452nd Bomb Group
Crews that served with the 452nd Bomb Group, like the one show in the photo above, are often seen photographed in front of a B-17 that has four large numbers on the nose. These numbers represent the last four digits of the tail or serial number of that plane. During training, the commanders on the ground could identify each plane in the air by using binoculars to see these large numbers. A few B-17's used in training did have other nose art, but the majority bore the large 4 digits on the nose. Very few, if any, of these planes left the United States for combat. The airfields listed after each plane indicate all the locations where these B-17's were used, so that does not mean that crews who eventually flew with the 452nd were at each particular base. The following list identifies just a fraction of those B-17's that are positively known to have been used by 452nd Bomb Group crews while in training. It is very incomplete, so additional information is welcome.
5995 - Plane #42-5995: 383rd Bomb Group, Geiger Field, WA; 243rd Base Unit, Great Bend, KS; 4210th Base Unit, Lambert, MO; 221st Base Unit, Alexandria, LA; 331st Base Unit, Barksdale, LA; 223rd Base Unit, Dyersburg, TN; 330th Base Unit, Dyersburg, TN; 325th Base Unit, Avon Park, FL.
2671 - Plane #42-102671: 330th Base Unit, Dyersburg, TN.
2768 - Plane #42-102768: 120th Base Unit Greenville; 221st Base Unit, Alexandria, LA; 329th Base Unit Alexandria, LA; 325th Base Unit, Avon Park, FL.
2771 - Plane #42-102771: 221st Base Unit Alexandria, LA; 329th Base Unit Alexandria, LA; 325th Base Unit Avon Park, FL.
2854 - Plane #42-102854: 222nd Base Unit, Ardmore, OK; 332nd Base Unit, Ardmore, OK.
2861 - Plane #42-102861: Pyote, TX; 235th Base Unit Biggs, TX; 3013th Base Unit, Deming, NM.
7375 - Plane #42-97375: 330th Base Unit, Dyersburg, TN; 347th Base Unit, Key Field, MS; 330th Base Unit, Dyersburg, TN.
7676 - Plane #42-97676: 330th Base Unit, Dyersburg, TN.
8051 - Plane #44-8051: 329th Base Unit, Alexandria, LA; 330th Base Unit, Dyersburg, TN.
8055 - Plane #44-8055: 222nd Base Unit, Ardmore, OK; 332nd Base Unit, Ardmore, OK.
These planes were also used in training, but may have not had the large numbers on the nose. Some had actual nose art like 42-6153 "Good Pickin" another plane that had nose art was "Sky Queen", but I don't yet know the correct serial number of this plane.
42-6029 - Walla Walla, WA; 452nd Bomb Group, Pendleton, OR; 236th Base Unit Pyote, TX; 3010th Base Unit, Williams, AZ; 236th Base Unit, Pyote, TX.
42-6153 - 232nd Base Unit, Dalhart, TX; 235th Base Unit, Biggs, TX; 2318th Base Unit, Alamogordo, NM; 235th Base Unit, Biggs, TX. "Good Picken".
42-30324 - Roswell, NM; Dallas, TX; 435th Squadron, 19th Bomb Group, Pyote, TX; 2114th Base Unit, Lockbourne, OH.
42-30572 - Geiger Field, WA; 452nd Bomb Group, Pendleton, OR; 498th Bomb Group, Great Bend, KS; 232nd Base Unit, Dalhart, TX.
42-30575 - 452nd Bomb Group, Geiger Field, WA; 500th Bomb Group, Walker; 901st Base Unit, Pinecastle, FL; 902nd Base Unit, Orlando, FL; 248th Base Unit, Walker; 232nd Base Unit Dalhart, TX; 241st Base Unit, Fairmont, NE.
42-30600 - 452nd Bomb Group, Pendleton, OR; 452nd Bomb Group, Walla Walla, WA.
42-30755 - Geiger Field, WA; 452nd Bomb Group, Pendleton, OR; 202nd Base Unit, Galveston, TX; 268th Base Unit, Peterson, CO.
42-30756 - Geiger Field; Pendleton, OR; 452nd Bomb Group, Geiger Field, WA; 330th Base Unit, Dyersburg, TN; 325th Base Unit, Avon Park, FL.
These next two planes were flown on by tailgunner John R. "Jack" Schmehil while training at MacDill Field, FL. Both were involved in training accidents. The crew was split up and Schmehil was the only member of his crew to see combat with the 452nd Bomb Group.
42-102550 - 326th Base Unit, MacDill, FL. Crash landed upon the railroad tracks at Morris Field (Charlotte), NC on Nov. 29, 1944. Narrowly missed being struck by a passenger train. Plane was a total loss. *CRASH PHOTO*
43-37712 - 88th Bomb Group, MacDill, FL; 4115th Base Unit, Atlanta, GA; 326th Base Unit, MacDill, FL (Involved in a mid-air collision with plane #42-3470 at MacDill Field with the 326th Base Unit on October 16, 1944); 329th Base Unit Alexandria, LA; 327th Base Unit, Drew; 203rd Base Unit, Jackson; 268th Base Unit, Peterson, CO.
