"Crew of the 401st Bomb Group beside the tail of their wrecked Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" (Aircraft No. 42-37835) at an 8th Air Force base** in England." Rear L-R: 1Lt Louis J Majewski, 1Lt Stuart E Smith, 1Lt Victor S Reese, 1Lt Stanislaw R Chmura. Front L-R: Sgt Harry C Parker, S/Sgt Harry W Hopkins, S/Sgt William B Flynn, S/Sgt Fred E McCawley. ** The plane crashed near the town of Washingley, Huntingtonshire.

Page 114 of the 401st Bomb Group unit history. Many of the 8th Air Force Groups produced an unofficial unit history in the months after the war ended in Europe but before they were redeployed out of the ETO (European Theater of Operations). Resembling a college yearbook, unit histories were an unofficial – and often tongue-in-cheek – record of the unit’s time based in the UK. They include photo montages showing different aspects of base life. Often the servicemen in the photos are unnamed. The American Air Museum hopes that by adding unit histories to the website as individual pages, the men in the photos will be identified and associated to their person entries. Many included lists of personnel and a mailing address, providing a means for servicemen to keep in contact with each other after the war. These lists are now incredibly useful records of where US airmen in England in 1945 called their home.

Page 115 of the 401st Bomb Group unit history. Many of the 8th Air Force Groups produced an unofficial unit history in the months after the war ended in Europe but before they were redeployed out of the ETO (European Theater of Operations). Resembling a college yearbook, unit histories were an unofficial – and often tongue-in-cheek – record of the unit’s time based in the UK. They include photo montages showing different aspects of base life. Often the servicemen in the photos are unnamed. The American Air Museum hopes that by adding unit histories to the website as individual pages, the men in the photos will be identified and associated to their person entries. Many included lists of personnel and a mailing address, providing a means for servicemen to keep in contact with each other after the war. These lists are now incredibly useful records of where US airmen in England in 1945 called their home.

B-17 42-37835 'Channel Express' 612BS, 401BG. While over the target "Channel Express" was struck by a bomb dropped from another group, causing considerable damage to the controls. The pilot, Lt Stuart E. Smith, managed to bring the aircraft back to Deenethorpe where the crew bailed out before heading it for Germany on authomatic pilot. The plane in fact didn't go all that many miles from base, crashing near Washingley, Huntingdonshire (about two miles due east of the 1st Air Division airfield).

AC # 42-37835, 'Channel Express' 612th BS, 401st BG. While over the target "Channel Express" was struck by a bomb dropped from another group, causing considerable damage to the controls. The pilot, Lt Stuart E. Smith, managed to bring the aircraft back to Deenethorpe where the crew bailed out before heading it for Germany on authomatic pilot. The plane in fact didn't go all that many miles from base, crashing near Washingley, Huntingdonshire (about two miles due east of the 1st Air Division airfield).

AC # 42-37835, 'Channel Express', 612th BS, 401st BG. While over the target "Channel Express" was struck by a bomb dropped from another group, causing considerable damage to the controls. The pilot, Lt Stuart E. Smith, managed to bring the aircraft back to Deenethorpe where the crew bailed out before heading it for Germany on authomatic pilot. The plane in fact didn't go all that many miles from base, crashing near Washingley, Huntingdonshire (about two miles due east of the 1st Air Division airfield).

401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 5, 13 Dec 1943, Kiel, Germany. Eighteen aircraft attacked the primary target, the bombing having been carried out by PFF methods due to poor weather, with unobserved results. Four aircraft of the 401st sustained battle damage but all returned safely.

401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 6, 20 Dec 1943, Bremen, Germany. Fifteen of the dispatched aircraft hit the primary target, with 14 of the Group's aircraft sustaining battle damage.

401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 7, 22 Dec 1943, Osnabruck, Germany. The Group flew the lead box position in the Wing formation. After starting the bomb run, the formation found itself on a collision course with a group that had bombed nearby Munster as a diversion, and were forced to turn short and were unable to drop their bombs. In the confusion, aircraft 42-37835 was struck by a bomb from a B-17 in a higher element, but was able to return to England where the crew bailed out over the base. Aircraft 42-37835 (SC-J "Channel Express") was unable to land due to loss of controls and the crew bailed out over the base. The plane crashed near the town of Washingley, Huntingtonshire.