USAAF Nose Art Research Project

The Goon
B-17F-5-BO 41-24407

301st Bomb Group, 32nd Bomb Squadron

Nose art painted by
Sgt Eugene TOWNSEND
301st Bomb Group, 32nd Bomb Squadron
England, North Africa & Italy

Another of the 32nd Bomb Squadron's original complement of combat aircraft, this B17F arrived at Chelveston on 9th August 1942 and flew on the group's 2nd mission to St Omer in France on 6th September. By October 1943, "The Goon" (now at Oudnia) had completed 48 missions. It was transferred to 99BG and completed a further 34 missions before being withdrawn from combat in March 1944. Two months later it returned to Amarillo AAB and was ultimately scrapped at Walnut Ridge in December 1945.

Townsend painted his extraordinary nose art design on both sides of the nose as a mirrored image but the lengthening mission tally (in three rows) was only applied to the left side.