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Hollywood actress Marlene Dietrich with airmen of the 401st Bomb Group after a ride in a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Pakawalup". Printed caption on reverse: 'Marlene Dietrich, long famed for her attractive legs, entertained more than 1,000 officers and enlisted men of the 8th Air Force Base at Hangar no 1 on 29 September 1944, Miss Dietrich and party were picked up from Birmingham in the Boeing B-17 "Pakawalup" piloted by Colonel William T Seawell (2nd left) and Captain Felix Kalinski (left) with Lawrence W Pfeiffer as navigator. US Air Force Photo.'
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Page 236 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.
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"Lt. Colonel William T. Seawell, Capt. Shapiro and crew of the 401st Bomb Group flew the lead aircraft on a mission over Politz, Germany, on 8 [Replaced with] 7 October 1944."
L-R: Morey B Jeffery, Unk, Unk, Unk, Roy R Winn, William T Seawell.
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Lt Clyde Lewis and crew. 615BS, 401BG
Rear L-R: Harold S. Arnold, Col William T. Seawell, Clyde A. Lewis, Unk, Charles G. Chaffey.
Front L-R: Thomas A. Davis, Hinson C. Jones , Brendan J Lynch, Orville A. Eudaley. Unk.
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410st Bomb Group - Combat Crew Commendation - Mission 382 31 May 1944
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Page 303 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.
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Page 302 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.
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Page 294 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.
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Page 286 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.
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Page 277 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.
Commanding Officer of 401st BG from 5 December 1944 to 30 May 1945. Flew 30 missions. He later served as Commandant of the cadets at USAF Academy in Colorado and then as President and Chairman of Pan Amercian World Airways.
Silver Star/ Air Medal
A graduate of West Point in 1941, Colonel ( later Brigadier General) Seawell was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant with the US Army Air Corps and earned his wings in 1942. Posted in England with 401st Bombardment Group, he served as pilot and co-pilot, flying 20 missions between1943-45. He was remembered at Deenethorpe for flying Marlene Dietrich to her concert in September 1944 in B-17 Pakawalup with Captain Felix Kalinski and 1st Lt W Pfeiffer.
After the war his career in aviation involved post war air commands; a post as Commandant of Cadets at the United States Air Force Academy; two years with the Air Transport Academy; senior vice-president for operations at American Airlines and president of Rolls-Royce Aero engines.
Recruited by Pan Am in 1971 as president and chief operating officer, he later took over as chairman and chief executive. Despite efforts to save Pan Am from economic decline, Pan Am’s operating costs continued to climb and he retired in 1981.
Service
People
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Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Deputy Group Commander | 303rd Bomb Group
Lt. Colonel Delwyn E. Silver, nicknamed "Hi-Ho", began combat as pilot of a lead crew and flew virtually all of his 33 missions (two tours) as Group Leader or Leader of the Wing or Division.
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Units served with
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Group
The 401st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deenethorpe, Northamptonshire, from November 1943 to June 1945. Starting their missions at that time meant the focus was very much on the coming invasion attempt of France planned for the following...
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Associated Place
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Military site : airfield
Deenethorpe was a base purpose-built for American heavy bombers, with the Class A regulation 2,000 and 1,400-yard runways. All the buildings on site,such as the accommodation and administrative blocks, were temporary. In December 1943, several local...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Born |
Pine Bluff, Arkansas |
27 January 1918 |
Died |
|
20 May 2005 |