766th Nose Art
Courtesy of Dan Matthews
A formation of 766th aircraft taken between June 26 and August 26, 1944.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Three Bad Wolves
Ship No. - 57
B-24G-10-NT
Serial No. - 42-78179
Assigned 3-28-44 crashed 4-24-44
"Jug-Butt"
Ship No. - 58
B-24H-15-FO
Serial No. - 42-52389
Condemned after a training mishap on 27 April 1944.
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.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.
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).
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.
Shady Lady
Ship No. - 52
B-24G-16-NT
Serial No. - 42-78436
Transferred to the 451st BG on 11/24/44.
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.
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".
Courtesy of Chuck Parsonson
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).
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.
Courtesy of b24bestweb
R & R
Ship No. 51
B-24G-10-NT
Serial No. 42-78291
#51
Ship No. 51
B-24J-10-CO
Serial No. 44-41156
Courtesy of Chuck Parsonson
Pisces
Ship No. #51
B-24H-15-CF
Serial No. 41-29517
Courtesy of Chuck Parsonson
41
Ship No. #41
B-24M-1-FO
Serial No. 44-50428
Courtesy of Tedd Ahlberg
#56 Coming in for a landing.
Courtesy of Tedd Ahlberg
#56 parked on its hardstand.
Cherokee
Ship No. #56
B-24J-205-CO
Serial No. 44-41338
Courtesy of Gino
Ship No. 49
B-24G-16-NT
Serial No. 42-78408
Courtesy of Chuck Parsonson
Lo and Behold
Ship No. 50
B-24J-1-FO
Serial No. 42-50605
Courtesy of Tedd Ahlberg
#42
Ship No. 42
B-24H-30-FO
Serial No. 42-95304
Courtesy of Julie Robinson
The Spirit of Hollywood / Gloria Jean
Ship No. 49
B-24H-15-FO
Serial No. 42-52336
Courtesy of Tedd Ahlberg
47
Ship No. 47
B-24J-10-FO
Serial No. 42-51759