Posted By Rob Kirkwood on November 25, 2006 at 10:25:56:
I have a theory on the Stormy Weather plane shown on the 447th's Webpage: It was not a 447th plane. Instead, I believe it was a last minute transfer from another group to the 447th in order that a crew could ferry to the U.S. Perhaps 43-37560 from the 94th (although this plane was listed as a 381st plane).
Here is my basis for that conclusion:
The Pictorial History of the 447 Bombardment Group (H) published in 1946 includes a photo of Stormy Weather. This photo was a late war photo showing the 109 mission count. So, that plane does have some tie to the 447th.
A high resolution photo I have clearly shows that Stormy Weather is model B-17G-65-BO. The serial numbers for that model range between 43-37509 to 43-37673. Additionally, I can see that her serial number is 43-37???. The nose art covers most of the remaining numbers although you can see the top of the two numbers after the 7. These could be 43-37560.
The 447th was assigned five planes in this sequence, but none could have been Stormy Weather
43-37531. MACR 10163
43-37539. Salvaged
43-37541. MACR 8923
43-37544. D-Day Doll
43-37667. Salvaged
Stormy Weather was sent to Kingman, Arizona. The DVD Flying Legend confirms this.
Of the 166 B-17’s in the range 43-37509 to 43-37676, twenty three (23) were sent to Kingman. Of these 23, we can eliminate 12 since they have other nose art names, leaving 11 that could have been our Stormy Weather. The last three numbers on these include:
523
545
560
576
588
623
634
637
643
656
662
In the AFHRA documents for the 447th, it states on B0559-0601 (page 108) that “The group has had eight (8) aircraft completing 100 missions.” These are identified on the 447th Webpage and none are Stormy Weather.
To the extent practicable, I reviewed the Shield’s book for any of the numbers listed above and came up blank. If Stormy Weather flew 109 missions with the 447th, it would be apparent.
The 94th Bomb Group has on their Website a “Stormy Weather” with serial number ……560.
The Milk Wagon was an exception (43-37756), but to compile a record of 109 missions, the sooner a plane could get into combat the more likely it was the plane with 109 missions. S/n 560 was assigned on June 6, 1944. (The only problem, is that Freeman lists as being assigned to the 381st BG).
Roger Freeman’s book: The Mighty Eighth-The Colour Record, includes the following statement for the 94th BG, “After VE-Day the 94th Bomb Group was scheduled to remain in Europe as part of the occupational air forces. Most of its wartime aircraft were transferred to other groups and the 94th received many B-17s equipped with H2X radars from the home-going units.”
Any thoughts?
Thanks in Advance