On base that night, some of the boys cleaned up and took the liberty truck into Norwich to see a double feature. Many senior officers went, including Major Don McCoy, who would lead the next day’s mission, had just returned from nearly two months in sick bay from an August 2 on-base injury. In the theater, McCoy confided to the group officer next to him that he was finally cleared to fly the next day. Bombardier Lt. John Woodley from the Hansen Crew was also there.

Neither McCoy nor Woodley would see another movie in Norwich.

Meanwhile, 2nd Lt. Nelson Dimick from Pearson’s crew was planning his 20th birthday party for the next day. He had already bought two fifths of “very good black market scotch” at the officers club. The going price was about 18 a bottle. Dimick had asked an enlisted English girl to be his date.

But fate had other plans for Lt. Dimick.

For Bill Dewey, it was just a regular night.

"…I don’t even remember what I did the night before the Kassel Mission. It would be the last night most of the group would ever be in Tibenham ever again. Early September, it was just a normal night. All those nights kind of run together. I probably just sacked out. I’d sit up in bed and read railroad books and “Trains” Magazine."

"I was still more of a railroad buff than airplanes. Of course, Lindbergh went across in 1927, and everyone was interested in airplanes and movies about World War I. My folks took me to see the silent movie, “Wings,” all about World War I and all the dog fights they had with Germans, the Red Baron and all that. Those guys didn’t live very long…."

Miles away, ground crews worked through the night on B-24 engines under shuttered lights, tweaking them till they hummed, the roar rising and falling, as they cared for the planes that would carry the men sleeping or trying to sleep in their huts. They replaced parts, riveting the broken bodies together again, their scars hopefully making them stronger. For a while, as the flight crews turned in, that was the only noise, far enough away that it might put them asleep, reassuring them that work was being done and done well.

With the ending of Operation Market Garden, Arnold and Spaatz were released to hit strategic bombing targets nonstop. And so, beginning September 27, Carl Spaatz could once again call the shots and begin hitting strategic targets meant to take out enemy oil and industry.

At 2300 hours, 11 p.m. Double British Daylight Time on September 26, the teletype at Tibenham headquarters began clacking, signaling operations officers that they would be working through the night, assigning men and planes. The mission was on.

For 238 men of the 445th now sleeping in their cots, it would be their last night on base. For 117 of those, it would be their last night ever.