461st plaque

461st Bombardment Group (H)

766th Nose Art

764th Nose Art 765th Nose Art 766th Nose Art 767th Nose Art

766th Formation

Courtesy of Dan Matthews

A formation of 766th aircraft taken between June 26 and August 26, 1944.

Boise Belle 

Boise Belle

Boise Belle

Courtesy of David St. Yves

BOISE BELLE

Ship No. - 41

B-24H -15-FO

Serial No. - 42-52398

Comments?  E-Mail me if you have information... or a better picture!  I just received the last picture of the Boise Belle.  It appears to have been taken over the Alps.  It's interesting that there appears to be another tail marking on the Boise Belle that was painted over, but the Boise Belle was an original aircraft of the 461st.  Can anyone explain this?  The No. 51 aircraft behind the Boise Belle appears to be 42-78291.

USA lineThe Kissed Off Kids

The Kissed Off Kids

Ship No. - 43

B-24H -15-FO

Serial No. - 42-52408

Salvaged 24 August 1944.

It appears that "The Kissed Off Kids" crash landed returning from a training mission.  Totally destroyed by fire.

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Hottest ??? In Town

Ted Wise Photo

Hottest ??? In Town

Ship No. - 45

B-24H-10-CF

Serial No. - 41-29313

Art painted by Ted Wise (assistant crew chief) before deployment to Italy.  This was 766th Squadron Operations Officer Joe Donovan's aircraft, but was being flown by Lt. Turner Holmes on the day it went down.  Badly shot up, with flaps and gear disabled, Lt. Holmes bailed his crew out over Torretta Field before hurriedly taking to his own chute.  #45 was pointed in the direction of the Adriatic, but it made it only as far as the Canosa Road where it crashed with no one aboard.

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Heaven Can Wait

Heaven Can Wait

Ship No. - 47

B-24H-10-DT

Serial No. - 41-28679

Downed by flak 6/26/44 near Durnkrut with Samuel M. Zive in command.  See Losses.

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Down 'N Go

Down 'N Go

Ship No. 48

B-24G-15-FO

Serial No. - 42-52436

Pictured here are members of the Robertson crew #48.

Crashed on 8/7/44 with Sterrett in command.

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Dwatted Wabbit

Dwatted Wabbit 

Dwatted Wabbit

Ship No. - 53

B-24H-10-CF

Serial No. - 41-29337

Flown by Robert Simon and lost on the mission to Nimes, France on 12 July 1944.  Seen below the cockpit - Lt. Wobert Simon (P).  Seen above the "3" - Lt. "Red" Ed Brennan (B).  Seen to right of "Dwatted Wabbit" - Crew Chief Sgt. Chas "Baldy" Ruble.

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Cherokee

CHEROKEE

Ship No. - 56

B-24J-15-CF

Serial No. - 42-99759

There is also a faded color picture of this plane with the ship number "11" painted over the original 56.  Also a picture of an unpainted B-24 in the boneyard with this same art.  This aircraft was transferred to the 764th Squadron.

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Three Bad Wolfs

Three Bad Wolves

Ship No. - 57

B-24G-10-NT

Serial No. - 42-78179

Assigned 3-28-44 crashed 4-24-44

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Jug-Butt

"Jug-Butt"

Ship No. - 58

B-24H-15-FO

Serial No. - 42-52389

Condemned after a training mishap on 27 April 1944.

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Full Boost

Full Boost

Enhanced by Gerry Kersey

Full-Boost

Ship No. - 40

B-24J-10-FO

Serial No. - 42-51683

Art was painted by Bill Bowen in Italy.  Ted Wise was assistant crew chief.  LaVerne Clark believes this is the aircraft that carried him home.USA line

Urgent Virgin

Urgent Virgin

Ship No. - 47

B-24G-16-NT

Serial No. - 42-78466

Brent Duff put together a model of the Urgent Virgin that I thought was worth sharing.  Thanks, Brent.

Urgent Virgin 

Urgent Virgin 

Urgent Virgin 

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Hi-Ho Silver

Hi-Ho Silver

Ship No. - 50

B-24G-10 NT

Serial No. - 42-78202

This aircraft went MIA on 12 July 1944 with the crew of 1st Lt Richard S. Fawcett (MACR #6895).

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Strictly GI

Strictly G.I.

Courtesy of Gregory Pons

Strictly GI

Ship No. - 57

B-24H-25-FO

Serial No. - 42-95287

Lost to flak 19 November 1944 with Arthur E. Farnham, Jr. in command. See Losses.

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Shady Lady

Shady Lady

Ship No. - 52

B-24G-16-NT

Serial No. - 42-78436

Transferred to the 451st BG on 11/24/44.

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Bottoms Up

Courtesy Len Cole

BOTTOMS UP

Ship No. - 44

B-24G-16-NT

Serial No. - 42-78417

Originally a 376th BG aircraft.  Following battle damage it was transferred to 52 Advanced Depot for repair.  After being declared War Weary, it was transferred to the 461st for use as a Hack Ship. Written off following a crash on 30 April 1945.

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Flying Shit House

Courtesy Rick Smith

Flying Shit House

Ship No. - 48

B-24L-FO

Serial No. - ????

Picture shows Lt. Robert G. Smith standing by the "Flying Shit House".

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55

Courtesy of Chuck Parsonson

Rough Rid'er

Courtesy of Jim Van Nostrand

Rough Rid'er

Ship No. 55

B-24J-155-CO

Serial No. - 44-40269

This veteran of the 17 August 1944 mission to Ploesti brought her crew safely back to Torretta and DFCs.  "Extra" crewmember Jim Van Nostrand (aerial photographer) is shown upon landing after the Ploesti mission (bottom photo).

Rough Rid'er

Courtesy of Bob Livingstone

The Isle of Vis was an oasis of safety for Fifteenth Air Force crews who were too battle damaged or low on fuel to make it home. On the far left margin sits the tail of 44-40269, #55, Rough Rid'er after making an emergency landing.

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42-78291

Courtesy of b24bestweb

R & R

Ship No. 51

B-24G-10-NT

Serial No. 42-78291

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G-40-2

G-40-3

G-40-4

#51

Ship No. 51

B-24J-10-CO

Serial No. 44-41156

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41-29517

Courtesy of Chuck Parsonson

Pisces

Ship No. #51

B-24H-15-CF

Serial No. 41-29517

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44-50428

44-50428

Courtesy of Chuck Parsonson

41

Ship No. #41

B-24M-1-FO

Serial No. 44-50428

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#56

Courtesy of Tedd Ahlberg

#56 Coming in for a landing.

#56

Courtesy of Tedd Ahlberg

#56 parked on its hardstand.

Cherokee

Ship No. #56

B-24J-205-CO

Serial No. 44-41338

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42-78408, #49

Courtesy of Gino

Ship No. 49

B-24G-16-NT

Serial No. 42-78408

Brandon DeLanzo #49 model

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42-50605

Courtesy of Chuck Parsonson

Lo and Behold

Ship No. 50

B-24J-1-FO

Serial No. 42-50605

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#42

Courtesy of Tedd Ahlberg

#42

Ship No. 42

B-24H-30-FO

Serial No. 42-95304

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42-52366

Courtesy of Julie Robinson

The Spirit of Hollywood / Gloria Jean

Ship No. 49

B-24H-15-FO

Serial No. 42-52336

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Full Boost

Courtesy of Tedd Ahlberg

47

Ship No. 47

B-24J-10-FO

Serial No. 42-51759