Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Nose Art Page 3

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Nose Art Page 3

Old Bill

Boeing B-17F-65-BO s/n 42-29673 Old Bill was assigned to the 422nd Bomb Squadron coded JJ-S, 305th Bomb Group, based at Chelveston Northamptonshire on the 6th of April 1943.

Battle damaged on a mission to the Focke-Wulf aircraft factory at Bremen, Germany on 17 April 1943. Flak over the target was heavy and a 0.30 caliber shell struck the main spar of the right wing.

The plane was severely battle damaged on a mission to the naval facilities on Heligoland island, Germany on 15 May 1943. Weather over the target was bad and conditions were unfavourable for bombing. The group turned to an alternate target, the airfield at Wangerooge, East Frisian island, Germany. In the first attack by enemy fighters, the oxygen system was destroyed and the pilot dropped from formation at 25,000ft. The fighters then homed in for an attack, wounding the pilot and co-pilot, the top turret was spintered by 20mm cannon shell fragments and the gun sight hit the gunner. 20mm cannon shells came through the nose killing the navigator and wounding the bombardier when the bomb sight deflected a fragment. The radio operator was wounded by another 20mm cannon shell and the waist gunner scratched by fragments. The pilot remained at his post and was assisted by crew members who were not badly injured. Despite their situation, the crew fought off the enemy fighter attacks until they reached the safety of some cloud cover. The Bombardier flew the airplane towards home and coming out of clouds, the bomber was attacked by a pair of enemy fighters. Again, the crew fought them off, later the group formation was sighted and they joined up for the return to Chelveston where the pilot, having recovered sufficiently, landed safely. One crewman was KIA with an additional four wounded. Old Bill was salvaged on 16 May 1943.

Piccadilly Queen

Piccadilly Queen Boeing B-17F-95-BO s/n 42-30251 was delivered at Cheyenne on 6/5/43. It was assigned to the 549th Bomb Squadron 385th Bomb Group with code XA-T based at Great Ashfield from 14/6/43. It was damaged in a base explosion on 3/9/43 but repaired and returned to service. On 29/1/1944 during a raid on Frankfurt it was shot down by Htm. Raimund Koch of 8./JG 3, and crashed near Kaiserlautern, Germany. Six crewmen were killed and four taken prisoners of war.

Pistol Packin’ Mama

Boeing B-17G-1-BO s/n 42-31037 Pistol Packin’ Mama was delivered at Dallas on 8/9/43. It was assigned to the 613th Bomb Squadron 401st Bomb Group coded IN-F and based at Deenethorpe from 10/10/43. During a raid to Leipzig on 20/7/44 it was hit by flak and crashed near Liebstedt Germany. Six crewmen were taken prisoners of war and three were killed in the crash. All crew members bailed out, but one was killed when his chute failed to open and two were killed by German civilians.

Puddin’s Pride

Boeing B-17G 44-6560 Puddin’s Pride of the 730BS 452BG Deopham Green. Damaged by flak on a mission to Darmstadt 24/12/44. Force landed at Brussels. Returned to the US and scrapped.

Queenie

Boeing B-17G-15-BO s/n 42-31353 Queenie was delivered at Cheyenne on 25/10/43. It was assigned to the 322nd Bomb Squadron 91st Bomb Group and coded LG-Q based at Bassingbourn from 20/12/43. On 29/4/44, on a mission to Berlin it was hit by flak which knocked out engines three and four and started a fire. The aircraft then crashed near Kladow, Berlin, Germany. Five crew were killed and five taken prisoner.

Queen Mary

Boeing B-17G s/n 44-6598 Queen Mary was delivered at Lincoln on 17/9/44. It was assigned to the 335th Bomb Squadron 95th Bomb Group coded OE-N and based at Horham from 11/10/44. Queen Mary completed 46 missions and was returned to the USA post-war and sold for scrap metal in USA on 26/11/45.

Roundtrip Jack

Boeing B-17F-30-VE s/n 42-5897 (SG-A) Roundtrip Jack of the 385th BG 550 BS

Ruby’s Raiders

Ruby’s Raiders Boeing B-17G 44-6483 was delivered at Hunter on 17/8/44. It was assigned to the 550 Bomber Squadron 385 Bomber Group coded SG-G and based at Great Ashfield from 8/9/44. Post-war it was returned to the USA and sold for scrap metal on 5/11/45.

Rum Dum

Rum Dum Boeing B-17G-15-BO 42-31378 was delivered at Cheyenne on 27/10/43. I was assigned to the 550 Bomber Squadron 385 Bomber Group and coded SG-M based at Great Ashfield from 1/12/43. Rum Dum completed over 100 missions before force landing from on 30/5/45 after which it was salvaged.

Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby

Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby B-17G-35-BO 42-32076 was delivered at Denver on 24/1/44. It was assigned to the 401 Bomber Squadron 91 Bomber Group and coded LL-E based at Bassingbourn from23/3/44. After completing 23 missions, it was hit by flak on a raid to Posnan on 29/5/44. Three engines were knocked out and the aircraft force landed at Bulltofta Afd, near Malmo, Sweden. All nine crew were interned. The B-17 was then modified by Saab into a transport configuration and used as a Swedish airliner SE-BAP. It was later sold on 13/3/1948 to Danish Airlines for $1 and called Stig Viking OY-DFA. It was retired in 1961 and stored at Creuil, France. It was sold to USAF for 20 cents and restored at Dover AFB then flown to Wright-Patterson. It is now housed at the Air Force Museum, Dayton, Ohio USA, as Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby.

Silver Dollar

Silver Dollar Boeing B-17G 42-32090 was delivered at Cheyenne on 23/1/44. It was assigned to the 350Bomber Squadron 100 Bomber Group with code LN-R and based at Thorpe Abbotts from 3/3/44. It later moved to the 418th Bomber Squadron with code LD-E after taxi accident on 19/4/45. It was salvaged on 21/4/45 after 102 missions and used as hack for Col Jeffrey. Post-war it was returned to the USA on 19/9/45 and sold for scrap metal.

Sweet and Lovely

Sweet and Lovely Boeing B-17F-115-BO 42-30721 was delivered at Dallas on 19/7/43. It was aasigned to the 482 Bomber Group at Alconbury on 31/8/43. It transferred to the 533 Bomber Squadron 381 Bomber Group coded VP-T based at Ridgewell from 20/9/43. After 28 missions it transferred to the 8th Air Force Fight Com, Debden based at Radwinter as radio relay aircraft on 25/4/44 for the 65th Fighter Wing. The plane would circle over the English Channel and transfer radio messages to Air/Sea Rescue from aircrews in trouble. The plane was painted in special recognition markings, red and white stripes. On 15/11/44 it again transferred, this time to 610 Bomber Squadron 398 Bomber Group coded 3O- nad based at Nuthampstead. Post-war it returned to the USA and was sold for scrap metal on 4/10/45.

Sweetheart

Boeing B-17F-40-DL 42-3262 Sweetheart. Assigned to the 561 BS 388 BG based at Knettishall. Returned to the US and scrapped

The Keystone MaMa

Boeing B-17G-15-VE s/n 42-97455 The Keystone Mama

The Mustang / Buck Shot

Boeing B-17F-25-BO s/n 41-24554 The Mustang 63rd Bomb Squadron, 43rd Bomb Group, Port Moresby, New Guinea about early 1943

The Passionate Witch

The Saint and Ten Sinners

The Saint and Ten Sinners B-17G 42-31226 was delivered at Denver on 4/10/43. I was assigned to the 613 Bomber Squadron 401 Bomber Group coded IN-G and based at Deenethorpe from the 22/12/43. On a raid to Berlin on 29/4/44 flak knocked out engines one and two. The aircraft crashed near Veldweg, two miles west of Beekbergen, Holland. Nine crew became 9 prisoners of war while one evaded capture.

The Shamrock Special

The Vibrant Virgin

The Vibrant Virgin Boeing B-17F-95-BO 42-30275 was delivered at Cheyenne on 7/5/43. It was assigned to the 548 Bomber Squadron 385 Bomber Group coded GX-P and based at Great Ashfield from 17/6/43. During an attack on Bremen on 8/10/43 it was hit by flak and crashed. All of the ten-man crew became prisoners of war.

The Witche’s Tit

Boeing B-17F-50-BO s/n 42-5382 The Witches Tit