Douglas A-20K "Caboose" ...

[Mark Allen M]

Scott Thompson's volume (DOUGLAS HAVOC AND BOSTON) states: "delivered on 1 November 1944. This A-20K carried the tag line of 'Caboose' as it proceeded down the assembly line and Douglas employees added their signatures to the airframe as it came together... In a decided turn from sentiment, the A-20K went to the paint shop and all the signatures and adornments were lost beneath a coat of olive drab and grey."

[raconnel]

"So we can build C-54s"

Thanks Mark!

[marine air]

The pilot was overheard saying 'Nice Caboose" and "She's got a big caboose."

[Michel Lemieux]

Great pics Mark as always.

Funny...took me a second......

Miss Temple is writing from her right hand and her right sleeve is empty. Must have been cold and they gave her an overcoat.

Curious as to the whole story behind this one! What a lovely picture chief.

[Chris Brame]

Per Baugher:

(44-)825 to RAF as Boston V BZ669. SOC Mar 14, 1946

Most of the last batch (44-707 to 44-825) went to the RAF as Boston V - maybe that's why it was repainted?

[Mark Sampson]

I love seeing this ephemera- these pictures were never meant to last- yet here they are, giving us a glimpse into the home front back then.
And interesting for me, the Shirley Temple photo shows how the navigator/bombardier/gunner(?) was able to get into the nose of that narrow fuselage. A very small question ever since I built an Airfix 1/72 kit as a child, answered at last. (I did get up close to the A-20 stored at Geneseo about ten years ago, but that was a gun-nose model.)

[jdvoss]

I believe that the O/A light colored paint is most probably a primer. After final USAAF paint scheme was applied ( OD over light grey) the A-20's were flown to to the Barstow, CA modification center for final markings.

JDV
www.fuselagecodes.com