42-37949 Sunrise serenade

media-31083.jpeg UPL 31083 On May 1st, 1944, a dozen Flying Fortresses of 452 Bomb Group were heading towards Schaarbeek/Brussels Marshalling Yards when the formation was intercepted by Flak cannons stationed around the Belgian capital city. Sunrise Serenade, a 730 Squadron's ship piloted by 21-yr Lt Francis Smedley, got a hit and left the formation. This was their 20th mission, having attacked Berlin twice and raiding other targets as Frankfurt, Posen, Augsburg, Brunswick.

Nine of the crew got out of the plane and landed in Brussels and the outskirts. Francis Smedley was last to leave the plane. What happened is still unsure. Some sources stated that his chute caught the tail plane, while eye witnesses on the ground said that he baled out but his parachute caught fire. He met his end at Bekkerzeel and was buried at Brussels cemetery. The 21-year old pilot now rests at Neuville-en-Condroz (near Liège).

Sunrise Serenade circled around the estate of the Viscount de Ghellinck at Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle, where his family stood outside their beautiful water castle. Moments later it crashed a few hundred yards away.

452nd Bomb Group Assoc.

Object Number - UPL 31083 - On May 1st, 1944, a dozen Flying Fortresses of 452 Bomb Group were heading towards Schaarbeek/Brussels Marshalling Yards when the formation was...

Delivered Denver 23/10/43; Walla Walla 9/11/43; Assigned 730BS/452BG [6K-Q] Deopham Green 4 January 1944 - Missing in Action - Mission to marshalling yards in Metz, France (primary target); shot down over Brussels after bombing the secondary target, marshalling yards of the Schaerbeek Railway station in Brussels. Pilot Francis C. Smedley (KIA- when chute caught on horizontal stabilizer); Co-pilot: William J Hewett, Navigator: John J McGrath, Bombardier: George D Griffin, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Norbert E Rhodes, Radio Operator: Andrew Senetsky, Ball turret gunner: James E Gallagher, Left Waist gunner: Harry C Shoffner, Right Waist gunner: John G Brown, Tail gunner: Raymond E Dean (8 men made Prisoners of War; Harry Shoffner evaded); flak KOd #2 and set fire to cockpit, crew bailed and aircraft crashed St Ulriks-Kapelle, seven miles NW of Brussels, Belgium; Missing Air Crew Report 4492. SUNRISE SERENADE.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 452nd Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 452nd Bomb Group 730th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 452nd Bomb Group 730th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13121490
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 452nd Bomb Group 730th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19124173
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 452nd Bomb Group 728th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13041523
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 452nd Bomb Group 730th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-673797
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Places

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Belgium 1 May 1944

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a space before the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity.

Date
ContributorPete
Changes
Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 4492
Roger Freeman's "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story"
Personal research about Left waist gunner S/Sgt Harry Shoffner for http://www.evasioncomete.org/fshoffnhc.html

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 4492 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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