JAC Deputy Commander and SEL Hang Moncur Crew Photo

JAC Deputy Commander, Navy Capt. Henry J. "Harry" Babin, and JAC Senior Enlisted Leader, Navy Master Chief John C. Frakes hang a photograph 4 December of the 1st Lt. Vern L.Moncur crew at Molesworth. The photo was taken 66 years earlier to the day in 1943. The photo hangs in the JAC Thunderbird Lounge. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Javier Cruz)

First Lt. Moncur Crew 1943

First Lt. Moncur Crew: BACK 1st Lt. Vern L. Moncur (Pilot), 2nd Lt. James Brooks (Navigator), 2nd Lt. Billy A. Cunningham (Co-Pilot), 2nd Lt. David K.S. Chang (Bombadier) FRONT Tech. Sgt. Robert L. Rosier (Flight Engineer), Tech. Sgt. James S. Andrus (Radio Operator, Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Dickman (Waist Gunner), Staff Sgt. Walter E. Hein (Ball Turret Gunner), Staff Sgt. Richard K. Baer (Tail Gunner), Staff Sgt. Leonard L. Wike (Waist Gunner). (Photo courtesy of 303rd BG Association)

Crew of WWII B-17F "Thunderbird" Makes Final Landing at Molesworth

Published Dec. 10, 2009
By Peter G. Park, Commander's Action Group
JIOCEUR Joint Analytic Center

ROYAL AIR FORCE MOLESWORTH, England -- JIOCEUR Deputy Commander, Captain Henry J. "Harry" Babin, USN; and the JAC Senior Enlisted Leader, Master Chief John C. Frakes, USN officiated at a small ceremony where a beautifully framed picture of the First Lt. Vern L. Moncur original "Thunderbird" Crew was hung in the "Thunderbird Lounge" at RAF Molesworth, England - Sixty-six years to the day when the photo was taken in 1943.

On December 4, 2009 the crew of First Lt. Vern L. Moncur, U. S. Army Air Corps made one final landing at Molesworth as a framed photograph of the Original "Thunderbird" Crew was placed on a wall in the JIOCEUR Analytic Center (JAC) "Thunderbird Lounge." The "Thunderbird Lounge" had previously been named in honor of the famous B-17G that the Moncur Crew flew. The photograph was donated to the JAC by Lt. Moncur's five children.

JAC Deputy Commander, Navy Capt. Henry J. "Harry" Babin and JAC Senior Enlisted Leader, Navy Master Chief John C. Frakes accepted the framed photograph on behalf of the men and women of the JAC in a small ceremony on December 4th, 66 years to the day since the photo was taken at Molesworth during World War Two. The Moncur Crew was assigned to the 359th Bomb Squadron of the 303rd Bomb Group Heavy) at Molesworth, England on 14 November 1943. They flew 28 combat missions between 13 December 1943 and 10 April 1944. The Moncur Crew was the first and only crew assigned to the famous B-17G "Thunderbird" #42-38050 (BN-U) and the crew gave "Thunderbird" her name, based on a tribal legend of a "gigantic bird" coming to the rescue.

The Moncur Crew flew 20 of their combat missions in Thunderbird and were one of the first 303rd Bomb Group crews to finish their missions without anyone on board being injured. Following their 28 combat missions, Thunderbird became a "first mission ship" given to new crews to get them off to a good start - and a good start it was as "Thunderbird" went on to fly 112 combat missions without any regular crew member being injured or killed.