1st Lt Millard Hodson French, 4001BG

Page 327 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.

"Lt. French and crew of the 612th Bomb Squadron, 401st Bomb Group, in front of a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Satisfaction Guaranteed" at an 8th Air Force base in England. 22 March 1945." Rear L-R: Arthur Hansen, Wesley La Grange, Arthur Devore, Thomas Cannon, James Allcroft. Front L-R: Millard French, Will McHale, Jerry Johnson, Floyd J Beck.

Millard H. French, 1940.

401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 230, 17 Mar 1945, Molbis, Germany. The Group was briefed at 0400 hours, and all aircraft were airborne by 0824. Flying Control noted: "Very good take off." By 1748 hours all but two aircraft had returned from the mission. Those two ships (which must have landed elsewhere to refuel) landed at 2044 and 2049 hours, respectively. On this mission, with the 401st putting up the three squadrons comprising the 94th Combat Wing "A" Group, the primary target was flak gun installations in the Leipzig area protecting the oil installations at Molbis. The secondary target was the oil installations themselves. As 10/10th's cloud cover obscured the gun positions, the Group bombed the oil installations by PFF (radar) techniques. Because of the clouds, the results could not be visually observed or photographed. No enemy aircraft were encountered, and the meager flak in the target area did not result in damage to any 401st aircraft.