Before and After #2

Another collection of comparative images of the same B-24 at different times

BA2 #1 BOURBON BOXCAR - one of the very popular 20th CMS F-7A photographic aircraft (42-73048) with spectacular artwork. The F-7As were originally painted in shades of PRU Blue which did not adhere well and which were quickly stripped off in service.

BA2 #1a BOURBON BOXCAR stripped to Natural Metal; note that the artist has re-worked the cloud edge where it was damaged by the paint stripping. This aircraft ended up in the Biak graveyard after the war.

BA2 #2 HANGOVER HAVEN II, another of the 20th CMS' F-7As (42-64053) and a favourite artwork of mine.

BA2 #2a HANGOVER HAVEN II in all it's colourful glory.

BA2 #2b HANGOVER HAVEN II after stripping to NMF but leaving a blue outline to the artwork.

BA2 #2c What a waste! HANGOVER HAVEN II in the Biak dump after just 12 operational missions.

BA2 #3 IDLE CURIOSITY, an F-7B of the 20th CMS (44-40423). No camera window in the nose, this model had the cameras in the bomb bay.

B2 #3a IDLE CURIOSITY on 4 October 1944, off the side of the Biak runway after losing the nosewheel on take-off. It lasted just 3 months in the field and flew just 17 photo missions.

BA2 #4 42-64047, PATCHED UP PIECE, another F-7A of the 20th in its PRU blue. Col. H. K. Baisley signed a document for the AAF on 7 Feb 44 with regard to a reported grounding of all F-7 aircraft for buckling aft of the wing due to removal of stuctural members (which is to say the bomb racks) in the aft bomb bay. That is how the 20th's "Patched Up Piece" got its name. It was so bad it was almost condemned when it reached Hawaii

BA2 #4a PATCHED UP PIECE in colour and after stripping to NMF.

BA2 #5 42-73047, THE RIP SNORTER - F-7A of 20CMS in its original blue.

BA2 #5a THE RIP SNORTER stripped to NMF

BA2 #6 42-64051 blue TS (Tough Shit) F-7A of 20CMS

BA2 #6a TS when stripped

BA2 #6b TS later again, no doubt post-war as some photo versions soldiered on in the Pacific, supplementing the F-13 version of the B-29.

BA2 #7 42-73052 UNDER EXPOSED!, blue F-7A of 20CMS

BA2 #7a UNDER EXPOSED! after stripping. This aircraft crashed on 22 May 1944 in the Barstow Mountains nr Dengaragu NG (near the top of Mt Wilhelm) on only its second mission.

BA2 #8 44-51612 of the 22nd BG. Note the very late model windscreen. This aircraft only arrived at the 22nd in late July 1945 and would not have seen combat.

BA2 #8a 44-51612 in a graveyard of B-25s and C-47s, probably Clark AB in the Philippines.

BA2 #9 42-100201 BIG NIMBO of 22BG landing at Nadzab.

BA2 #9a On 25 July 1944 when landing at Owi, the brakes failed and BG NIMBO swung off the runway and hit a parked B-25.

BA2 #10 SHOT LOAD (44-41817) of 22BG.

BA2 #10a No, not renamed WINDY CITY KITTY, SHOT LOAD can be seen behind, tail down in the Kingman AZ storage area after being flown home from the Pacific after the war.

BA2 #11 42-109993 TABU of 22BG

BA2 #11a TABU after crashing at Owi on 3 September 1944.

BA2 #12 44-40879 THE ROCKAWAY BABE of 652BS, a weather recon squadron in the ETO. Previously this aircraft had been assigned to the 448th BG.

BA2 #12a On 22 September 1944, THE ROCKAWAY BABE crash landed at Watton and collided with 41-28921 FEARLESS FOSDICK of 491BG which was at Watton for combat damage repairs.

BA2 #13 41-23908 of 28CG was crash landed on Great Sitkin Island on 12 January 1943 as all available airfields in the Aleutians were closed due weather. Five other B-24s were lost for this reason by the 28CG this day.

BA2 #13a 41-23908 in 1995 before being recovered by the Hill Field Museum as a rebuild project.

BA2 #14 41-23858 GREMLIN'S DELIGHT aka FRIGID FRANCES of 28CG. Crash landed 30 miles south of Ladd Field AK; flew for 3 hours observing and photographing a solar eclipse when the B-24 suffered the loss of engines No. 1 and No. 2. The inability to feather the props compounded problems and ultimately led to the aircraft crashing. All 14 aboard survived.

BA2 #14a GREMLIN'S DELIGHT sixty years later.

BA2 #15 42-72994 BOLIVAR of 30 BG completed 81 missions before being sent home for a Bond tour.

BA2 #15a BOLIVAR overshot the end of the runway at the Vultee Aircraft Company in Downey, California on 9 November 1944. In this photo, the aircraft is facing Southwest and is resting partially on what is now Imperial Highway, between Ardis Avenue and Clark Avenue.

BA2 #16 THE CHAMBERMAID, 42-100227 of 30BG in flight.

BA2 #16a THE CHAMBERMAID looking somewhat worse for wear after crash landing with combat damage on return to Saipan after its 36th mission on 11 September 1944.

BA2 #17 44-40683 CURLY BIRD 30BG. Note unusual (for the 30th) what appear to be black undersides suggesting a night role for this aircraft.

BA2 #17a CURLY BIRD in a graveyard; details of its demise are unknown.

BA2 #18 42-72995 DIRTY NELL, the next B-24J off the CO production line after BOLIVAR, and its combat crew on Saipan.

BA2 #18a DIRTY NELL in the crushed coral of Baker island with a sex-starved serviceman after crashing on 7 July 1944.

BA2 #19 42-72996 FLAK HAPPY, off the production line right after DIRTY NELL, also 30BG!!

BA2 #19a FLAK HAPPY was condemned in January 1944 so I guess it was just War Weary by then. LITTLE HIAWATHA of the 11BG lies behind [see BA1 #18].

BA2 #20 42-72958 LIBBY RAIDER, an OKC modified B-24D, 30BG in flight and in colour.

BA2 #20a Libby Raider after losing the nosewheel and left main. Details of the accident are not known.

BA2 #21 41-29599 BELCHIN' BESSIE and ground crew of the 34BG after just three missions.

BA2 #21a The remains of BELCHIN' BESSIE sit outside a hangar after a take-off accident on 11 August 1944 and being used as a 'Christmas Tree'.

BA2 #22 42-50385 BEAST OF BOURBON runs up prior to take-off with the 36BS.

BA2 #22a BEAST OF BOURBON which crashed and burned shortly after take-off on 19 February 1/2 mile west of Cheddington.

BA2 #23 42-51126 I WALK ALONE of 36BS - not a great image, but the only one I have.

BA2 #23a on 10 November 1944 the crew bailed from I WALK ALONE over Chartres, France after AA damage from an RCM mission....and there wasn't much left after what looks like an airborne explosion.

BA2 #24 42-51219 JUST-JEANNE, initially with 458BG but then transferred to 36BS.

BA2 #24a Five days after the loss of I WALK ALONE, JUST-JEANNE crashed immediately after take-off from Cheddington. All crew were killed.

Before & After #3 follows; click here.
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