media-413822.jpg FRE 7809 Second Lieutenant G. Varnet (navigator) and First Lieutenant Lutz L. Smehyl (bombardier) of the 554th Bomb Squadron, 386th Bomb Group with their B-26 Marauder (RU-Q, serial number 41-34971) nicknamed "Pay Off".

Passed as censored 30 Sep 1943.

Printed caption on reverse: 'AMERICA'S "RED DEVIL" [a censor has omitted 'Red Devil']FLYERS. USP/2247-9. 2nd Lt. G. Varnet, Rochester, New York, navigator, and 1st Lt. Lutz L. Smehyl, Tampa, Florida, bombardier, while away time at the side of their ship, "Pay Off", during a period when "ops" are off. Both men and officers of flying crews often spend their spare time at their ship, sometimes just "batting the breeze" but more often checking over various of the numerous and intricate mechanisms that go to make up a Marauder. During their first few weeks in Britain, combat crews went through a period of oreintation which included intensive traiing in British communications, vital to the joint operations of the R.A.F. and the U.S.A.A.F. as well as extensive flying over English terrain to acquaint crews with the island's topography and land marks.' Censor no: 285961.

On reverse: Keystone Press Agency, Ministry of Information, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps].

By 22 August 1943, "Pay Off" would be lost with it's temporary crew over France. (Crew of Wilma Caldwell's "Shadrack" flew "Pay Off" that evening as they had a bad supercharger on "Shadrack.") Crew later was 2 KIA, two EE, and two POW. Roger Freeman Collection

As learned from Chester Klier.