Plane Names & Fancy Noses

The 91st Bomb Group (Heavy)

ISBN 1 898575 00 2

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270 Flying Fortresses - their service, their fate, their nose art and its origin and artists

400 photographs, many never previously published
List of 340 combat missions with aircraft losses
Full crew listing for all named aircraft missing in action
Serial number listing for B17s assigned to the 91BG(H)
288 pages, 12"x8", hardback

There are tales of Fortresses returning crippled in battle, of Forts being cut in two and joined together again to fly and fight again. There are tales of Fortresses flying for hours with controls shot out, of fuselage or tail assemblies chewed almost through as a result of mid-air impact with friend or foe . . . .

Tales also of Fortresses exploding suddenly in the air, caught by lethal shards of flak, scattering their crews like discarded dolls . . . . of Fortresses breaking in two and falling to earth like huge spinning sycamore seeds . . . . of wing spars burning though, instantly turning a graceful airplane into a cart-wheeling tomb . . . . of flight decks consumed by exploding flares fed by pure oxygen, turning the whole length of the plane into a deadly blow torch.

These are the stories of the named B17s of the 91st Bombardment Group based at Bassingbourn, England. "Ack-Ack Annie", "Cheri", "General Ike", "Jack the Ripper", "Little Patches", "Memphis Belle", "Outhouse Mouse", "Sheriff's Posse", "Texas Chubby", "Village Flirt", "Zootie Cutie"... and many, many more. Planes which had been lovingly named and painted with humorous, outstanding and sometimes outrageous artworks. Planes selected at random to suffer destruction in battle, slow dismemberment by salvage crews or bask in a glorious return from whence they had come.

A full colour signed Limited Edition print has been produced from the cover painting by Ray Bowden.

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