Navigator Maurice was crewed up in Topeka Kansas; it was also there that he met his future wife. They sailed over on the 'Queen Elizabeth' arriving in Glasgow on 11th November 1943. Initially assigned to the 506th Sqdn they were transferred to the 66th after some ten missions and there were ongoing changes of crew. The original crew members finished their tour shortly after D-Day and were then slit up and re-assigned to Stateside duties.



Dyer's time with the 44th BG began on 15th September 1943 when he joined a B-24 replacement crew as navigator. They were initially sent to Camp Shanks N.Y the Army staging area for shipment overseas. It was early days - says Dyer - regulations were a shambles, they were restricted to base and the Army hierarchy had no idea how the Air Force operated. They did eventually get to Shipdham and flew 20 missions with 506th Sqdn before being re-assigned in April 1944 to 66 Sqdn which was being re-organised and re-equipped as a pathfinder squadron. Carrying a Q13 radar unit and extra navigators they were in the lead position on missions. Dyer completed his tour on 1st July 1944.