A good friend of mine who knows I enjoy a good read about the P-61, recently pointed me to this article on the P-61’s first flight.  Good stuff and worth passing along to my readers:

Click on the link below to read the article:

Northrop P-61 Black Widow: First American Airplane Designed and Built to Fight at Night, Part I

A teaser from the article:

During negotiations in the fall of 1940 with the British Purchasing Commission to build a dive bomber for the RAF, John “Jack” K. Northrop discussed the preliminary ideas about a night fighter. In mid-October, the Luftwaffe launched about 400-night bombing sorties and London suffered heavy attacks. The Luftwaffe switched to bombing mostly at night in November and many attacks were against cities. The need was urgent for a night fighter with sufficient endurance to loiter above a target and wait for the bombers to approach. U. S. Army Air Corps Lt. Gen. Delos C. Emmons was in London during several attacks. He conveyed the need for an American night fighter to his Chief of Experimental Aircraft Projects, Col. Lawrence C. Craigie. On October 21, 1940, Craigie briefed Northrop’s chief of research, Vladimir H. Pavlecka on the need for an aircraft capable of carrying devices “that would locate aircraft in the dark.” Airborne radar was still too secret to reveal its true nature…….

Never really thought of the P-61 as an object that “loitered”, but I like the connotation.

The article has a Part II, which can be found here:

Northrop P-61 Black Widow: First American Airplane Designed and Built to Fight at Night, Part II

Enjoy!

Jackie

It is my pleasure the share some photos from the recent Memorial Day remembrance ceremony in Draguignan, France.   These photos were supplied by Peter Hodgson and his wife who were in attendance for the ceremony.

In closing, I want to share a beautiful poem that was in The Atlantic Magazine written by William H. McRaven (retired Naval Officer).

I Remember

by William H. McRaven (retired Naval Officer)

I remember the heat.
A dry, suffocating torrent.
The blazing, burning sun
baking the tarmac.
No clouds, no trees,
just a furnace of hate.
I feel the hate.

I remember the heat

I remember the dust.
Filling our nostrils, caking our mouths.
It rained from the sky
and rose from the ground.
With every turn of the tire
and step of the foot there was dust.
Dust, everywhere dust.

I remember the heaviness.
The helmet pressing on my head,
the armor squeezing my chest.
I remember the weight of life and death
at the end of our guns.

I remember the fear.
Aboard the eight-wheeled coffin,
surrounded by a thin shield of steel.
The fear of the streets.
The fear of the smiling people.
The fear of no return.

I remember their faces.
So young and so stoic.
Why couldn’t they have been old men?
Not the young.
Not the young who would never grow old.

I remember their faces.
I cannot forget their faces.

I remember the loss.
The searing pain of the unfilled boots,
the solemn speeches,
the lowered ramp and the flag-draped coffin.
A hole so deep in my heart
only God could fill it

I remember the letters.
Written again, and again,
and again, and again.
When will the letters stop?
Why were they so young and stoic
and brave and caring?
What will I say this time?

I remember the sorrow.
The sound of “Taps” on the hillside
covered with the graves of heroes.
A tearful widow, a weeping child,
a folded flag.
I remember the sorrow
so clearly.

Their shadows grow dim
and I fight to remember.
Their stories grow old
and I must fight to remember.

Their shadows grow dim
and I fight to remember.
Their stories grow old
and I must fight to remember.

About a year ago I wrote about Operation Dragoon and a ceremony held in Draguignan, France to remember and pay tribute those who served and gave their lives for freedom.  While last year’s ceremony was extra special because  it was the 80th Anniversary of Operation Dragoon (see post from Aug 2024 for details), there will be a ceremony this year on Memorial Day, 25 May, 2025 held at the Rhone American Cemetery in Draguignan, France.

If any of my readers  are planning a trip overseas this year, perhaps you can put this on your travel agenda.  The remains of two 417th squadron members: Edward Graybill and Harvey Klein are interred here.

Here is the formal invite:

—————————-

Dear friends and partners, 

We are honored to invite you to the Memorial Day ceremony, which will take place on May 25, 2025, at the Rhone American Cemetery in Draguignan. This event is a solemn occasion to pay tribute to those who served and sacrificed for our freedom. 

To facilitate your reception and for security reasons, we kindly ask you to confirm your attendance by providing the full names for all those who will be present. 

Thank you for your understanding, and we hope to see you at this moment of remembrance. 

Sincerely, 

Jenny Hofschneider

Cemetery Associate-Guide

American Battle Monuments Commission | Rhône American Cemetery
553 Boulevard John Kennedy | 83300 Draguignan, France

T +33 (0)4 94 85 48 52

www.abmc.gov | Join us on Facebook

I have received an inquiry from France regarding information on 1st Lt. J. W. Berryhill (pilot) and 2nd Lt. R. L. Rodgers (Radar Operator).  Both were members of the 417th and tragically died in November of 1944 when their Beaufighter, BT287 Sad Sack II” crashed into Mt.  Arpette in France.

The inquirer is looking for any photos of these two men to (in his words) honour “…heroes who died for his liberty”.

The town of La Ferrière has a monument with plague recognising the death of these 2 men.

Both Rodgers and Berry were stationed in Dijon at the time.  I have a limited number of photographs from the 417th’s time in Dijon and most have no names associated with the individuals.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Jackie

I was recently contacted by the son of Charles Lwellyn Thomas, a member of the 65th Signal Battalion and  served in Europe during WWII.  Amongst his father’s collection were these two photos of the 416th’s P-61 called “The Great Specked Bird”.  These are a welcomed addition to the collection.

The Great Specked Bird photos have also been added to the Planes collection.