Although the Apple TV+ series is about the 100th Bomb Group, the book itself is about all the bomb groups (about 40) in the 8th Air Force during World War II.

In fact, the book cover photo is of a 306th Bomb Group crew and B-17. The pilot was John J. Stolz, and his 367th Bomb Squadron crew had just returned from a bombing mission to Frankfurt, Germany on February 4 in Aircraft #42-31428.

Waist gunner Floyd Shade is the front most person and identified by his daughter, Carol. Dan Giusti confirmed his grand uncle, bombardier Steve Tanella is second from right. Dan was able to verify this information from Tanella’s diary and photo album.

Below is the 306th Bomb Group Interrogation Report following the crew’s return to Thurleigh.

Stolz completed 22 missions from November 1943 to April 1944, but was shot down in B-17 #42-31758 on his 23rd mission on April 24, 1944 and landed in Switzerland. 

On February 22, the plane, flown by Carey Olivier’s crew, was shot down by German fighters, broke up and crashed near Daaden, Germany on the return from a mission to Bernburg, Germany. Only waist gunner William L Huddleston survived and was a POW. Missing Air Crew Report 2655