Help Needed on 8th Air Force Musette Bag "Blue Moon"

[Grant G.]

I purchased this musette bag quite a while back and have made little progress identifying the markings. Does anyone know the significance of "Blue Moon" in connection with the 8th AF? I was thinking possibly a plane's name, but I am really not sure. If I can determine that, I might have better luck identifying D. "Red" Williams. Interestingly, someone had been using it as book bag as there were multiple old library cards tucked in the interior compartment. Thank you for your assistance!

 

[Bluehawk]

Grant,

A thought came to mind that possibly that there are groups, as we know, who do nothing but research a/c nose art - almost all of which is named in some way, "Lucky Lady" etc etc etc.

 

Might they have a lead for Blue Moon? It does sound very much like an aircraft name.

[Grant G.]

Grant,

A thought came to mind that possibly that there are groups, as we know, who do nothing but research a/c nose art - almost all of which is named in some way, "Lucky Lady" etc etc etc.

 

Might they have a lead for Blue Moon? It does sound very much like an aircraft name.

That's what I was thinking too. Unfortunately I can't seem to find any connection though. I tried searching the American Air Museum database for an aircraft named "Blue Moon" and found only one result, but it doesn't seem to be relevant. http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft?search=blue+moon&type=&airforce=&group=

[uscollector]

You might find some help at the 8th Air Force Museum at www.mightyeighth.org. It is located just outside Savannah GA where the Eighth Air Force was activated.

[Nic]

No "Blue Moon" listed in my copy of the B-17 Nose Art Name directory by Wallace Forman. Not to say it wasn't a B-17 as it could just not of been found by the time the book made it into production in 1996. It could be listed in the B-24 Directory if someone has that one.

[Bluehawk]

Here is an outside shot at it...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WWIINoseArtFans/

[phantomfixer]

can't help with the name but do not omit Fighter units in your search...

 

great looking bag

[Sarge8]

Just a shot in the dark - any names on the library cards? Maybe one of his kids? Might help locate him on Ancestry.

 

Frank

[Bluehawk]

Okay, here's another sideways WAG...

 

The typeface (font) used for Blue Moon, on that bag has a very distinctive look which I recalled this morning, and which could lead to some sort of dating for the lettering itself?

 

1. The form is based on early 20th century Futurist (european) design.

2. That form also regained a modest popularity during the so-called "Counter Culture" period in America, ca. 1963-70

3. Therefore, whoever wrote Blue Moon on that bag had to have been familiar with one or the other or both of those two art historical trends.

 

The presence of the USAAF roundel suggests, to me that, possibly, the illustration was done prior to the Counter Culture (it having been a distinctly anti-military era).

 

The handwritten name (D. Red Williams) appearing underneath Blue Moon, was done in what is now an archaic style, practically 19th century in appearance, suggesting that whoever put it there was "of a certain age."

 

The juxtaposition of two such very different typefaces (one might say) is tickling my memory that maybe D. Red Williams and Blue Moon have nothing whatsoever to do with one another.

 

I do not know enough (barely anything in fact) about dating musette bags to be able to place that GI artifact in time along with either the handwriting or the typeface(s). The spread between the three aspects of "evidence" could be 90 years, or 30 years, or less or more.

 

Very helpful, I know