renfield Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share #76 Posted January 14, 2012 Here is a nice one. Taken after a snow fall. VIRGINIA LEE II a B-17G 42-97064 flew with the 711th BS 447BG This plane landed in Switzerland on 13 April 1944 after being hit by flak on a mission to Augsburg. The pilot was Capt. Keller. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renfield Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share #77 Posted January 14, 2012 This B-17G is SONOF A BLITZ it flew with the 863rdBS 493rdBG Debach England. You can just make out the stork flying with a bomb nose art. I was bidding on two other pictures of B-17 nose art at the time I got this picture, but dropped out of the bidding when both went for over $75.00, someone really wanted them! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renfield Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share #78 Posted January 14, 2012 There is no nose art in this picture and no way to ID the B-17G. I like the contrast of the Flying Fortress and the little "piper"? scout plane sort of tucked up to its wing. It looks like the #1 engine is missing its prop! I wish I knew the story. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renfield Posted January 29, 2012 Author Share #79 Posted January 29, 2012 A nice looking B-17F crew picture. The name on the plane is SOUTHERN COMFORT JR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renfield Posted January 29, 2012 Author Share #80 Posted January 29, 2012 I have not been able to come up with any info on this plane. Not much to go by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renfield Posted January 29, 2012 Author Share #81 Posted January 29, 2012 I like this picture a lot. I think the name on the B-17G is PROWLING TOM but the nose art is out of frame. I like the flight gear on the two officers. The left is wearing either a tan or pink "crusher" not seen very ofter in the 8th AAF. If anyone has any info on this plane that would be great. Thanks for all the great help so far. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38Driver Posted January 30, 2012 Share #82 Posted January 30, 2012 It appears a few of us are watching the same birds. Prices have gone beyond crazy however. Nice to see some went to good homes and are being shared here though Not a combat bird, which might explain why I could actually afford to go after it! I kind of like the anonymous 17s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renfield Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share #83 Posted January 30, 2012 38Driver you are sooooo right about prices going way up. I have seen in the past few months pictures of named B-17s go for $75.00 and $84.00. There was a P-39 photo just sold for $94.00 on ebay. I just pick up the left over pictures. Or if there is one pic. I just have to have I only bid on that one as I know I can not afford an entire group. These prices have to be coming close to Civil War tin types. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobrahistorian Posted January 30, 2012 Share #84 Posted January 30, 2012 38Driver you are sooooo right about prices going way up. I have seen in the past few months pictures of named B-17s go for $75.00 and $84.00. There was a P-39 photo just sold for $94.00 on ebay. I just pick up the left over pictures. Or if there is one pic. I just have to have I only bid on that one as I know I can not afford an entire group. These prices have to be coming close to Civil War tin types. Steve It is pretty insane. For the P-47 book, there were a few Jug photos that I paid over $60 for, just because they illustrated exactly what I was writing about. I've been outbid on more airplane photos than I care to remember... Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREMLIN2 Posted January 30, 2012 Share #85 Posted January 30, 2012 It is pretty insane. For the P-47 book, there were a few Jug photos that I paid over $60 for, just because they illustrated exactly what I was writing about. I've been outbid on more airplane photos than I care to remember... Jon I hear you guys; people are paying crazy prices for photos. A few weeks ago someone spent around $175.00 EACH for a 305th BG B-17 color slide. Must be dealers or Pacific basin buyers. Only a B-17 photo for petes sake,probably post hostilities. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREMLIN2 Posted January 30, 2012 Share #86 Posted January 30, 2012 A nice looking B-17F crew picture. The name on the plane is SOUTHERN COMFORT JR. Steve, Nice pic Two 8th AF SOUTHERN COMFORT JR 's 91st BG B-17F CAM and the 305th BG 229508 Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREMLIN2 Posted January 30, 2012 Share #87 Posted January 30, 2012 I like this picture a lot. I think the name on the B-17G is PROWLING TOM but the nose art is out of frame. I like the flight gear on the two officers. The left is wearing either a tan or pink "crusher" not seen very ofter in the 8th AAF. If anyone has any info on this plane that would be great. Thanks for all the great help so far. Steve Steve, like the bikes airmen with ship There was a PROWLIN' TOM 390th BG 231114 Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREMLIN2 Posted January 30, 2012 Share #88 Posted January 30, 2012 It appears a few of us are watching the same birds. Prices have gone beyond crazy however. Nice to see some went to good homes and are being shared here though Not a combat bird, which might explain why I could actually afford to go after it! I kind of like the anonymous 17s That's a sweet photograph. Thanks for sharing! Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38Driver Posted January 31, 2012 Share #89 Posted January 31, 2012 I hear you guys; people are paying crazy prices for photos. A few weeks ago someone spent around $175.00 EACH for a 305th BG B-17 color slide. Must be dealers or Pacific basin buyers. Only a B-17 photo for petes sake,probably post hostilities. Jack What 'scares' me about this is wondering how many of these photos will fall right back into the woodwork in a box somewhere as a perceived investment. That's the historian in me. I get that is how the world works, and I'm glad folks like Cobra are using them in books, or sharing them here for others to see. What's really hard to see is when a group gets broken up and obviously connected photos end up separated and the story gets lost. Renfield, do you have Wally Foreman's book on B17 nose art names? He really knew his stuff and was collecting nose art photos long before it became popular Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renfield Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share #90 Posted February 3, 2012 I just finished reading a book about B-17 units in the Pacific. I read many stories about the crews that had to sleep under the wings of their planes. Well I just got these pictures that show just this. The trees in the background show that it was taken in the PTO. It is nice to read a book and then find something that relates to what you have just read. When I enlarge the pictures I can see the mosquito netting that will be put up around the cots. I know it is not nose art but I thought I would share them. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renfield Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share #91 Posted February 3, 2012 The second picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38Driver Posted February 4, 2012 Share #92 Posted February 4, 2012 I'm guessing you just read "Fortress Against the Sun"? I did a stretch of PTO 17 reading a while back including that book. One of the unintentional perks of that time was getting an old wartime copy of "Queens Die Proudly" by W.L. White. It was first printed in 1943 which is when my copy was printed. It cost me a couple bucks on abebooks.com. When it arrived I opened it and saw it was inscribed as a birthday gift on July 25, 1943. I turned to the next page as saw the writing below. My interest immediately perked up seeing it was signed by an aircraft commander from the 19th BG in 1942! A bit of research showed me that Captain Roderick Stewart was a real connection to the early PTO 17s. He'd been a 2nd Lt. when he flew into Pearl Harbor on December 7th as part of Lt. David Thacker's crew. He later flew combat missions with his own crew as part of both the 7th and 19th Bomb Groups. He finished his WW2 as a squadron commander in B17s with the 94th Bomb Group in England. Somehow it made that old book that much more special sitting on the shelf in the B17 section Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renfield Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share #93 Posted February 4, 2012 Yes "Fortress Against the Sun" is the book I read. I really enjoyed it. I also got the osprey book B-17s of the PTO. I have looked up the books you have mentioned as referance books but they all seem to be out of print. I guess I am a bit late in my interest in this subject. The signed book you have is something extra special,great find. Thanks again for all the usefull info you and others have posted here. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREMLIN2 Posted February 4, 2012 Share #94 Posted February 4, 2012 What 'scares' me about this is wondering how many of these photos will fall right back into the woodwork in a box somewhere as a perceived investment. That's the historian in me. I get that is how the world works, and I'm glad folks like Cobra are using them in books, or sharing them here for others to see. What's really hard to see is when a group gets broken up and obviously connected photos end up separated and the story gets lost. Renfield, do you have Wally Foreman's book on B17 nose art names? He really knew his stuff and was collecting nose art photos long before it became popular is Speaking of the late Wally Foreman's books, his B-24 nose art names directory has been digitalized and is now available on line to any viewer. Just have to sign on to access it,no fees or anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREMLIN2 Posted February 4, 2012 Share #95 Posted February 4, 2012 is Speaking of the late Wally Foreman's books, his B-24 nose art names directory has been digitalized and is now available on line at scribed.com to any viewer. Just have to sign on to access it,no fees or anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREMLIN2 Posted February 4, 2012 Share #96 Posted February 4, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38Driver Posted February 5, 2012 Share #97 Posted February 5, 2012 is Speaking of the late Wally Foreman's books, his B-24 nose art names directory has been digitalized and is now available on line to any viewer. Just have to sign on to access it,no fees or anything. I got to know the late Wally Foreman through the Twin Cities Aero Historians. One of the nicest guys you could ever meet and willing to help anytime anyone asked. His nose art files were second to none. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREMLIN2 Posted February 5, 2012 Share #98 Posted February 5, 2012 I got to know the late Wally Foreman through the Twin Cities Aero Historians. One of the nicest guys you could ever meet and willing to help anytime anyone asked. His nose art files were second to none. I was lucky as well to have communications with Wally when I first started researching 100th BG B-17's. As you say Wally was a very likable guy and helped me with info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renfield Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share #99 Posted February 5, 2012 I have always liked this photo. I think I have seen it before so the picture I have may be a copy. I have never been able to ID the BG or name of the B-17. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renfield Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share #100 Posted February 5, 2012 I think this to be a war time photo. I have the negative of this photo along with 3 others taken at the same time. The paint and the yellow tail number lead me to think it could be from W.W.2. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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