The Sunrise Serenade during its final minutes, Painting made by
Kurt Bassle.

On May 1st, 1944, a dozen Flying Fortresses of 452 Bomb Group were heading towards Schaarbeek/Brussels Marshalling Yards when the formation was intercepted by Flak cannons stationed around the Belgian capital city.
Sunrise Serenade, a 730 Squadron's ship piloted by 21-yr Lt Francis Smedley, got a hit and left the formation. This was their 20th mission, having attacked Berlin twice and raiding other targets as Frankfurt, Posen, Augsburg, Brunswick.

Nine of the crew got out of the plane and landed in Brussels and the outskirts. Francis Smedley was last to leave the plane. What happened is still unsure. Some sources stated that his chute caught the tail plane, while eye witnesses on the ground said that he baled out but his parachute caught fire. He met his end at Bekkerzeel and was buried at Brussels cemetery. The 21-year old pilot now rests at Neuville-en-Condroz (near Liège).

Sunrise Serenade circled around the estate of the Viscount de Ghellinck at Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle, where his family stood outside their beautiful water castle. Moments later it crashed a few hundred yards away.

About 12 years ago, after establishing contact with former crew members of the plane we wrote to the Viscount who agreed to examine his terrain in order to find the exact spot where Sunrise Serenade met her end. The crater has ever been filled with water then, indicating this recovery would be a though one. Finally, last year, we made an agreement with the Viscount. The Belgian/Flemish-tv was interested to make a full documentary of the Sunrise Serenade and her crew, and would attend the excavation with her film crew. Two former veterans who had baled out of the Sunrise Serenade on that fateful mission would attend the dig as well. They were John McGrath, the navigator, and George Griffin, the bombardier. Also Raymond Dean’s grandson (Dean was the tail gunner of the plane) was present that muddy day.

On Saturday July 14, 2001, two cranes were placed besides the crater and the digging began. Very soon parts of the bomber came to the surface, and due to the clay layer every piece, although twisted and bent, was in an excellent condition. Despite the pouring rain the 35-man BAHA Archaeology Team did an excellent job in recovering what was left of the bomber. It soon appeared a scrap dealer made good fortune of the aluminium in the ’50ies (during the War in Korea aluminium prices increased which inspired scrap dealers to excavate the remains of WW2-aircraft in Western Europe). However, after all the dig became a complete success, as two engines, both landing gear, two pitches, two turbo superchargers and lots of other stuff was found.

Both American friends returned to the States with parts of their bombers, but more important, they had shared their memories with us. The Belgian award-winning team of Histories has planned to finish the documentary by January 2002.

Parts of Sunrise Serenade will be put on display for public view on several places : at the BAHA Collection Erembodegem, at the BAHA Collection Geraardsbergen and at the BAHA Collection Aviation Archaeology display which is planned in the Brussels Air Museum by the end of this year.