Warbird Information Exchange

Gents,

I met a fella today whose dad was a WWII Navigator on a B-24 called Sweet Thing. He flew quite a few missions in the Pacific and was even shot down once. He was looking for info about the plane or his dad. His dad's name was Henry (or Harry) F. Scholz. I did some searching myself and seen some B-24 pics of a Sweet Thing. Looks like there were at least two B-24's with that name. The nose art was a gal with a big chest. I'm waiting to hear back what BG his dad was in and maybe an a/c number. If anyone has some info about the man or the plane I'd appreciate it. I told him I'd ask the experts here and see if anything could be turned up. If I get anymore info/pics back from him I'll post it up.

Thanks....John

John these are the photos you have probably already found.


Lt. Loy and crew of the 394th Bomb Squadron, 5th Bomb Group pose beside the Consolidated B-24 "Sweet Thing" at an air base somewhere in the Netherlands East Indies. They are: T/Sgt. G.M. Kolb S/Sgt. W.J. Culhane S/Sgt. C.D. Williams


Lt. Loy and crew of the 394th Bomb Squadron, 5th Bomb Group pose beside the Consolidated B-24 "Sweet Thing" at an air base somewhere in the Netherlands East Indies. They are: T/Sgt. W.M. Wood T/Sgt. G. M. Kolb S/Sgt. J. Dennis

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Zero Surprise!!...

The Fold3 archives have a lot on the 394th BS, 5th BG "Bomber Barons". Perhaps if your friends father was a part of this group there may be some good stuff to research. I hope so.


North American B-25 of the 394th Bomb Squadron, 5th Bomb Group Bomber Barons, at an airfieldon Borneo, Netherlands East Indies. July 1945.


Sporting airliner-style livery, this C-47 serves as a hack aircraft for the 394th Bomb Sq, 5th BG. July 1945


USS Guivana, carrying the rescued flyers of the 394th Bomb Squadron

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Zero Surprise!!...

Mark,

Thank you sir for the response!! I've seen the one pic with the nose art, the other one (the first) I have not.

Here is the other B-24 "Sweet Thing" that I "thought" I located (42-73199). After looking at the pics it maybe one in the same. The a/f numbers are the same in the different places I located it. What threw me off on the 2nd one below was the lack of mission bombs and the lady's hair looked different in the other pic you posted. Maybe repainted or faded?? It must have been repainted later on as it is darker in the pic with more mission bombs painted on. Anyway, I just talked to the son. He is going to scan me a pic of his dad and crew with the Sweet Thing and his award citation and/or article about their mission. He also has some original 50 cal casings his dad kept from a mission. Pretty interesting stuff so far.

John





This appears to be a later pic to the one you posted judging from the bombs painted on the side.

I got this from the son a little bit ago. A pic of Sweet Thing and aircrew with his dad in it. The crew list says the pic is in Cheyenne, WY. I'm not sure that is correct as the aircraft has completed quit a few bomb runs and one of the other pics above shows more bombs have been painted on the side since this pic was taken.

Per 5th Bomb Group (H) Association records Henry F Scholz served in the 394th Bomb Squadron, 5th Bomb Group (H).

The 5th BG had at least 2 planes nicknamed "Sweet Thing". B-24J #42-73199 was assigned to the 394th BS and all of the photos previously posted are of that plane.

The other plane, B-24M #44-42366, was assigned to the 72nd BS.

B-24BestWeb has photos of both planes.

Richard O

Based in the south/southwest pacific but definitley not in the Netherlands East Indies.

Duane