Classic colour A-2 Aircrew pictures

[Chandler]

This is 'Little Miss Mischief' getting some paintwork - that familiar 'A' again.

Now that looks familiar, had never seen it as a patch.

Chandler

 

[TankBuster]

A fair amount of aircrew painted the stabilizer markings
on the shoulder of their jackets. The Ball Boys are one
group in particular that comes to mind. They incorporated
it into the paining on the back of their jackets.

 

[rich]

Now that looks familiar, had never seen it as a patch.

Chandler[/quote]


Me neither Chandler - I knew that 'A' from somewhere though! Wonder why they're doing a 2 tone red, unless of course one
is the undercoat?

 

[Chandler]

Wonder why they're doing a 2 tone red, unless of course one
is the undercoat?

My first guess is it's a touch-up. Sign paint red (especially in that day) has a tendency to fade fast. Note that the serial numbers under the A were masked from the new red and show the old coming through.

Chandler

 

[rich]

My first guess is it's a touch-up. Sign paint red (especially in that day) has a tendency to fade fast. Note that the serial numbers under the A were masked from the new red and show the old coming through.

Chandler[/quote]


Well spotted, makes sense this way. Check out the paint job on the lead B-24 here, it's one of the assembly ships for 458th BG.

 

[Chandler]

Check out the paint job on the lead B-24 here, it's one of the assembly ships for 458th BG.

Always liked those ones. Anyone know just how close they'd get to the firefights? I imagine they'd get out of the way pretty quickly since they were so spot-able.

Chandler

 

[kevlarg]

It looks like a flying bag of wonder bread!

 

[better duck]

Anyone know just how close they'd get to the firefights? Chandler

Not close at all. From what I remember reading they were war weary ships, stripped of all combat exquipment that were only used for the regular planes of bombgroups to form up on. This was being done over England and the UK coastal area of the North Sea. A lot of circling was going on while getting up to altitude and in formation. Once the formation was formed, the formation plane returned to base.

 

[rich]

Anyone know just how close they'd get to the firefights? Chandler

Not close at all. From what I remember reading they were war weary ships, stripped of all combat exquipment that were only used for the regular planes of bombgroups to form up on. This was being done over England and the UK coastal area of the North Sea. A lot of circling was going on while getting up to altitude and in formation. Once the formation was formed, the formation plane returned to base.

I recall (vaguely!) it took around two hours to develop the formation before heading off towards the target, quite a strain for the crews especially if they were climbing through cloud.

 

[Chandler]

Nice picture of a war time redye.

Missed this one -- which is the redye? The Sqd. Commander at the far right? My ELC Star could pass for that shade.

Chandler

 

[Chandler]

From what I remember reading they were war weary ships, stripped of all combat exquipment

I vaguely remember reading about them being weaponless, wonder who the crew was? I suppose it couldn't have been flyers with all their missions in, there weren't too many of them, were there?

Chandler

 

[Swing]

I vaguely remember reading about them being weaponless, wonder who the crew was?

An experienced pilot/copilot not on the mission that day. Pilot was probably the pilot from a lead crew not flying that day, and I wouldn't be suprised if the co-pilot was the group commander or one of the squadron commanders. Or it's possible that the pilot and co-pilot were from a lead crew that had completed their tour and still remained with the group (I believe lead crews were not shipped right home at the completion of their tour, and remained with their group or wing and had additional responsibilities to fulfill before heading home). That photo is from no earlier than spring '44, so there would have been an increasing number of crews surviving their tours by then.

~Swing

 

[Swing]

Missed this one -- which is the redye? The Sqd. Commander at the far right? My ELC Star could pass for that shade.

Chandler

Yep, that's the one. I know there were plenty of pretty dark jackets that came that way from the factory, but there's just something about the arm of that jacket that says "re-dye", and I have no doubt that it is.

~Swing

 

[Andrew]

Last few I have. Ted also posted the photographer shot elsewhere.

An Air Force navigator on B-17 "Sweet and Lovely" tosses flight bag on truck after mission. Lt. makes reports. 8th Air Force, England

Mascot meets master - The English Bull, mascot of a US 8th Air Force base, meets his master upon the pilot's return from a mission

 

[Swing]

Last few I have. Ted also posted the photographer shot elsewhere.

An Air Force navigator on B-17 "Sweet and Lovely" tosses flight bag on truck after mission.

Interesting photo. Obviously they're returning from a training mission. And from the sun, the B-10 the one guy is wearing, and the silver G model in the background, the photo must be from summer 1944. I didn't realize the 381st had any F models still around that late in the war (even if they were war weary, non combat aircraft). Figured they would have all been shot down or sent home by then.

~Swing

 

[Flightpath]

Check out the gnarly tobacco stain the first guy's index finger. You have to chain 'em to get that!

I'd think that it's from stuffing chewing tobacco in his mouth rather than smoken the stuff?

cheers,

-John

 

[Stony]

Andrew you are spot on here. I have found a link to the B-17 "General Ike", which might be of interest.

I know a guy that has an A-2 from the crew of the General Ike.

 

[fraazierjo]

Yeah - they're all really smooth :? and really heavy in a whole lot of interesting ways and put to use in some unusual ways as well. I want them all all!! How did these guys go around wearing these jackets so innocently :? without being "turned on"?!

 

[zoomer]

My Aero Leather Real Deals have been in Seal. Its a slightly more contemporary color at least to me. For a long time the repro companies seemed to often produce russet products that had the color of dog poop to me.

Better known as sh!t brindle brown, the color of the mix of straw and horsepucky that used to cake barn floors all winter, and was spread on fields in spring.