466th. Bomb Group B-24 "Nose Art"
Notice that nearly every aircraft has a "plate" attached below the Pilots / Co-Pilots windows.
These were light steel plates installed to provide a bit more protection from shrapnel for the Pilots..... for what it was worth.
Considering the thin aircraft skin could be penetrated easily by an ink pen, anything helped.
"Blockbuster" - Declared war weary after losing two engines on the bomb run on the 12 Aug 44 mission to Mourmelon-le-Grand, France, and landing at Beccles, Suffolk, where it was repaired. It flew no more combat missions and was eventually salvaged by BAD 3, Langford Lodge, Northern Ireland.
"Chris's Crate" - Flown to England as an original aircraft by 491st BG / 853rd BS (T8 -L). Transferred before flying any combat missions to 466th BG / 784th BS (T9 T). Transferred to 785th BS (2U V+). Ditched 23 Feb 45.
"Splash!"
Later assigned to 406th BS (NL) as J6 U and RZI from Harrington on 8 Jul 45.
"Dumbo" - Lead Formation Assembly Ship
The D style nose has been grafted on to this H model. It became the second assembly ship.
"Belle"
"Gran Slam"
"Duffy's Tavern"
"Parson's Chariot"
Transferred from the 491st BG immediately after arrival in England.
Before Name and Nose-Art were Applied
"Nobody's Baby"
"Merchant of Venice"
"The Lemon"....I wonder if it was a "Ford" Produced B-24?
"What's Cookin' Doc?"
Originally 8/491/855 (V2 Q+). Transferred before 14 Jun 44 to 466th BG.
"The Falcon"
Crashed 8 Jan 45 on return from a mission to Wittlich about 1000 yards WNW of Shipdham airbase, after making one low level pass over the airfield and running out of fuel, it lost about 10 ft of the right wing in a tree, hit a haystack, went through two hedges and into an ice-covered pond, coming to rest in the pond, having stopped some 75 ft from a cottage. The nose was crushed and the left wing was torn off. Salvaged 9 & 10 Jan 45.
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Notice that nearly every aircraft has a "plate" attached below the Pilots / Co-Pilots windows.
These were light steel plates installed to provide a bit more protection from shrapnel for the Pilots..... for what it was worth.
Considering the thin aircraft skin could be penetrated easily by an ink pen, anything helped.
"Blockbuster" - Declared war weary after losing two engines on the bomb run on the 12 Aug 44 mission to Mourmelon-le-Grand, France, and landing at Beccles, Suffolk, where it was repaired. It flew no more combat missions and was eventually salvaged by BAD 3, Langford Lodge, Northern Ireland.
"Chris's Crate" - Flown to England as an original aircraft by 491st BG / 853rd BS (T8 -L). Transferred before flying any combat missions to 466th BG / 784th BS (T9 T). Transferred to 785th BS (2U V+). Ditched 23 Feb 45.
"Splash!"
Later assigned to 406th BS (NL) as J6 U and RZI from Harrington on 8 Jul 45.
"Dumbo" - Lead Formation Assembly Ship
The D style nose has been grafted on to this H model. It became the second assembly ship.
"Belle"
"Gran Slam"
"Duffy's Tavern"
"Parson's Chariot"
Transferred from the 491st BG immediately after arrival in England.
Before Name and Nose-Art were Applied
"Nobody's Baby"
"Merchant of Venice"
"The Lemon"....I wonder if it was a "Ford" Produced B-24?
"What's Cookin' Doc?"
Originally 8/491/855 (V2 Q+). Transferred before 14 Jun 44 to 466th BG.
"The Falcon"
Crashed 8 Jan 45 on return from a mission to Wittlich about 1000 yards WNW of Shipdham airbase, after making one low level pass over the airfield and running out of fuel, it lost about 10 ft of the right wing in a tree, hit a haystack, went through two hedges and into an ice-covered pond, coming to rest in the pond, having stopped some 75 ft from a cottage. The nose was crushed and the left wing was torn off. Salvaged 9 & 10 Jan 45.
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