The Feather Merchant Wing

[mtnman]

I was looking on eBay a week ago and saw a very interesting wing that caught my eye. I've seen many many types of wings but this one stood out as unique amongst them all. The wing had the black enamel framed words "Feather Merchant" over and under the red enameled shield with a Feather and Hammer diagonally crossed over each other in the center. Right off the cuff I figured it a WWII Army Air Force theater made non-official wing for a personal purpose within the ranks. I immediately started pulling up Feather Merchant and Army Air Force with World War II as the search parameters. I immediately pulled up a story I will include with the list of bomber crews below but thought this would be the only example of a plane called Feather Merchant so I thought it probably a intracrew gift of endearment to the pilot in whose belongings this wing was included. I found out this wing came along with his Sterling Pilot wing and bullion wings as well, which came from the nephew who had maintained his uncle's material, including his dog tags which he would not sell.

 

The seller was very kind and informative as much as he could and has left a note on the nephew's door where he purchased the material from the nephew imma to get in touch with me so that I can inquire further as to the exact group, squadron etc that the pilot flew in and any other information I can glean.

 

After doing additional research I found out I was mistaken regarding the B-17 bomber that I had found, Feather Merchant, being the only bomber to fly under that moniker! Searching for a few days, I found at least 10 bomber aircraft, B-24s, B-17s, B-29 and a B-25 utilized Feather Merchant or Feather Merchants. There was one crew which received, after their first bomber crashed, their replacement bomber and called it Feather Merchant II. Two of them used The Feather Merchants plural as the name of their bomber, dubbing each individual by extension, a "Feather Merchant", and all these crews had accompanying ephemera such as flight jackets etc, one of these jackets from one of these bomber crews being in the National Museum of the US Air Force in Ohio, the jacket named by the museum "Feather Merchant".

 

These aircraft flew in England, Italy, South Pacific and over Japan which are the locations I have found so far. So narrowing it down to the exact crew which this pilot flew in will depend on whether the nephew indeed gets in touch with me which I am hoping for in earnest.

 

I looked into the use of the term as slang as well , ranging from a yeoman clerks in the Navy during World War II because of their shoulder boards carrying the feathers emblem. Or a Marine who was basically green and small and uncoordinated and undisciplined, a new recruit to be turned into a killing machine. Or, from a naval officer who was at Pearl harbor, his son remembered him saying that a Feather Merchant was a lightweight or in Navy vernacular, "candy-rump", who couldn't carry his weight, which was used as both a small scornful term with an ulterior motive as a term of encouraging recruits to pull their greatest efforts out in the situation they were in.

 

I can't say for sure where the wing was made unless I get information from the nephew, although I have seen theater made wings with similar hinge and catch from Italy/North Africa but it also has characteristics that broaden the possibilities along with the many possibilities of where these men flew in the several Feather Merchant ships. My thoughts are that this Wing was created by the crew for the pilot as a gesture of endearment, a memorial of all that they had gone through together in that insular Airborne world of a bomber's fuselage during wartime bomber raids. They were a family of the most trusting bonds as they passed through war's cataclysm, including the stark terror of imminent death, the only comfort being faith in God and the bond in that situation with a wartime family of the closest brotherly intimacy, also the good times kicking back in the barracks and on leave as they let go of the incredible grip upon life from facing almost certain death in harrowing encounters with the enemy etc. I believe this wing symbolized in a microcosm, their life in that bomber, with the feather signifying the light-hearted humility of the name they all chose, along with the hammer signifying their unified mission of bringing righteous power down upon the cities and military installations of the enemy. If I get more information of course I will update but I wanted to go ahead and share this with you guys and give you a list of some of the aircraft that I found along the way that used this moniker along with a story written up about one of those crews and their bomb group.

 

 

BOMBER GROUP REMEMBERS DAYS IN AIR DURING WWII

VIRGINIA BIGGINS Staff Writer

Daily Press/The Times-Herald

July 13, 1989

 

Tall tales were the order of the day when 160 members of the 447th Bomb Group held a reunion this week at the Holiday Inn, Waterside, in Norfolk.

Bill Greenwell of Hampton who piloted a Flying Fortress B-17 bomber during World War II was among those attending the reunion. Greenwell was pilot of a bomber named "Feather Merchant," and was one of the bomb group's original crews during the war.

Ten members of the group from England, including Ed Leighty, an American who stayed in Great Britain after war, attended the event. Leighty, a Pennsylvanian, was waist gunner on Greenwell's bomber."I haven't seen him since we flew our last mission together on D-Day, June 6, 1944," says Greenwell.

"My ground crew chief, Don Nafus, also fly in from Cody, Wyoming," Greenwell says.

Leighty married an English girl and lives in Rattlesden, England, which was the site of an airfield where the B-17 squadrons operated.

Crops now grow on much of the former airfield. The 447thy American Bomb Group flew 258 missions from Rattlesden to make raids deep into Germany,s according to Greenwell.

"A memorial has been built in tribute to the 447th at Hightown Green, Rattlesden, opposite what was the main runway. The land was donated by David Lee, his brother, Fred Lee, and family," he says.

"Members of the Lee family are owners of the farm near Rattlesden that became the home station of the American bomb group 45 years ago. The Lees were in the group of English visitors during reunion."

The English family were enthusiastic supporters of the American bomb group during the war. They have donated a plot of land on the site of the former base where a memorial honoring the group was erected in 1983.

Leighty was one of the first to place a wreath at the memorial.

Greenwell says there are still some crumbling remains of the large United States Eighth Air Force Base, where the 447th was assigned.

"Forty-four years have passed since the group's Boeing B-17 with the letter "K" on the tail flew their last mission on April 21, 1945, but there are still people living in the area who remember the base and its bombers," he says. " Our planes had names such as Feather Merchant, Heaven Can Wait, Ice Cold Katy II, Royal Flush and Scheherazade."

The Flying Fortresses of the 447th went to England in November 1943. Some of the airplanes flew across the Atlantic Ocean with a stopover in the Azores; while others flew out of Gander, Newfoundland across the North Atlantic and made landfall at Prestwick. They then flew to their new home at Rattlesden.

The first mission was flown on Christmas Eve in 1943, which was a raid on the Pas de Calais bomb manufacturing, storage and launching sites associated with the notorious "V" weapons.

Many raids took place over France and Germany, at places like like Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Brunswick, Berlin, Munich and Dresden, the former B-17 pilot remembers.

"One of the 447th' greatest losses was during a raid on Zwickau where the Foke-Wulfe repair depot was the target. We lost six Fortresses," he says.

The last mission of the war was flown on Apr. 21, 1945 on Inglostadt.

The B-17 unit returned to the United States shortly afterwards.

Reunion members toured Williamsburg, took a sightseeing tour on the "New Spirit," visited the General McArthur Memorial and the Newport News War Memorial Museum. A banquet and dance concluded the program.

Norfolk native Harold H. Wood, who was a bombardier on one of the group's original B-17 crews, also attended. Wood completed two tours with the group before war's end.

 

OTHER FEATHER MERCHANT BOMBERS:

 

1- B-24 714th BS 446th BG later 492nd "Feather Merchant" # 42-73477

452nd Bomb Group

 

2- B-17 #43-37644

Feather Merchant: The name for this plane was from the cartoon strip called Lil Abner. The cartoonist, Al Capp, would invent ficticious characters in his strip and one was an eastern salesman who was working the Lil Abner area selling his wares. He was inclined to blow hot air and sell items that the people did not need so they gave him the name Feather Merchant. During training, the pilot Jim Shawhan would call someone a Feather Merchant if they made a goof. They would quickly reciprocate and call him one when he made a mistake. The nose art was a big white ball with top hat, glove, and cane inside the ball with the name next to the ball. James H. Shawhan was the pilot.

The Feather Merchant flew in the famous first Schweinfurt Raid in August 1943, but the 352nd suffered the most losses of any squadron. Quinleys B-17, though, was lucky on this raid. The aircraft returned to Ridgewell without a loss.

 

3- #42-6308 "Feather Merchant" Boeing B-29-10-BW Superfortress ((40th BG) lost Aug 20, 1944, mission to Yamata, hit by flak and fighters, crew bailed out over China, 2 kia : crew chief and tail gunner MACR 9686)

 

 

4- B-25C "Feather Merchant" Serial 41-12442. South Pacific, aircraft itself is a monument out of school in the islands of the South Pacific

 

5- 42-30009 B-17 FLYING FORTRESS Feather Merchant. Delivered Cheyenne 25/3/43; Pueblo 8/4/43; Hobbs 6/5/43; Presque Is 21/5/43; Dow Fd 23/5/43; Assigned 532BS/381BG [VE-G] Ridgewell 25/5/43 with Leo Jarvis, Gene Mancinelli, Dick Riley, Bill Lockhart, Harry Seymore, Warren Heintz, Harry Strecher, Chas Persinger, Gene Roehl, Herman Grossman;

Missing in Action 5m Bremen 8/10/43 with Jack Pry, Co-pilot: Cecil Quinley, Navigator: Roger Burwell, Bombardier: Theo Snyder, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ed LaPointe, Radio Operator: Russ Frautschi, Waist gunner: Carl Baird,Tail gunner: Martin Brandt (8 Prisoner of War), Ball turret gunner: Irvin Smith, Waist gunner: Alf Johnson (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed Hagewede-Brockum, 10 miles S of Diepholz, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 1397. FEATHER MERCHANT.

 

6- #43-37553 B-17 FLYING FORTRESS Feather Merchant II

Delivered Cheyenne 28/4/44; Kearney 11/5/44; Grenier 21/5/44; Assigned 535BS/381BG [MS-Y] Ridgewell 27/5/44; battle damaged {51m} Kassel 1/1/45 with Peters; force landed France, crew flew home in C-47; Salvaged. FEATHER MERCHANT II.

 

7- B-24 Feather Merchants # 42-52655 Italy Researching 824th Bombardment Squadron out of Torretta Air Field in Italy. My grandfather, T/Sgt. John F. Hahn was the tail gunner on Ship #17, Serial # 42-52655. The B-24H was nicknamed "The Feather Merchants". The ship's 15th and final mission was on June 13, 1944.

 

8- B-29 called the feather merchants, couldn't find number

[mtnman]

Front, examine the details because they are many and exquisite.

[mtnman]

Closer view of The shield and surrounding lettering which was made with precision and detailed attention to lettering size and symmetry. This was a cast wing indeed but it was cast by an individual who had lettering stencils and access to enamel which is why I lean toward Italy as its possible origin

[mtnman]

Here is a look at the pin catch which is indicative of English overtones as well as Italian. A Chinese or Indian could have possibly utilized this catch as well.

[mtnman]

As we look at the pin hinge, I have seen Italian theater made wings utilize this hinge design as well as North African wings.

[mtnman]

Rear is of a smooth surface texture, beautifully done

[mtnman]

Finally we have a top view with the wing being constructed as a flat surface with three-dimensional texture without wing curvature forward or aft.

[mtnman]

I'm adding two side views, one light bulb and one without light above. First with reflective light on it

[mtnman]

Second without

[aerocollector2014]

A wonderful find Mel, and very well researched buddy !!

[Tesla]

Very nice! Thanks for the information.

[Garandomatic]

I had the waist gunner of the 447th's Feather Merchant. Traded it to a member that has things that belonged to a crewmate.

[mtnman]

I had the waist gunner of the 447th's Feather Merchant. Traded it to a member that has things that belonged to a crewmate.

That is so interesting! I didn't think of the fact that other collectors would most certainly, with all the Feather Merchant crews, have ephemera from the lives of these airmen! Thank you for sharing that and please everyone, feel free to segue this into a Feather Merchant crew memoir thread by posting anything you have from Feather Merchant crewmen as well.

[kanemono]

Wonderful wing and great research! Thank you.

Dick

[Allan H.]

This is a beautiful wing, and although it is quite possible that the wing belonged to a crewman of one of those aircraft that bore the "Feather Merchant" name, my bet is that the wing was an unofficial award for someone who wasn't wearing a wing. Obviously, to go to that amount of work to have the wing created, it has to have been made for someone who was well-liked and well respected in the squadron. Perhaps the chaplain or the unit meteorologist? Perhaps one of the command's primary staff who wasn't a rated flyer? I seriously doubt that someone in a crew would be wanting to wear this when heading to the local pub while on leave. It would have been akin to walking around with a "coward" or "goldbrick" label. There probably would have been more ensuing fights than the wing was worth for a crew member.

 

For those who recall the movie "12 O'clock High," I believe that you will recall where Peck's character tells one of the pilots that he will command a ship named "Leper Colony" where he would receive all of the sick, lame and lazy. I wonder if any of the "Feather Merchant" named aircraft were established and manned for a similar reason?

 

Thanks again for posting the wing.

 

Allan

[ocsfollowme]

Just a wag but https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.reporterherald.com/2017/10/10/getting-down-to-the-origin-of-feather-merchant-saying/amp/

 

Similar to the chairforce?

[mtnman]

Excellent conjecture Allan, and well-thought-out. This is exactly what I presumed initially would have been the use for the wing and what attracted me to it. These unofficial wings took work. These men took the time to track down a native metal worker, to help design the wing and have it created. A wing of this nature given to Chaplain or unit meteorologist as you so accurately surmised, signified a distinct and deep affinity and appreciation for their contribution to the crew. The reason I had to rethink that idea is that the wing was included in the pilot's material maintained after his passing by his nephew: his pilot wing, a couple of bullion wings he brought back, patches, his dog tags (he would not give access to for sale) etc. I altered the narrative in my conjecture to fit the facts regarding who brought the wing home and kept it all these years in his wartime personal memoir items. But the distinct truth of it awaits whether the nephew, who was selling this in a moving sale to Bob in Eugene Oregon, responds to the letter Bob (my contact) decided should be sent to the nephew at his new address. The nephew's former neighbor gave the new address to us, so a letter has been sent to ascertain the story behind the wing if he will respond and get in touch with Bob and I.

[mtnman]

Just a wag but https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.reporterherald.com/2017/10/10/getting-down-to-the-origin-of-feather-merchant-saying/amp/

 

Similar to the chairforce?

Yes I read this in my research Steve, this meaning of feather merchant regarding a person who worked in a "cushy job" with little challenge, evolved after World War II as a meaning for Feather Merchant and in fact was often applied to people who worked in government jobs.

[TBMflyer]

Guys, just a WAG, but I wonder if this were some sort of end of tour type 'award'. Being that the pilot or crew was finished with combat, he became a 'feather merchant' seeing he was no longer a combat pilot. It's just a thought,

Mark

[Garandomatic]

As I recall, Greenwell named the 447th's Feather Merchant after the idea that some fellas were back home with cushy jobs and not overseas. The nose art was Donald Duck in a zoot suit if I recall. Awesome post.

[Bluehawk]

Wonderful wing - heads up the "USMF Fact of the Day" file today!

[Allan H.]

Mark (TBMFlyer),

 

I think this idea makes the most sense as it was in the effects of a rated pilot who flew combat missions. Perhaps other pilots received one as a "Completed Missions" award?

 

Allan

[mtnman]

That's my assessment of it, I agree Allan

[tomcatter]

Very interesting wings and great info, thank you!