I'll start this thread off with a slightly more detailed writeup on the 401BG panel discovered during the "Big Dig".

Here is the stencilled panel as recovered:



This is marked as belonging to B-17G-95-BO 43-38733, SC-K "I'll Be Seeing You" of the 612th Bomb Squadron, 401st Bomb Group.
'733 can be seen in the line-up below, second from the front.



On March 24th 1945, while bombing a Luftwaffe airfield in support of the Operation Varsity Rhine crossings, the 36 B-17s put up by the 401st encountered "deadly accurate" flak over the target.
18 of the 36 were damaged, 16 of receiving major damage.

One of these heavily damaged aircraft was SC-K, being flown by Lt C.J. Campbell and his crew, who were on their 29th mission.
Despite losing two engines over the target and having the elevator controls shot away, making the aircraft nearly uncontrollable, Lt. Campbell managed to nurse his plane back across the Channel to England.
Spotting Halesworth airfield near the coast, Lt. Campbell let down to land, but on final approach a third engine failed, which threw the plane into a spin and resulted in a crash just short of the runway.

Campbell and his Co-pilot Lt. P.W. Foy miraculously survived, but the remaining seven members of the crew perished in the crash:

Navigator:
Lt D.B. Gruhn

Togglier:
S/Sgt Joseph R. Pearlin, #11120564
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters and Purple Heart.
Buried in Plot C, Row 1, Grave 51, Cambridge American Cemetery, England.

Radio Operator:
T/Sgt G.M. Feo

Engineer / Top Turret Gunner:
T/Sgt C.F. Kartes

Ball Turret Gunner:
S/Sgt E. Sullivan

Tail Gunner:
S/Sgt C.K. Dalton

Waist Gunner:
S/Sgt H.M. Murray

Campbell and his crew in front of '733 on February 10th 1945, after returning from a mission to Dulmen, Germany:



Lest we forget

Has any of the forum members etc ever heard of a Sgt.Katz of the 612th/401st ? I'm trying to find out his full name in hopes of tracking down an emblem he wears on a jacket in photo I've seen, it is of the early 612th squadron emblem of an angry bear standing on it's hind feet on a cloud base and he holds a large aerial bomb in his left hand/paw ready to throw it.
I have seen a few very poor/blurry black and white photos of this emblem both in cloth and leather patch form as well as on a quonset hut inner wall painted there.
Would greatly appreciate any help, I have contacted the 401st BG web site with no luck so far, but I'm sure that out there somewhere there is a patch in a foot locker/box etc it's just a matter of time..............
Johnny
WeBeEmblems@aol.com

You mean Mangler........



Most likely colours: Brown bear, Yellow bomb (it was originally a State-side insignia, where yellow-painted bombs were the norm.)

All the best,
PB

Yes they were yellow stateside, but I do not want to "guesstimate" on the colors ,I want to wait until someone comes across a real lead to an original or at least a write up from WW2 about the colors set up, thank for your reply, but I'm a purist I guess when it comes to getting them correct, the real patches I've seen the blurry balck and white photos of even the detail is more involved than the sketch.

VE Day at Deenethorpe.
Sorry the photos aren't up to the usual quality.

Parading up runway 3 to the Control Tower:



Forming up:



Col. Seawell addresses the men:







Religious serices:





(I'm sure I've seen a photo of the Catholic service somewhere, but I can't find it.)

Entertainment:







All the best,
PB