| Original caption: “Air Force personnel and equipment. Crew of the Flying Fortress ‘Memphis Belle.’ The crew of the ‘Memphis Belle’ was luncheon guests of Congressman Snyder and Mrs. Snyder in the House of Representatives Dining Room, together with the members of Snyder’s Committee on Army Appropriations. Representative John Buell Snyder (July 30, 1877 – February 24, 1946), Democrat, Pennsylvania, and his wife, Marion B. Snyder (October 7, 1901 – October 5, 1961), host the crew of United States Army Air Force (USAAF) B-17F-10-BO 41-24485 “Memphis Belle,” of the 324th Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, and the Subcommittee on Appropriations for the War Department for lunch at the House Members Dining Room. The “Memphis Belle” had returned to the United States as the 1st 8th Air Force aircraft and crew to complete 25 missions. The Memphis Belle was flown back to the United States on June 8, 1943, by a composite crew chosen by the 8th Air Force, airmen who had flown combat aboard; they were led by Pilot Captain Robert K. Morgan (July 31, 1918 – May 15, 2004) for a 31-city war bond tour. The 1st aircraft to complete 25 missions in Europe was actually the Consolidated B-24D-1-CO Liberator, 41-23728, “Hot Stuff” on February 7, 1943. But “Hot Stuff” crashed on Mount Fagradalsfjall, Iceland, on May 3, 1943, on the way back to the United States. 14 of the 15 crew and passengers aboard were killed. The fatalities included General Frank M. Andrews (February 3, 1884 – May 3, 1943), Commander, United States forces in the European Theater of Operations, along with 6 members of the general’s staff and 3 chaplains. The only survivor was Staff Sergeant George A. Eisel (January 3, 1910 – February 25, 1964) of Columbus, Ohio, who was found alive in the wreckage. Boeing B-17F-25-BO Fortress 41-24577 “Hell’s Angels,” was the 1st flying fortress to complete 25 missions. But the name of the aircraft was deemed socially unacceptable. “Memphis Belle,” completed its 25th mission on May 19, 1943, 6 days after “Hell’s Angels.” This plane and crew were hailed as the 1st Flying Fortress to complete their tour of duty. Lieutenant Colonel William Wyler (July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was an acclaimed Hollywood director whose “Missus Miniver” (1942) had won the Academy Award for best film on March 4, 1943. Wyler produced 1 of the war’s great documentaries, The Memphis Belle, which told the story of a B-17 Flying Fortress named after the city and its crew as they flew their 25th and final mission before returning to the United States. The raid was against Wilhelmshaven; getting there and back took the Memphis Belle through a gauntlet of flak and fighters. As the film’s narration emphasized, the Belle was “just one plane and one crew in one squadron in one group of one wing of one Air Force out of fifteen United States Army Air Forces,” so Wyler treated the Wilhelmshaven raid as representative of all strategic bombing missions. Photographed primarily from inside the plane, the movie made theatergoers vicarious participants, not merely observers, in an air battle over Germany. As a New York Times reviewer put it, “every last taxpayer can literally climb aboard a Fortress and find out for himself how it must feel to plow through a curtain of deadly flak over the target area, at the same time playing a desperate game of tag with the Luftwaffe.” Wyler’s dramatic storyline developed by accident. When he arrived in England in 1942, he “had no idea I was going to make a picture about one plane.” He simply began filming all phases of the strategic bombing campaign, trusting that an appropriate storyline would emerge. In particular, Wyler was seeking a story that centered on people. Like most great filmmakers, he realized, as 1 of his friends and fellow directors said, “that if you want to put across meaningful material you’ve got to do it in some form of story telling, some form that will grab people’s intellectual interest, their curiosity, and their feelings for things, and what people feel most about is people.” Wyler and his small hand-picked crew, RKO Studios cameraman William H. Clothier (February 21, 1903 – January 7, 1996), and Radio-Keith-Orpheum (RKO) soundman Harold Tannenbaum (April 23, 1896 – April 16, 1943), did some of the photography. Wyler utilized film shot by the 8th Combat Camera Unit (CCU). For example, the men of Detachment B were in the air constantly shooting color sequences for Wyler and having a fearful experience. On Daniel A. McGovern’s (December 6, 1909 – December 14, 2005) initial mission, German bullets knocked off his helmet, the 1st in a series of close calls that culminated in a bizarre episode: his crippled plane limped back to its base in a formation of German bombers raiding the English coast. The plane flipped over when it crash-landed. “It had hit a tree and the wings were sheared off from the fuselage, the engines had torn themselves free of the wings and plowed up mud for yards,” reported McGovern, who eventually suffered such a severe nervous collapse that he had to be hospitalized. Wyler flew 5, with the 5th being crucial. After 4 missions, he thought he had enough film to produce a documentary, even though no storyline had yet emerged. But he learned that if he went on 1 more mission, he would get an Air Medal. By happenstance, he flew aboard the Memphis Belle, piloted by Morgan, “who was kind of annoyed, thinking ‘Oh shit, another guy is coming with us.’” Wyler did not know this was Morgan’s 25th mission until the plane was safely over the North Sea on its way home, when the crew began celebrating. Reflecting on the significance of completing 25 missions, the director realized, “Jesus, that’s the thing!” The film’s original title was “Twenty-Five Missions,” which Wyler changed only at the last moment because he thought “The Memphis Belle” sounded more “commercial.” “The Memphis Belle” was not exactly what it seemed. Although its combat scenes were genuine, only a handful actually occurred during the Belle’s 25th mission; Clothier shot much of the film’s combat footage, and he was never even on that plane. “But it doesn’t matter,” said Wyler. “The missions, they’re all alike.” Ground-crew scenes were filmed on a day when no mission occurred, and shots of the plane’s crewmen were staged after the last mission. Wyler and Clothier actually debated about which plane and crew to feature, with the latter preferring B-17F “Invasion II” piloted by Lieutenant Oscar D. O’Neill (November 15, 1918 – August 17, 2009), the father of future actress Jennifer O’Neill (born February 20, 1948). The King and Queen of England did not just happen to inspect Morgan and his men at the film’s end. “Dear Heaven,” Wyler implored the air base commander when he learned the royal couple was visiting, “tell them to inspect the Memphis Belle.” And the movie does not contain a scene Wyler desperately wanted: a flak burst. “I could never get one explosion,” he sadly recalled, “because how the hell do you know where one’s going to explode? Once the cloud is there, it’s too late. All that flak so close to us, and I could never get the explosion.” Wyler returned stateside in October 1943 with approximately 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) of film, which he edited down to 3,700 feet (2,127 meters). Publicly released in April 1944 by Paramount Studios through the War Activities Committee of the Office of War Information, The Memphis Belle was a hit with the public and critics, winning several national awards. Considering the difficulties involved in aerial photography and the primitive equipment, the cinematography was gorgeous. The “plot” involved Hollywood staples that always packed the movie houses: human interest, terrific violence, and gripping suspense. The narrator introduced the audience to all 10 crew members, giving their names, hometowns, and occupations. Wyler used reverse psychology, avoiding false heroics by understating the crew’s dedication and bravery. The script depicted the men as simply average Americans—a construction worker, a carpet-company clerk, a paint-company chemist, an industrial engineer, a washing-machine repairman, and so on—doing their best to perform a nasty, dangerous job. As intended, the audience reaction was extremely positive when the film was released, 1st in Memphis and then nationwide on April 13, 1944. Seated for lunch a year before the film’s release, from left to right: Francis H. Case (December 9, 1896 – June 22, 1962) was a Republican Representative from South Dakota and a member of the Subcommittee on Appropriations for the War Department. Albert J. Engel (January 1, 1888 – December 2, 1959) was a Republican Representative from Michigan and a member of the Subcommittee on Appropriations for the War Department. An unidentified USAAF personnel with their face turned away from the camera. John H. Kerr (December 31, 1873 – June 21, 1958) was a Democratic Representative from North Carolina and a member of the Subcommittee on Appropriations for the War Department. Navigator Captain Charles B. Leighton (May 22, 1919 – April 22, 1991) of Lansing, Michigan. After studying chemistry at Ohio Wesleyan University, he enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces for Navigator Training on January 20, 1942. He was commissioned as a 2d Lt and awarded his Navigator Wings on July 4, 1942. After the war bond tour, Capt Leighton served at Lockbourne Army Air Field, Ohio, and then with the 2132nd Army Air Force Base Unit at Maxwell Field, Alabama, where he received an honorable discharge on November 27, 1945. After leaving active duty, Charles completed his degree and worked as a school teacher and guidance counselor. An unidentified USAAF Lieutenant with their face partially obscured. Possibly Radio Operator Sergeant Robert J. Hanson (May 25, 1920 – October 1, 2005) of Helena, Montana, enlisted in the Fall of 1941 at Camp Murray outside Tacoma, Washington. He was sent to radio school and found it easy due to his ability to type 30 words per minute. He was cleared for combat duty as a Radio Operator and Air Gunner on May 16, 1942. Hanson thought he had avoided death several times; once, he was thrown around as “Memphis Belle,” with severe tail damage from Flak, and he went into a dive. Another time, he missed being struck in the head by machine gun fire by just inches due to a sneeze. He was discharged at the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. After the war, Hanson worked for Nalley Fine Foods in Walla Walla as a salesman and subsequently a regional manager. George H. Mahon (September 22, 1900 – November 19, 1985) was a Democratic Representative from Texas and a member of the Subcommittee on Appropriations for the War Department. Bombardier Captain Vincent B. “Kid Wonder” Evans’s (September 6, 1920 – April 23, 1980)of Henderson, Texas, skill was 1 of the reasons the “Memphis Belle” was chosen as lead bomber for the 91st Bomb Group during missions. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Evans enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces for Bombardier training on January 5, 1942, and was commissioned a 2d Lt and awarded his Bombardier Wings at Victorville Army Air Field, California, on July 4, 1942. After completing B-17 Flying Fortress Combat Crew Training, Lt Evans served as Bombardier aboard the B-17 “Memphis Belle” with the 324th Bomb Squadron of the 91st Bomb Group in England from September 1942 to May 1943. Seeking to escape bigamy charges, Evans asked Morgan to take him on his missions in the Pacific. He won 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses. He completed the Bombardier Instructors Course at Midland Army Air Field, Texas, in December 1943, and then served as a Bombardier instructor before completing B-29 Superfortress Combat Crew Training and deploying to the Pacific Theater in September 1944. His next assignment was as a B-29 Bombardier with the 869th Bomb Squadron of the 73rd Bomb Wing on Saipan from October to December 1944, followed by service with the 315th Bomb Wing on Guam from January to March 1945. Maj Evans left active duty on August 6, 1945, and received an honorable discharge from the Air Force Reserve on April 11, 1953. Wyler hired Evans as a technical consultant on “Memphis Belle: Story of a Flying Fortress” (1944). A screenwriter after the war, he wrote “Chain Lightning” (1950) starring Humphrey Bogart (December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), and “Battle Hymn” (1957) starring Rock Hudson (November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985). He and his family were killed in an aviation accident, just before landing at the Santa Ynez Valley Airport, California. Ross A. Collins (April 25, 1880 – July 14, 1968) was a Democratic Representative from Mississippi and a member of the Subcommittee on Appropriations for the War Department. J. Buell Snyder (July 30, 1877 – February 24, 1946) was a Democratic Representative from Pennsylvania and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Appropriations for the War Department. Marion B. Snyder (October 7, 1901 – October 5, 1961) was the wife of J. Buell Snyder. Pilot Captain Robert K. Morgan was a resident of Asheville, North Carolina. He enlisted in 1940 at Richmond, Virginia. Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant with his aviation wings on December 12, 1941, at Barksdale Field, Shreveport, Louisiana. Morgan had a reputation for making hot landings, burning out the brakes of his aircraft on several occasions. After the crew participated in a “twenty-sixth mission” by making a nationwide industrial tour to help inspire American workers, the Belle’s pilot and bombardier returned to combat and flew in the 1st B-29 to bomb Tokyo, an event portrayed in the Army Air Force documentary “Target Tokyo.” The triumphant tour eventually turned sour because, as Morgan put it, “It was too much of a good thing. There was too much wine, women, and song. And not necessarily in that order.” When he toured the Wichita, Kansas, Boeing factory in 1943, he saw the B-29 Superfortress and signed up for a 2nd tour in the Pacific. He tried to convince Co-Pilot Captain James A. Verinis to go with him, but he was in college by that time. Later, they would run a business together. During combat operations over Tokyo, in a plane named “Dauntless Dottie” for his 4th wife, Morgan was profiled again in the film “Target Tokyo.” On April 22, 2004, Bob Morgan attended the airshow at Asheville Regional Airport. Whilst there, he fell and was rushed to the Mission Memorial Hospital, where he was diagnosed to have suffered a fractured neck. His condition deteriorated, and he was eventually taken off life support systems. Co-Pilot Captain James A. Verinis (October 23, 1916 – March 3, 2009) of New Haven, Connecticut, entered the United States Army Air Force as an Aviation Cadet in July 1941. Trained in fighters, but a crash convinced him to transfer to bombers. Assigned to the 324th Bomb Squadron on May 31, 1942, at MacDill Airfield. Qualified as a 1st Pilot, he accepted the Co-Pilot role with Morgan so he could fly 6 missions. Morgan’s original co-pilot, Verinis piloted the Memphis Belle for 1 mission as Chief Pilot. In January 1943, he got his own aircraft, “Connecticut Yankee.” Verinis was promoted to aircraft commander of another B-17 for his final 16 missions and finished his tour on May 13, 1943. He rejoined Morgan’s crew as Co-Pilot for the flight back to the United States. Entered the furniture business with Morgan, but he stayed in the company when his friend left. He retired from the Air Force Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel. Joe Starnes (March 31, 1895 – January 9, 1962) was a Democratic Representative from Alabama and a member of the Subcommittee on Appropriations for the War Department. Left Waist Gunner Sergeant Clarence E. “Bill” Winchell (November 4, 1916 – July 16, 1994) of Oak Park, Illinois, downed the 8th and final German fighter from the Memphis Belle. Winchell was cleared for combat duty as a Bombardier and Air Gunner on May 16, 1942, and was promoted to Sergeant on June 16. A short time later, the 91st Bomb Group traveled to Walla Walla for final training before entering combat, and shortly after that, the Army Air Force decided that bombardiers had to be officers. Winchell was out of a job. When they decided aircraft needed 2 waist gunners, he volunteered. After World War II, he was a chemical engineer. John C. Hugh (March 28, 1885 – March 27, 1958), Clerk of the Appropriations Committee. Partially obscured USAAF personnel, possibly Ball Turret Gunner Staff Sergeant Cecil H. “Scotty” Scott (March 18, 1916 – July 6, 1979) of Altoona, Pennsylvania. Scott worked for a rubber company until the outbreak of World War II, when he enlisted with the Army Air Force and was assigned as the ball turret gunner on the “Memphis Belle.” He was promoted to Sergeant in Walla Walla on August 1, 1942. In the belly gun position, Scott would see the German pilots trying the trick of hanging on the “Memphis Belle’s” propeller, trying to get a shot at the plane from below before they stalled and dropped away. “I think they were trying to hit the bombs in our bomb bay and explode them, blowing us to bits.” When the war ended, Scott took a job with the Ford Motor Company, which he held for 30 years. Right Waist Gunner Staff Sergeant Casimer A. “Tony” Nastal (October 7, 1923 – August 10, 2002) of Detroit, Michigan, entered military service in 1941 and would serve on different bomber crews before eventually being assigned to the “Memphis Belle,” replacing E. Scott Miller as the right waist gunner. He would be the plane’s youngest crew member at the age of 19. Nastal would only fly 1 mission with the Memphis Belle, however, because he had previously flown 24 other missions. He was sent home along with the rest of the crew. After a brief tour, he returned to the war to fly another 55 missions. Tail Gunner Technical Sergeant John P. “JP” Quinlan (June 13, 1919 – December 18, 2000) of Yonkers, New York, was credited with shooting down 2 German fighter planes while on the “Memphis Belle” and with 3 others during the War. Enlisted in Buffalo, New York, on December 8, 1941. Private 1st Class Quinlan was promoted to Air Mechanic 2nd Class on May 16, 1942, and then to Sergeant on August 1. On July 15, 1942, Quinlan was ordered to sit out a training flight. All aboard were killed, and he was reported as dead. Not knowing the crash had happened, he walked around base; a friend, surprised to see him alive, told him about the accident. After 25 missions in Europe, Quinlan went on the bond tour, had 30 days’ leave, and was assigned to the 395th Bomb Squadron, 44th Bomb Group, 20th Air Force. Quinlan again served as a tail gunner, where he was further credited with shooting down 3 Japanese aircraft. His B-29, 42-63363 “Marietta Misfit,” was itself shot down over Japanese-occupied Manchuria on December 7, 1944, and Sgt Quinlan had to bail out. He fought with Chinese guerrillas until he was flown back to Allied lines. After World War II, he became the father of 6 children, also adopting his brother’s child. Quinlan worked in construction and retired in 1980. He was regarded by all who met him as the most colorful member of the Memphis Belle crew. 3rd Engineer/Top Turret Gunner Staff Sergeant Harold P. Loch (November 29, 1919 – November 12, 2004) was a native of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Loch joined the Army Air Corps in 1941, shortly before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In February 1943, Loch was assigned to the “Memphis Belle” as the flight engineer and top turret gunner, replacing Adkins. After the war, Loch entered the construction business and eventually founded his own home construction company. He would also serve the state of Wisconsin as the Brown County Register of Deeds from 1947 until 1974. Unidentified, possibly Captain Aubrey O. Cookman (January 21, 1913 – December 12, 2002) was the public relations officer at Lowry Airfield until he transferred to Washington, District of Columbia, to work for Colonel Westlake. Wrote an aviation column for Popular Mechanics Unidentified, Colonel William Westlake (July 12, 1898 – November 15, 1979) was the Air Force’s senior public relations officer and reported directly to General Henry H. “Hap” Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950), Chief of Staff of the Army Air Force. The next day, in the House of Representatives, J. Buell Snyder stopped debate to praise the crew of “Memphis Belle.” “It was my privilege and pleasure yesterday to entertain in the dining room of the House ten boys of the Army Air Corps, and the members and secretary of my committee. The ten boys left our shores about a year ago in a Flying Fortress which they named the ‘Memphis Belle.’ They flew the ‘Memphis Belle’ to England and trained there for the bombing missions they would be expected to perform over the continent of Europe until the morning of December 7, 1942. On that morning, they were instructed to make their first bombing mission.” “I want to name these boys who officered and manned the ‘Memphis Belle.’ The skipper is Captain Robert K. Morgan, of Asheville, North Carolina, and the copilot, or, as Captain Morgan called him, the other pilot, is Captain James A. Verinis, of New Haven, Connecticut. The navigator is Captain Charles B. Leighton, of Lansing, Michigan, and the bombardier is Captain Vincent B. Evans, of Henderson, Texas. Their crew said they were the best in their line in the Air Corps. The crew, and by rights, we should include the officers as part of the crew because it was like one family, made up of Sergeant Casimer A. Nastel, of Detroit; Sergeant Clarence E. Winchell, of Oak Park, IIIinois; Sergeant Harold P. Loch, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, who told us he got a greater kick out of duck shooting than shooting at the enemy: Sergeant John P. Quinlan, of Yonkers, New York; and Sergeant Cecil H. Scott, of Altoona, Pennsylvania. As you see, they come from every part of the Union. Every one of them is the finest type of young America.” “I can imagine those ten boys crossing the English Channel, loaded down with bombs, in that great Flying Fortress, accompanied by two hundred, three hundred, or four hundred — we do not know how many bombers — on that first mission. They saw their brothers, as Captain Morgan said yesterday, being shot at to the right of them and to the left of them, and being shot down, but, miraculously, they returned safely.” “They made twenty-five such bombing missions over Germany and France, shooting down officially 8 enemy planes and putting twenty-seven others out of commission. After doing a job like that, the Air Force commander of the United States in England said, “You boys deserve to go home and have a little rest.” They flew the ‘Memphis Belle’ back to Bolling Field.” “If you had heard Captain Morgan tell us, as he did at the table yesterday, what those boys had to undergo in order that you and I might feel secure back here at home, taking their lives in their hands twenty-five times, with shells from the ack-ack guns bursting all around them, the anti-aircraft guns under them, looking like a blaze of fire.” Other crew not on the tour: 2nd Engineer/Top Turret Gunner Sergeant Eugene Adkins (March 21, 1919 – November 3, 1995) had flown with other crews on the original roster of the 324th Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group. Adkins replaced “Levi” Dillon when he was arrested by the Military Police. He was injured on February 4, 1943, when he took his gloves off to operate M2 Browning 50 caliber (12.7 millimeter) machine guns. In air that was 50 degrees below 0 Fahrenheit (minus 45 Celsius), his hands froze. Adkins was to spend a month in the Oxford Hospital, where the doctors eventually saved his hands. After the war, Adkins remained with the Army Air Forces and the United States Air Force. He later retired with the rank of Major. 1st Engineer/Top Turret Gunner Staff Sergeant Leviticus G. “Levi” Dillon (July 15, 1919 – December 11, 1998) was a native of Franklin County, Virginia. Dillon was wounded over Saint Nazaire on November 9, 1942, when B-17s went in low and were raked with Flugzeugabwehrkanone (“Anti Aircraft Artillery”). He didn’t report the injury so he could go on leave, and was found bleeding in a Cambridge pub. Famous dancer Adele Astaire (September 10, 1896 – January 25, 1981) dressed his wound, which he never reported. Dillon was arrested at the end of December 1942 at the behest of a Lieutenant who claimed he was attacked and his jacket ripped. Dillon claimed he was misidentified but never “snitched” on the perpetrator. Transferred to the 306th Bomb Squadron and demoted, he was soon reinstated in rank. Dillon served the rest of the war, as well as in Korea, before retiring from the military. Crew Chief Technical Sergeant Joseph M. “Joe” Giambrone (February 28, 1918 – January 30, 1992) Joseph M ‘Joe’ Giambrone enlisted at Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, as a Private in the Air Corps in 1940. Giambrone kept the “Memphis Belle” Flying through 6 months of combat. He replaced 9 engines, both wings, 2 tails, both main landing gear, and more. He requested to go on the war bond tour, but he was denied. He worked for a construction company after World War II. Right Waist Gunner Sergeant E. Scott Miller (June 11, 1918 – May 12, 1995) had enlisted in 1942 at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio in February 1942. He was cleared for combat duty as an Air Gunner on May 16, 1942. By the time he was assigned to the Memphis Belle, after Gene Adkins suffered frostbite on February 4, 1943, the aircraft had already flown 10 missions. Miller missed the tour because he didn’t finish 25 missions. He didn’t respond to interview requests after the war and was known as the “lost crewman.” | |
| Image Filename | wwii0978.jpg |
| Image Size | 819.70 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2924 x 2361 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Army Signal Corps |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | June 18, 1943 |
| Location | |
| City | Washington |
| State or Province | District of Columbia |
| Country | United States |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NRE-338-FTL(EF)-2700(6) |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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