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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.
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Video of Mild & Bitter's 100th mission
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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].
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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 "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 "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.
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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.
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
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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
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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...
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People
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio operator | 322nd Bomb Group
Assigned to 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF.
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
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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.
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer / Top Turret | 322nd Bomb Group
Assigned to 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. Flew on 41-31819's 50th combat mission.
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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.
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Military | Sergeant | Tail gunner | 322nd Bomb Group
Assigned to 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF.
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
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Military | Major | Co-pilot | 322nd Bomb Group
Assigned 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF.
Awards: DFC, AM (9OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (2 x Battle Stars).
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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...
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Military | Major | Bomber pilot | 322nd Bomb Group
Assigned to 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF.
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Places
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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.
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Delivered |
Nebraska, USA |
1943 |
Delivered to USAAF.
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Assigned |
Andrewsfield Aviation Ltd, Saling Airfield Stebbing Great Dunmow Essex CM6 3TH, United Kingdom |
July 1943 |
Assigned to 452BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF.
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100th combat missions |
Évreux, France |
9 May 1944 |
Completed 100 missions in ETO. Evreux being the final mission.
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Returned to ZI. |
United States |
June 1944 |
Flown back Stateside to carry out a war bond tour.
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