Things got off to a rocky start for the 2nd Lt. Hall crew. During their ferrying flight to England, they experienced engine failures and were forced to ditch in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Labrador, making them the Group’s first crew to do so. After being rescued by a Canadian minesweeper, the men were transported back to Maine before eventually making it to England aboard a C-54 transport.

While the crew finally rejoined the Group at Grafton Underwood, the ordeal took its toll. Most were immediately cleared for duty, but others were not. 1st Lt. Herbert Schindler⇗ did not return to flying status until much later, and Sgt. Donald Harden⇗ never resumed flying at all. Even after arriving in England, the crew lineup continued to shift due to injuries, illness and transfers. Just over a month after their arrival, the Hall crew was shot down during a mission to Hamburg on July 25, 1943 on board Thundermug (B-17F 42-29670)⇗. 

Two of the crewmembers, S/Sgt. Holgate Dean⇗ (Waist Gunner) and Sgt. Kenneth Harland⇗ (Engineer/Top Turret Gunner) were killed in action. Eight of the crewmembers were captured and taken prisoners of war: 2nd Lt. Kelmer Jim Hall (Pilot), F/O Bradley Briscoe Summers⇗ (Co-pilot), 2nd Lt. James David Crary⇗ (Navigator), 1st Lt. Herbert Schindler (Bombardier), T/Sgt. Edward Raine Keathley⇗ (Radio Operator), S/Sgt. Lawrence Joseph Reandeau⇗ (Ball Turret Gunner), S/Sgt. George Dewey McCulley⇗ (Tail Gunner), and S/Sgt. Max Burton Veber⇗ (Waist Gunner). McCulley and Sgt. Veber were also wounded and recipients of the Purple Heart. 

Not all of these early stories ended in loss. The 546th’s Model Crew, led by 2nd Lt. Philip Morris Algar⇗, and Crew 61, became a symbol of hope and endurance for the men at Grafton Underwood. Nearly all members of this crew completed their tour, with the exception of S/Sgt. Loring Corwin Miller⇗, who was wounded in action on his 12th mission. S/Sgt. Miller was seriously wounded on August 17, 1943 while on board Lucky Thirteen (B-17F 42-3455)⇗. 

Serving as the right waist gunner during a bombing mission over Germany, S/Sgt. Miller was knocked down and severely injured when his aircraft took a direct flak hit. Despite the intense pain, he refused help and courageously returned to his station to fight off enemy fighters. He remained at his gun until his pilot, 2nd Lt. Algar ordered T/Sgt. Francis Gerow⇗ (Radio Operator) to administer first aid. For his unwavering devotion to duty, S/Sgt. Miller was awarded the Silver Star. 

The final Model Crew assignment was on January 27, 1943, with 1st Lt. James William Smith⇗ and Crew 71. On just their second mission on July 25, 1943, their aircraft, B-17F 42‑5850⇗ was shot down. T/Sgt. Robert Harrison Buckley⇗ (Engineer/Top Turret Gunner) was killed in action, and the rest of the crew became prisoners of war. Famously on board this mission was Maj. Selden McMillin (Deputy Group Commander). Some of Crew 71’s original crewmembers, who were later replaced, reunited in the POW camps.