Us Official Photographs

8th Army veterans with B-24 Bomerang

England - Hardened 8th Army veterans, recently returned to Britain, renew acquaintance with "Bomerang," a battlescarred Consolidated B-24 bomber that supported the onpressing British at Tripoli, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Bizerte, Messina, Palermo and Cetrone. The British saw plenty of "Bomerang" and his sister planes in the Mediterranean skies as Rommel was driven back into Italy. "Bomerang," one of the Liberators originally brought to Britain by the 8th Air Force, has completed 53 missions over Germany, France, Norway, Low Countries, North Africa, Middle East, Ploesti oil fields, and Austria. Having been away to war for 18 months, "Bomerang" is saying goodbye to the European Theatre, gathering up a crew of air and ground heroes and taking them back to the U.S. Left to right: Pvt. George Read, of London; Pvt. Bernard Birch of Watford; Pvt. Thomas Burchew, of London (holder of Britain's Military Medal for gallantry); Pvt. Harry Alger, of New York City (in US flying jacket); Pvt. Frederick Hopkins of Fulham; and Lt. David Hodson, of Minchin, Hampton, an 8th Army Platoon leader.