B-26B-20-MA “Ole Smokey”, Serial No. 41-31720, Code “KS-Z”
387th Bomb Group
557th Bomb Squadron
Station 162, Chipping Ongar, Essex , England
Original flight crew, Late August--Early September, 1943

Photo from Scott F. Eaton via Mrs. June McKinney of Florissant , Mo. (October, 2001), stepdaughter of Henry Pickles, the tail-gunner.

Left to Right:
Captain James C. Brown, Pilot; Indianapolis, Indiana.
Lt. William A. Hartley, Co-Pilot; Spokane, Washington.
Lt. Clifford F. Bailey, Navigator/Bombardier; Millsboro, Pennsylvania.
S/Sgt. Theodore S. Eaton, Engineer/Gunner; Hingham, Massachusetts.
T/Sgt. Vern C. Sylvester, Radioman/Gunner; Springfield, Massachusetts.
S/Sgt. Henry L. Pickles, Armorer/Gunner; Morrelton, Missouri.

Original Crew of
B-26B-20-MA “Ole Smokey”, Serial No. 41-31720, Code “KS-Z”
387th Bomb Group
557th Bomb Squadron
Station 162, Chipping Ongar, Essex , England
Date unknown, probably late Summer or Fall, 1943.

Front Row, Kneeling (left to right):
Lt. Clifford F. Bailey, Navigator/Bombardier; Millsboro, Pennsylvania.
Captain James C. Brown, Pilot; Indianapolis, Indiana.

Back Row, Standing (left to right):
Lt. William A. Hartley, Co-Pilot; Spokane, Washington.
S/Sgt. Henry L. Pickles, Armorer/Tail-Gunner; Morrelton, Missouri.
T/Sgt. Vern C. Sylvester, Radioman/Gunner; Springfield, Massachusetts.
S/Sgt. Theodore S. Eaton, Engineer/ Top Turret Gunner; Hingham, Massachusetts.

Photo from Scott Eaton, son of S/Sgt. Eaton, via Mrs. June McKinney of Florissant, Mo. (October, 2001), stepdaughter of Henry Pickles, the tail-gunner.

Most of the original crew of the B-26 “Ole Smokey” in B-26 training.
387th Bomb Group
557th Bomb Squadron

Location unknown, possibly MacDill Field in Florida , early 1943. The crew have signed their names (partially cropped) below their pictures as follows:

Left to Right:
Lt. Brown, “Jim”--James C. Brown, Pilot, Lt. Ralph Mitchell--Ralph W. Mitchell, Jr., Co-Pilot (This not Lt. William A. Hartley, who would be the co-pilot in the Chipping Ongar photos).

Lt. Bailey, “Cliff”--Clifford F. Bailey, Navigator/Bombardier
S/Sgt. Eaton, “Ted”--Theodore S. Eaton, Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
T/Sgt. Sylvester, “Vern”--Vern C. Sylvester, Radioman/Gunner
S/Sgt. Pickles--Henry L. Pickles, Tail-Gunner

Photo from Scott Eaton, son of S/Sgt. Eaton, via Mrs. June McKinney of Florissant , Mo. (October, 2001), stepdaughter of Henry Pickles, the tail-gunner.

A-2 Flight Jacket of S/Sgt. Theodore S. Eaton
387th Bomb Group
557th Bomb Squadron

Chest patch of the 557th Bomb Squadron on jacket front.
Nose art on back of jacket from B-26B-20-MA “Ole Smokey”
Serial No. 41-31720, Code “KS-Z”
Missions flown by S/Sgt. Eaton 1943-1944 are also shown.