Off-Duty with the 323rd

The days and hours between raids was time for repair, rest, reflection...and recreation. Much is made of the men on their missions, but the time on the ground was equally important, if in different ways. Friendships forged under fire in the air were started and maintained on the ground. This section is a glimpse into the everyday life of the America's flying corps.

A guitar and a few friends were all it took for an impromtu party in the photo developing unit. Photo technician Bill Lyons (standing at left with cup) looks on as nineteen year-old Steve Perri cuts a rug with an unidentified woman in Bassingbourn.

The friendly staff of the Bassingbourne PX pose in front of their neatly arranged shelves and poster ads for Coca-Cola.

Flyers left their mark on rural Rngland in many ways. One of the most enduring is the ceiling of the Eagle Pub, a favorite stop of airmen in stationed at Bassingbourne. More than 50 years later, their smoky graffiti still proclaims the presence of the 323rd.

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