USAAF Nose Art Research Project

Bad Egg
B-17F-10-BO 41-24484

91st Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Squadron

Nose art painted by
Jack GAFFNEY
91st Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Squadron
Bassingbourn, England

Read more about this aircraft:

One of the 91BG's original complement, assigned with just 69 hours logged, it had been ear-marked for the RAF and carried the early British camouflage scheme of dark green patches over olive drab. It flew un-named until returning from Lorient on 30th December 1942 with serious battle damage. Jack Gaffney painted the Donald Duck nose art on the port side at the request of crew chief M/Sgt Pierce. "Bad Egg" flew as lead ship on numerous occasions and its mission tally was embellished with a series of red and blue stars to denote this role. During its year of combat, the plane completed 43 missions, had 15 engine changes and had suffered hits in all main fuel tanks as well as having had its back almost broken on one occasion by 20mm cannon shells. On 31st December 1943, returning from a mission to Cognac airfield, the plane was diverted to Andrew's Field where, on touching down in poor weather, it ploughed into a jeep and killed its driver. Although declared Category E and salvaged, the rear section of the plane was used later to repair another damaged Fort from 3rd Bomb Division's 390th Bomb Group.

Read more about this aircraft:

Plane Names & Fancy Noses

Known Mission List

Date	Pilot	Target	Notes
8 Nov 1942	J W Carroll	Abbeville	R/E (NS) - #2 eng out
17 Nov 1942	J W Carroll / W R Harris	St Nazaire
6 Dec 1942	J W Carroll / D H Frank	Lille	#4 eng and left wing tip hit by flak
20 Dec 1942	J W Carroll / D H Frank	Romilly-sur-Seine airfield	(N)(B) WIA - 20mm (P) recommended for DFC
30 Dec 1942	J W Carroll / D H Frank	Lorient / Keroman
27 Jan 1943	Capt J W Carroll / D H Frank	Wilhelmshaven
26 Feb 1943	E F Riley / M E Fountain	Wilhelmshaven
27 Feb 1943	E F Riley / Capt D E Sheeler	Brest
4 Mar 1943	Capt J W Carroll / D H Frank	Hamm	Fw190 destroyed
22 Mar 1943	Capt J W Carroll / D H Frank	Wilhelmshaven	Led Lead sqn
28 Mar 1943	Capt J W Carroll / M E Brown	Rouen MY
31 Mar 1943	Capt J W Carroll / D H Frank	Rotterdam
4 Apr 1943		Paris-Renault	R/E (NS) - jettisoned bombs in sea
17 Apr 1943	Capt J W Carroll / B Peek	Bremen
4 May 1943	Capt J W Carroll / Capt C G Gillespie	Antwerp	Group lead
13 May 1943	Capt J W Carroll / C M Woodbury	Meaulte
14 May 1943	Capt J W Carroll / C W Woodbury	Kiel
15 May 1943	Capt J W Carroll / Capt R W Weitzenfeld	Wilhelmshaven-Heligoland	Me109 + Me110 damaged
17 May 1943	Capt J W Carroll / Maj C G Gillespie	Lorient-Keroman	Group lead
29 May 1943	Capt J W Carroll / B Peek	St Nazaire
11 Jun 1943	Capt J W Carroll / Maj C G Gillespie	Bremen	Group lead
15 Jun 1943	Capt J H Carroll / J H McPartlin	Le Mans (recalled)
22 Jun 1943	Capt J W Carroll / W H Wheeler	Huls	1 KIA + 1 WIA
4 Jul 1943	D H Frank / Maj C G Gillespie	Le Mans	Deputy group lead
14 Jul 1943	D H Frank / K B McPartlin	Amiens
17 Jul 1943	R C Heller / W J Rowland	T/Op N.Germany	Cat A - self inflicted
24 Jul 1943	W H Wheeler / J H McPartlin	Heroya
26 Jul 1943	Capt Lethers / Maj Bishop	Hamburg	orig a/c #639 but crossed out
28 Jul 1943	W H Wheeler / L J Bianchi	Kassel (abortive-wx)
29 Jul 1943	Capt H T Lay / N A Daniels	Kiel + T/Opp
30 Jul 1943	W H Wheeler / L J Bianchi	Kassel	Fw190 destroyed + Fw190 damaged
12 Aug 1943	W H Wheeler / L Bianchi	Ruhr (Bochum, Gelsinkirchen)
15 Aug 1943	Capt D H Frank / K B Rutledge	Flushing/Vlissengen	Cat AC - flak + shell cases
24 Aug 1943		Villacoublay	R/E - Lost #2 eng (NS)
31 Aug 1943	Capt H T Lay / Maj D G Alford	Amiens/Glisy a/f
4 Oct 1943	R A Pitts / K B Rutledge	Frankfurt	Cat A - flak + mg + self inflicted
10 Oct 1943	R A Pitts / R Shipp	Munster
14 Oct 1943	Capt H T Lay / LtCol T R Milton	Schweinfurt
3 Nov 1943	Cap E M Lockhart / F/O P G McDuffee	Wilhelmshaven	Cat A - flak + mg + shell cases
5 Nov 1943	Capt E M Lockhart / N A Daniels	Gelsenkirchen	R/E (NS) - #4 eng cut out at 25000ft, jettisoned bombs
13 Dec 1943	Capt J H McPartlin / LtCol C G Gillespie	Bremen
20 Dec 1943	H H Evers / F/O P G McDuffee	Bremen	Cat A - flak
30 Dec 1943	H H Evers / F/O P G McDuffee	Ludwigshaven
31 Dec 1943	H H Evers / F/O P G McDuffee	Cognac a/f