On October 14th 1944, tabloids in London and radios in the United States of America (USA) first advertised a mercy mission to Nantes in France, intending to gift children and orphans of Nantes with toys to open on New Years Day, as was traditional in France. Initiated by 1^st Lieutenant P. Oscar Picard, then base commander Colonel Dale O. Smith supported it enthusiastically until being replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Ross Milton ten days after the broadcast. 

Letters were distributed to servicemen to send home to their families, encouraging donations of toys, sweets, clothes and “other things dear to a child’s heart”. Airmen also contributed, buying gifts and saving their small candy rations for 11 weeks. A French Red Cross tent was established in front of the Foxy Theatre to take the donations, and a banner was flown notifying locals and servicemen of where and when gifts could be deposited. A further $2,000 was spent on sourcing necessary supplies (such as soap) for the orphanages, for many essential products could not be obtained at this point of the war in France. 

Although the broadcast initially suggested one Boeing B-17 would fly over to Nantes, eventually it would require seven B-17's (though how many were based at Grafton Underwood is not certain) - they had their bomb-bays loaded with parcels and made the journey on December 30^th 1944. From the 384th Bomb Group, B-17G #42-97510 Satan’s Playmate and B-17G #42-38013 Nevada Avenger (both later to become century bombers) took part. Also participating from their fellow 41st Combat Bombardment Wing Bomb Groups were B-17G #42-31060 Pogue-Ma Hone and B-17G #42-107206 Old Black Magic of the 303rd Bomb Group at RAF Molesworth, and B-17G #42-297469 Busy Baby from the 379th Bomb Group, at RAF Kimbolton.

Upon landing on a strip riddled with bomb craters, the bags of gifts were loaded onto trucks and delivered to 871 orphans, each with a different child’s name on with a note saying “To our little French Friends we wish a good and happy New Year in 1945. These gifts come to you from the American soldiers at the 384^th Bombardment Group”. Each of the 871 orphans received four packages of cookies, three bars of soap, a bar of chocolate, a pack of gum, life savers, half a pound of hard candy, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a towel, toys, games and clothing. Orphanages also received large quantities of extra soap, clothing, canned goods, bicycles and matches. A further 5,000 bags of gifts were prepared for school children, each containing nine items donated by American airmen.

After delivering gifts to the orphanages, the airmen were to attend a party in the afternoon in Champs de Mars – a large market hall. There, after handing out the gifts to the children, the servicemen would be feted by their hosts. However, the need for men and aircraft at Grafton Underwood impaired these plans – and all but one of the aircraft left before the party could properly get underway. The six departing bombers flew low over the market hall and gave a farewell salute after taking off. However, Satan’s Playmate delayed its return by an hour, allowing 1st Lt. Picard, Captain Donald F. Martin and Technical Sergeant Ernest H. Claxon to see the festivities begin and hand out presents after 1st Lt. Picard addressed the attendees in French. After eventually departing aboard Satan’s Playmate, the aircraft came under fire when flying over occupied Saint Nazaire port, and although it returned without incident, the incident served to illustrate that airmen still risked their lives when conducting moral missions.

Writing after the mission, 1st Lt. Picard thanked the 384^th Bomb Group for their significant contribution, helping make the “Christmas drive a success even larger than anticipated” and for “making 5,871 children of Nantes the happiest they had been in 5 years”. A letter from the French Red Cross further thanked Commanding Officer Colonel Milton and his group for “such a very generous gesture to our children in France”. 

A total of 5,871 children were recipients of gifts on the Nantes Mercy Mission, and as per French tradition were able to open gifts on New Years Day thanks to the generosity of American airmen and their families. Although the 384^th Bomb Group (and the 8^th Air Force more widely) had conducted conventional bombing raids against Nantes previously – as evidenced by widespread destruction across the city -  the American servicemen were well received by the people of Nantes, and their generosity helped boost morale in the city and allow the city to somewhat enjoy Christmas and New Year.

Research courtesy of Charlie Saddington on behalf of 384th Bombardment Group Museum.

With kind thanks to the 384th Bomb Group website www.384thbombgroup.com for permission in using material from their records in the making of this story. It holds a wealth of information, documents and photographs of their activities during World War 2.