Warbird Information Exchange

Hello all. I am trying to find out as much information as I can on my Granddad's plane. He was a bombardier during WWII for the 2nd Bomb Group, 20th Bomb Squadron. The name of the plane was the Mary Jane. The only picture I have of the plane does not show any nose art, just the name. My confusion comes from the 2nd BG's website. It says the a/c number is 23032. Everywhere I have looked, this number does not exist, nor does the a/c name. I found a crew member's memoir that mentions their first plane, O.D. Angel, 43-3189, but I can't find any info on that one either. They were issued a new B-17, the Mary Jane, prior to going to Africa. If anyone has any information, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

Running 423032 through ABCDList turns up nothing under Boeing B-17F, Baughers lists show 423032 as a B-17F-15-DL, l/n 7968, Douglas built but was with the 379th B.G., 525th B.S. named 'BOOZENESS' and was shot down 6/25/43 near Brahe Ger. by hptm Wilhelm Gath flying an FW-109 A 5 attatched to Jg. 267/2 and covered by MACR 1365.
The other S/N 433189 comes up as a PIPER T6G training glider.
Have you tried to contact the 2nd B.G. association on line?

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Thanks for the info. I had a feeling I came to the right place. Is it possible the plane was renamed? From what I've read, it went to the 483rd BG after it left the 2nd. I did contact the 2nd BG and got some information when I was trying to find a picture of the plane. It was actually in the book Defenders of Liberty. Nothing really concrete on the numbers though. I may try e-mailing them again. Thanks again!

It was fairly common to hand an in service aircraft from a rotating crew off to the FNG's who may or may not have renamed it to suit their feelings, or if the aircraft was transferred to another group the receiving crew would probably rename it. Sometimes these things are harder to track down than the mayonnaise at a Weight Watchers meeting and then the mention will trip another persons memory and the whole thing pours out like warm syrup, seen it happen here a few times.
Good luck, keep diggin'!!!

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

To add to a little more information: I remembered in the book Defenders of Liberty the a/c number was listed as 42-29595 when talking about the mission where their waist gunner was injured and subsequently died. Reading through the co-pilot's (Schmal) memoir, that mission they were flying the Group Commander's plane because the "Mary Jane" was grounded. In Baugher's list, it shows 29595 in the right BG/BS, (2nd BG, 20th BS, "Fadler/Thru All Danger Let Us Ride"). That part checks out, but my grandfather's plane still remains a mystery...

The airplane was not shot down as indicated in the second post. The airplane survived the war and was flown back to the US in Dec 1945.


According to Roger Freeman's excellent "The Flying Fortress Story":

42-3032 B-17F DL was accepted at Cheyenne on 13 Jan 43; transferred to Salina 2 Feb 1943; assigned to the 20BS/2BG Morrison Field on 3 March 1943; assigned to Navarin, Algeria, in April 1943; assigned Cheteau-du-Rhumel 27 April 1943; Ain M'Lilla 17 June 1943; Massicault 31 July 1943; Bizerte 2 Dec 1943; Amendola 9 Dec 1943; transferred to the 840 BS/ 483 BG Tortorella 31 March 1944; RFC Walnut Ridge 14 Dec 1945.

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"Welcome back Mr. Lasky."

You should convey that information to J. Baugher for correction, he's very, very good at keeping information up to date and correct, and is open to additions to fill in holes in his information, he's got it shown as shot down over Germany.

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Awesome! I can't thank you enough for this info. It seems everything lines up and indeed his plane was 42-3032. Looks like I'll be buying that book soon.