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41-31819

B-26 Marauder

  • Airmen of the 322nd Bomb Group admire the nose art of a B-26 Marauder nicknamed

    Airmen of the 322nd Bomb Group admire the nose art of a B-26 Marauder nicknamed "Mild and Bitter". Handwritten caption on reverse: '322BG.'

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  • Martin B-26s co-operate by making diversionary attack on Amsterdam/Schipol, Holland. Nearest to camera is 41-31819 'Mild and Bitter' with 41-18068 behind. NARA Ref 342-FH-3A26165-26955AC.

    Martin B-26s co-operate by making diversionary attack on Amsterdam/Schipol, Holland. Nearest to camera is 41-31819 'Mild and Bitter' with 41-18068 behind. NARA Ref 342-FH-3A26165-26955AC.

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  •

    Video of Mild & Bitter's 100th mission

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  • Paul Shannon crew in front of the B-26

    Paul Shannon crew in front of the B-26 "Mild And Bitter" of the 322nd BG 452nd BS, after the first 100 mission completion. L-R, 1st LT Lee W. Rice, co-pilot; 2nd LT Harry R. Harp, bombardier; Capt. Paul Shannon, pilot; S/Sgt Wallace J. Bond; Sgt Robert E. Johnson; S/Sgt James K. Brandemihl

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  • Lt. Gen. Lewis Brereton, commander of the First Allied Airborne Army 1944 in front of B-26 41-31819 'Mild and Bitter' 452BS, 322BG, 9AF. Chalked on names: T/Sgt James T Ratliff [Pocohantas MS], Sgt Dominic Napalitano [Brooklyn NY], T/Sgt M V Harrelson [Fort Walton, FL], Pfc G N Saganis [St Louis MO], ?/Sgt W F Howe [CA].

    Lt. Gen. Lewis Brereton, commander of the First Allied Airborne Army 1944 in front of B-26 41-31819 'Mild and Bitter' 452BS, 322BG, 9AF. Chalked on names: T/Sgt James T Ratliff [Pocohantas MS], Sgt Dominic Napalitano [Brooklyn NY], T/Sgt M V Harrelson [Fort Walton, FL], Pfc G N Saganis [St Louis MO], ?/Sgt W F Howe [CA].

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  • Sgt Harry Cross of [ Elgin, IL ] the top turret gunner aboard 41-31819

    Sgt Harry Cross of [ Elgin, IL ] the top turret gunner aboard 41-31819 "Mild & Bitter," a B-26 Marauder with 82 missions flown, photographed after completing his 50th mission.

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  • A picture of B-26 Marauder 41-31819

    A picture of B-26 Marauder 41-31819 "Mild and Bitter" with signatures and autographs of ground and air crews.

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  • Crew chief of Martin B-26 Marauder 41-31819

    Crew chief of Martin B-26 Marauder 41-31819 "Mild and Bitter" 452BS, 322BG, 9AF.

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  • Martin B-26 Marauder 41- 41-31819 'Mild and Bitter' 452nd Bomb Squadron 322nd Bomb Group 9th Air Force.

    Martin B-26 Marauder 41- 41-31819 'Mild and Bitter' 452nd Bomb Squadron 322nd Bomb Group 9th Air Force.

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  • B-26B 41-31819

    B-26B 41-31819 "Mild And Bitter" DR-X of the 452BS, 322BG, 9AF. Seen Stateside on a war bond tour having completed 100 bombing missions in the ETO.

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Assigned to 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. First B-26 in the European Theater of Operations to complete 100 operational missions. This was accomplished on an afternoon raid on a Nazi airfield at Evreux/Fauville, southwest of Rouen, France, 9-May-44. She had flown her first mission on 23 July 1943. She did all this on her original engines, amassing a total of 449 hours and 30 minutes on them, 310 hours and 40 minutes of that in combat! During this time she never aborted due to mechanical failure, and not one of her many crewmen was a casualty. She was taken off operations after her 100th mission and flown back to the States to conduct a War Bond tour.

Service

Aircraft

  • 41-31819 'Mild and Bitter'

    B-26 Marauder
    Assigned to 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. First B-26 in the European Theater of Operations to complete 100 operational missions. This was accomplished on an afternoon raid on a Nazi airfield at Evreux/Fauville, southwest of Rouen, France, 9-May-44. She had...

Units

  • 322nd Bomb Group

    322nd Bomb Group

    Group
    The 322nd Bombardment Squadron (Medium) was activated on 19-Jun-1942 at MacDill Field, Florida with B-26B Marauder aircraft. In late September 1942 the unit moved to Drane Field, Florida. The Ground echelon sailed for the UK aboard the Queen Elizabeth...

  • 450th Bomb Squadron

    450th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

  • 452nd Bomb Squadron

    452nd Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Walter Bond

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio operator | 322nd Bomb Group
    Assigned to 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.

  • James Brandemihl

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer / Top Turret | 322nd Bomb Group
    Assigned to 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. Wounded over France 8-Jul-44 and went to London for medical operation which saved his leg. A sheep's bone was used as a graft to save it which was a 100% success. Awards: PH, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Harry Cross

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer / Top Turret | 322nd Bomb Group
    Assigned to 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. Flew on 41-31819's 50th combat mission.

  • Harry Harp

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Bombardier/Navigator | 322nd Bomb Group
    Assigned to 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. Awards: WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Koean medal. Post war: Remained in USAF serving in Korean and Vietnam conflicts and rising to Lieutenant Colonel.

  • Robert Johnson

    Military | Sergeant | Tail gunner | 322nd Bomb Group
    Assigned to 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Lee Rice

    Military | Major | Co-pilot | 322nd Bomb Group
    Assigned 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. Awards: DFC, AM (9OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (2 x Battle Stars).

  • Louis Sebille

    Military | Major | Pilot | 322nd Bomb Group
    Sebille joined the US military on the 21st December 1941 after Pearl Harbor in the patriotic rush. He joined the USAAF and began flight training in January 1942. He was commissioned in July of the same year and was assigned to the 450th Bomb...

  • Paul Shannon

    Military | Major | Bomber pilot | 322nd Bomb Group
    Assigned to 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.

Places

  • Andrews Field

    Military site : airfield
    The base was known as Great Saling when construction – by US Army engineers – began in 1942 but was renamed Andrews Field in honour of the memory of Gen. Frank M. Andrews, who was killed when the B-24 he was travelling in crash-landed in Iceland on 3...

Events

Event Location Date
Manufactured Offutt AFB, NE, USA 1943

Built at Martin.
Delivered Nebraska, USA 1943

Delivered to USAAF.
Assigned Andrewsfield Aviation Ltd, Saling Airfield Stebbing Great Dunmow Essex CM6 3TH, United Kingdom July 1943

Assigned to 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF.
100th combat missions Évreux, France 9 May 1944

Completed 100 missions in ETO. Evreux being the final mission.
Returned to ZI. United States June 1944

Flown back Stateside to carry out a war bond tour.
Nicknames
'Mild and Bitter'
Production block number
B-26B-25-MA
Manufacturer
Martin
Markings and paint scheme/livery

Coded DR-X.

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
20 May 2022 13:21:52 Al_Skiff Changes to unit associations
Sources

http://www.b26.com/page/b26_history.htm
Date Contributor Update
19 February 2019 17:15:35 lexilad Changes to aircraft associations and unit associations
Sources

Charles Parker, step-son of Lee Willison Rice
Date Contributor Update
16 May 2017 13:35:48 Al_Skiff Changes to nicknames, markings, description, events, unit associations, place associations and media associations
Sources

http://www.b26.com/page/b26_history.htm
Date Contributor Update
22 January 2015 08:33:39 Tanks Created entry with serial number, aircraft type, production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, unit associations and media associations
Sources

AAM Photo

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