487th Bomb Group (H)
Station 137 - Lavenham, Suffolk, UK
22-Sep-43 to 7-Nov-45

This photo shows the Lead Crew of Anton G. Poitevin, 838th Bomb Squadron, at Lavenham, England, in 1945. Ivo de Jong found a similar photo in the US National Archives which gives the date of this photo as 22 April 1945.
Back Row (L to R): Lt Anton G. Poitevin (pilot), Lt Wilber H. Beekman (copilot), Lt John F. McHale (navigator), unknown, unknown
Front Row (L to R): Sgt John L. Mihalsky (flight engineer), Sgt Theodore R. Montgomery (radio operator), Sgt Orville D. Welden (armorer gunner)
There are several vehicles in the background. The trailer at far left bears the identification 487. John Madison said that Orville Welden was togglier, and was taken off the crew soon after arrival at Lavenham, however his daughter has identified him in this photo. John Madison is not in the photo. He was not on the Poitevin crew at this time. (The ball turret on lead ships was replaced by a radar unit.) The two officers on the right in the back row are unknown. It is likely that one was the bombardier and the other was the radar navigator.
(photo provided by John Madison)


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