Aircraft # 42-97860 was  PU-L  .

Crew for this S&R mission was:

P Jones, William E Capt
CP Hardy, James H  F/O
N Papp, Melvin E  1lt
B Puryear, James L  1lt
E Bostick, George F  T/sgt
R Lillis, Joseph D  T/sgt
BT GILBERT, JAMES K  S/sgt
tg Carter, James o sgt (probably James c Carter)
G  Wotanis, Leo F  s/sgt
g BAUSONE        JOSEPH R       SGT
x Carr,R.C 1lt

I have found a crew picture that I think was taken after this mission.  It is basically the same crew that generally flew on the lead missions during March and April of 1945.
 

  So far, from this picture, I can identify:
Back Row L-->R      ?   ,   F/O James H Hardy  ,  Capt William E Jones  ,  ?
Front row  L--> R     ?   ,  ?     ,      1Lt Melvin E Papp ,  T/Sgt Joseph D Lillis

There are only 8 individuals pictured in this picture even though 11 were on board.  Apparently two or three of the crew were observers, there to help look for the downed airmen.  Perhaps one of these observers took the picture.
 

I got a narrative of the mission from Mr Harry Gobrecht, 303rd Bomb Group Association historian.  According to him, :
 
 

The four 360th BS B-17's turned back about two hours after takeoff.  Ceiling
was very low (400 feet) with rain and fog. Sea was rough. Wind was strong.
The search area was not reached and no observations were made.

On the same 35mm strip of negatives, I found a picture taken out of the window of the plane:
 
 
 
 

This picture further verifies the date that the pictures were taken.  On this "aborted" mission, only 4 planes flew, including:
44-8552, PU-X pictured above, which was the lead plane for this mission flown by Col W.S. Raper.  You can see the whitecaps in the north sea below the planes, and the overcast and foggy conditions are evident.   The other planes, flown on this mission were 42-97546, PU-E, flown by Major Harold G Slingsby, and 42-102544, PU-K, flown by 1Lt Howard C. Gravrock.