Chick's Crew A Tale of the Eighth Air Force

“Chick” was Lt. Anthony J. Cecchini, a big red-haired Italian from Poughkeepsie, New York. His men called themselves “Chicks Crew.” They were a maverick bunch from every section of the U.S., with German, Jewish, Italian, Hungarian, Irish, Scandinavian, Scottish and English forbears, truly an all-American crew. They met in Salt Lake City, trained together at Alexandria Army Air Force Base in Louisiana, flew the northern route to the united Kingdom and were assigned to the famed 303rd (Hell’s Angels) Bomb Group at Molesworth, England.

This book is an account of their hair-raising experiences flying with the Eighth Air Force, but it deals with every facet of their lives in England. Written by the radio operator of “Chick’s Crew”, it will delight the reader with it’s first hand account of the lives of the aerial gunners.

The narrative is invaluable to the historian, because, for the first time, the story of these is told by one of their own number. They are portrayed exactly as they were: young, vulnerable and scared. This is a book about young Americans in the year 1944, how they fought, how they died, how they lived, how they were able to bring a measure of humanity into a desperate situation, and how they survived against all odds.

They are all alive today, Chick and all the others. In this book, recapture the glorious days of their youth.

About the Author Ben Smith

Ben Smith Jr. is a lawyer and a Judge in Waycross, Georgia. He says that the book was written to give the aerial gunner his due, to preserve the true story of what it was like to be a part of the greatest air armada in history.
The drawings in the book were done by the author who in addition to practicing law, is an artist and art teacher of note.