATE UNITS. HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS DETACHMENT DISBANDED 20 OCT 43.

SEATTLE CIVILIAN SCHOOLS AREA

Thank you. Interesting that a civilian school received four new bombers. Wonder what the workers at Boeing thought of that. Or was it a cover unit for the 'Special Weapons'?

what is more curious is the bombers all were posted to this school on 19 October 1943 - one day before the Brewer Command was terminated on 20 October

I believe that 'LK' is a loss code; 'B' is gain.
My interpretation is that they went to Brewer on or after the dead period from June 1943 until transfer to Paine October 1943 then another dead period until June 1944.
With a few exceptions, assignment histories in FY44 (Jul43 to Jun44) were not recorded on the IARC. In these examples they have been back-filled with the transfer out. Take a look at the machine written entries, there is nothing until a census/audit typically 2 June 1944 or a later transfer.