Lt McMurray flew sub patrols as a co-pilot and was promoted to pilot at Alamogordo, New Mexico. The McMurray Crew was formed at Alamogordo, assigned to the 858th BS and designated as Crew 801. The McMurray Crew 801 was known as the tough luck or hard luck crew.

Their mission on 15 June 1944 was to bomb a railroad bridge to cripple German logistics. The Crew barely made it to the battle front in Normandy and bailed out. Most of them landed either behind German lines or in no man's land, yet one by one they were all able to evade capture and return to England. 

On the mission to Politz on 29 May 1944, S/Sgt Tracey was killed inside his ball turret and S/Sgt Corbin was severely wounded. Corbin was sent to the US for recovery.  

The Crew's last mission on July 7th, was to bomb an aircraft manufacturing plant at Bernburg, Germany. On their way home, the Luftwaffe caught the Group without any fighter protection. The 492nd BG lost a dozen planes. The McMurray Crew was among the lost.  Shot down by fighters they crashed near Bernburg in 44-40145. 9 KIA, MACR 7231