--- title: World War II: Color Photos of U.S. Bombers and Crews in England, 1942 description: Color photos from England in 1942 chronicling American B-24 and B-17 crews gearing up for war in the skies above Nazi-controlled Europe. canonical: https://time.com/3881446/world-war-ii-color-photos-of-u-s-bombers-and-crews-in-england-1942/ author: Ben Cosgrove article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-11-11T16:36:28.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:03:34.469Z og:title: World War II: Color Photos of U.S. Bombers and Crews in England, 1942 og:description: Color photos from England in 1942 chronicling American B-24 and B-17 crews gearing up for war in the skies above Nazi-controlled Europe. og:url: https://time.com/3881446/world-war-ii-color-photos-of-u-s-bombers-and-crews-in-england-1942/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt59c7000207b78304/69884974cd68484bc009f344/06_110640016.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1500 og:image:height: 844 og:image:alt: U.S. Bombers, 1942 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: World War II: Color Photos of U.S. Bombers and Crews in England, 1942 twitter:description: Color photos from England in 1942 chronicling American B-24 and B-17 crews gearing up for war in the skies above Nazi-controlled Europe. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt59c7000207b78304/69884974cd68484bc009f344/06_110640016.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # World War II in Color: American Bombers and Their Crews, 1942 > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. by [Ben Cosgrove](https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Nov 11, 2014 4:36 PM UTC  Not published in LIFE. American bomber and crew during World War II, England, 1942. Not published in LIFE. American bomber and crew during World War II, England, 1942. Margaret Bourke-White—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images by [Ben Cosgrove](https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Nov 11, 2014 4:36 PM UTC Within weeks of the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and America’s official entry into the Second World War, Allied forces in Europe activated the now-legendary VIII Bomber Command (often referred to as the Eighth Air Force_)_ to serve as the principal American force to attack Germany from the air. Often in tandem with planes from the Royal Air Force, American B-24s and B-17s — or Flying Fortresses — from the “The Mighty 8th” would spend the next several years bombing strategic towns and cities in Nazi-held Europe. As a jumping off point for countless bombing runs, including many in broad daylight, the United States Army Air Forces (the predecessor of the U.S. Air Force) set up bases in England during the war. In 1942, LIFE’s Margaret Bourke-White spent time with the Bomber Command — an assignment that LIFE shared with its readers in an October 1942 feature notable, although hardly surprising, all these years later for its triumphant tone: --- > “” --- Bourke-White, one of LIFE magazine’s original four staff photographers, was America’s first accredited woman photographer during WWII, and the first authorized to fly on a combat mission. For decades she covered conflicts, civil wars, humanitarian crises and natural disasters. Widely recognized as one of the greatest photojournalists of the 20th century, she died in 1971\. She was 67 years old. --- ---  Not published in LIFE. Working on a bomber's ball-turret during World War II, England, 1942. Margaret Bourke-White—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. American bomber crew member with stuffed good-luck charm during World War II, England, 1942. Margaret Bourke-White—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. Working on an American bomber, England, 1942. Margaret Bourke-White—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. American bomber crew member during World War II, England, 1942. Margaret Bourke-White—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. American bomber and crew during World War II, England, 1942. Margaret Bourke-White—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. American bomber and crew during World War II, England, 1942. Margaret Bourke-White—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. American bomber during World War II, England, 1942. Margaret Bourke-White—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. American bomber and crew during World War II, England, 1942. Margaret Bourke-White—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. American bomber and crew during World War II, England, 1942. Margaret Bourke-White—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. American bomber and crew during World War II, England, 1942. Margaret Bourke-White—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. American bomber and crew during World War II, England, 1942. Margaret Bourke-White—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. Loading bombs on an American bomber during World War II, England, 1942. Margaret Bourke-White—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. American bomber during World War II, England, 1942. 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