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Glued to back of photo is piece of paper with mimeographed typing which reads......

PASSED BY THE CENSOR NO. 216109

U.S.FLYING FORTRESSES RAID ROUEN IN DAYLIGHT.

YESTERDAY EVENING, AUGUST 17, TWELVE U.S. FLYING FORTRESSES BOMBED THE RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS AT ROUEN IN OCCUPIED FRANCE IN THE FIRST ALL-AMERICAN RAID ON EUROPE. THE RAID WAS LED PERSONALLY BY GRIG.-GEN. IRA EAKER, CHIEF OF THE U.S. MOMBERCOMMAND IN THE EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS, WHO SAID "THE WHOLE THING WENT OFF AS PLANNED". AN INTERCEPTING FOCKE-WULF 100 WAS SHOT DOWN BY A 21 YEAR OLD SERGEANT GUNNER.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO SHOWS: IN THE OFFICERS MESS AFTER THE RAID, PILOTS, NAVIGATORS AND BOMBARDIERS CELEBRATE THEIR SUCCESSFUL EVENING'S WORK. CENTER IS CAPT. WILLIAM MUSSELWHITE OF JACKSON, MISSISSIPI, HOLDING THE WIRE FROM THE FIRST BOMB, DROPPED BY HIS FORTRESS.

AKP/ROB 24951 18842n

Name is underlined and there is a date stamp in red of AUG 1942.

Connections

Units

People

  • William Musselwhite

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot
    William Musselwhite served as a pilot with the 97th Bomb Group out of Grafton Underwood. He flew in the first all-American raid on Europe on 17 August 1942.

Aircraft

  • 41-9043 Peggy D/ Little Rock-ette

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Assigned 342BS/97BG Polebrook 3/42 PEGGY D on co-pilot’s side; with Capt Bill Musselwhite on 1st 8AF mission 17/8/42; 92BG Bovingdon /9/42; transferred 534BS/381BG [GD-A1] Ridgewell 7/43 as hack & tow target; to 2SAD 21/8/43 and ret 24/8/43 used to...

Missions

  • VIII Bomber Command 1

    17 August 1942
    The US 8AF launches its first strategic bombing raid of the war, sending 12 Boeing B-17Es of the 97BG on a strike against the railyards of Sotteville-lès-Rouen, France, while another six fly a diversionary route. The attacking force is split into two...

Locations

  • Grafton Underwood

    Military site : airfield
    Grafton Underwood was built in 1941 by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd. It was the first airfield in England to receive an Eighth Air Force flying unit, when in May 1942 personnel of the 15th Bomb Squadron took up residence. As a satellite airfield for...

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Object number
UPL 14075

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
23 March 2015 09:54:06 L2M2 Created entry with caption, unit associations, person associations, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

Associtated press info on back.
Personal Recognition.
Internet Research.
Info on AAM

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