WW2 Nose Art

Aircraft Pinups and Decorations

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Aircrews in World War II decorated their planes with pictures of pinups and pretty girls, typically modelled after the "cheesecake" art of Gil Elvgren, Alberto Vargo, and George Petty. It was (and still is) an interesting practice. Some see a deep, psychological impluse - attaching a talisman, a good-luck charm, to the aircraft as a way of warding off evil, death, and bullets. I don't know. Maybe the young guys just liked looking at pictures of pin-ups.

Different services and units had different policies about aircraft usage and decoration. Marine and Navy aircraft were generally shared by different pilots, with consequently less personalized decoration. Army Air Force airplanes were assigned to individual pilots (or in the case of bombers, to particular air crews). Thus, some of the most lavish and imaginative nose art adorned USAAF planes.

B-24s on Okinawa - The first set of photographs were provided by Bill Cline. They were taken in World War Two, by his father, Frank Cline.

In 1945, the Marines were on Okinawa, on the Morotai Peninsula. Army Air Force B-24s were located nearby. Presumably these photos are of those B-24s. Many from the 22nd Bomb Group, "The Red Raiders."

Daddy's Girl s/n 44-41852     22BG 33BS, Survived the war, returned to the US & scrapped Heavenly Lambchop serial unknown, but a USN PB4Y-1 Kansas City Kitty 44-41480    5BG 31BS, Transferred to 307BG 370BS where it was renamed PENNSY CITY KITTY and salvaged at Biak in AUG 45 Liberty Belle II s/n 44-41234    22BG 33BS, Salvaged after an accident in AUG 45, note the blonde reclining on a bell, pilot 1st Lt. J. C. Tafaro Maiden Montana s/n 44-41549, note 40 mission markers and "549" numeral, 5BG 23BS, Missing In Action Mindanao area 15MAR45 Missleading s/n 42-100204, 22BG 19BS         After 99 missions crash landed Laoagg, PI, with combat damage sustained over Formosa Modest Maiden s/n 44-41527        22BG 19BS         Flew into a mountain on an island near Leyte in bad weather on 26MAR45 Patient Kitten s/n 44-41031        22BG 33BS         Exploded after a direct AA hit over Taiwan 15APR44 Queen Ann s/n 42-110119        22BG 33BS         Salvaged in-theatre at war’s end Red Headed Woman s/n 44-41645        5BG 31BS         Salvaged in-theatre at war’s end

Red Hot Riden Hood s/n 44-40402    22BG 33BS, Renamed RHRH III and salvaged in-theatre at war’s end Red Raiders, note 63 mission markers, Logo on left side of a 22BG B-24; could be any aircraft as eventually all carried this on the left side, in squadron colour, with nose art on right side Round Trip Ticket s/n44-41538        22BG 33BS, Blew a tire on landing Okinawa, ran off the runway & broke in two 26AUG45  Shittininigittin s/n 44-40799        22BG 33BS, Force landed after engine problems in a field on an island north of Borneo  26JUN45; strafed and burned by P-38s Shoo Shoo Baby s/n 42-100084, note the "Red Raiders" shield to the right of "Shoo Shoo Baby" Sleepy Time Gal s/n Slightly Dangerous s/n Star Eyes s/n Updraft s/n Varga Belle s/n

The second set, Pics 1 - 16, were provided by Pam Powers, taken by her father, Richard F. Powers, Pacific theatre WW2, gunner/photographer, 50 missions for US Army Air Corps.

The third set was supplied by another email correspondent in mid 2005.

Hellcat Agnes Hells Belle Home Sick Angel II Homesick Angel June Bug Just Right Leadfoot Mojo Mr Five By Five Pistol Packin Mama Pistol Pack'n Papa Pogue Ma Hone Round Trip Ticket Ruth Salvage Queen She Devil The Bronx Bomber The Second The Celestial Siren The Devil Himself The GI Virgin The Hag Of Harderwyk

The Heats On The Sweater Girl unknown 1 Unknown 2 Unknown 3 White Angel Ya Cawn't Missa Annie Freeze Ass Bandits Betty Boop Betty Lou's Buggy Bomber Dear Bomb'n Belle Bulging Betty Bunny-Suzie Fertile Myrtle Flak House Gay Caballeros Gravel Gertie Gremlin Delite

My thanks to Bill Cline and Pam Powers for making these photos available. If you have any original, unpublished pictures of WWII nose art or decoration that you would like posted, please email them to me. Webmaster

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