42-31173

Maid to Please

42-31173, Maid to Please, was one of the original Harvard planes, ferried to Rattlesden in November 1943 by the Beaty crew.  It flew only a single combat mission, being the first aircraft lost in action for the group with the Schrero crew on board.

Combat Missions:

Maid to Please at her crash site, Hénonville, France - December 30, 1943

The official report on the mission made the following notation:

Airplane #173, pilot, Lt. J. Y. Schrero, was seen to go down under control 30 miles northeast of Paris, evidently as the result of a flak burst with one or more engines smoking badly.

From Combat Diary - Capt. Edward Beaty Briefed at 4:30 a.m. Attempted take off to Ludwigshaven. Assigned an unoperational 873 ship and did not get off. One ship lost on mission, my own 173, "Maid To Please," flown by Lt. Shero on her first raid.

A monument marks the spot today