42-37949 SUNRISE SERENADE
May 1, 1944 Crashed near Brussels, Belgium, due to flak. Crashed at Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle. MACR 4492
Recovered Jul 14, 2001. Click on this link to read the story of the crash and the recovery of the plane.
How the plane was named: The mother of the pilot, Francis C. Smedley, dearly loved the Glenn Miller
tune "Sunrise Serenade", so the crew agreed to affix the name to their plane. This song was written in
1938 by Frankie Carle with the lyrics by Jack Lawrence. Glen Gray and his Casa Loma Orchestra first
recorded it in early 1939, but it did not become popular until Glen Miller recorded it on April 10, 1939, at
Victor Studios in New York City.
Recovered Jul 14, 2001. Click on this link to read the story of the crash and the recovery of the plane.
How the plane was named: The mother of the pilot, Francis C. Smedley, dearly loved the Glenn Miller
tune "Sunrise Serenade", so the crew agreed to affix the name to their plane. This song was written in
1938 by Frankie Carle with the lyrics by Jack Lawrence. Glen Gray and his Casa Loma Orchestra first
recorded it in early 1939, but it did not become popular until Glen Miller recorded it on April 10, 1939, at
Victor Studios in New York City.
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CREW ON MAY 1, 1944
The plane was flying lead when it took a flak hit while over the target just
after bombs away. Damage was to the top turret. The plane then caught on
fire, probably from the oxygen tanks being ruptured. Smedley crawled
through the right window of the cockpit and as he slid off the right wing, his
chute caught on the right horizontal stabilizer and he went under. The rest
of the crew parachuted safely. Smedley was buried in a civilian cemetery in
a Brussels suburb. His remains more than likely were transferred after the
liberation to the American Cemetery in Belgium.
after bombs away. Damage was to the top turret. The plane then caught on
fire, probably from the oxygen tanks being ruptured. Smedley crawled
through the right window of the cockpit and as he slid off the right wing, his
chute caught on the right horizontal stabilizer and he went under. The rest
of the crew parachuted safely. Smedley was buried in a civilian cemetery in
a Brussels suburb. His remains more than likely were transferred after the
liberation to the American Cemetery in Belgium.
