USO Canteen FReeper Style....Nose Art and Pin Ups go to War....May 8,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style and Snow Bunny

[Snow Bunny]

The practice of personalizing military aircraft with custom artwork began a few years before WWI, and continues to this day. The peak of this practice occurred during WWII, when hundreds of thousands of aircraft were adorned with such artwork, generally painted near the nose of the aircraft... hence the term, "Nose Art."

Often, flight and ground crews wore a smaller version of the artwork painted on the backs of their jackets. Of course, the quality of the artwork varied, from crude to excellent, depending on the skill of the artist.

The sultry, wonderful world of Nose Art is as varied as the individuals who dressed up and decorated the aircraft and the feelings of the men who flew them into combat. Though this variety is staggering, common themes run through them all from World War II to the end of the Korean War when the genre all but left the scene.

Humor, pathos, slogans, girls, cartoons, nicknames, hometowns, girls, patriotism, dishing it to the enemy, warriors, girls, youthful bravado, girls...these transcended nationality as both Allies and Axis pilots went to war in their individually marked chariots. Men at war separated from home, family, loved ones and a familiar way of life sought ways to personalize and escape the very harsh business surrounding them. For the most part they thought about women, represented on the sides of aircraft in the most tender of ways to the most degrading. These men spent many hours longing for the tenderness a woman could bring to their lives...and for the sexual pleasure they could provide. Whether top level commanders ordered it off the aircraft or not, the men let their feelings flow onto their machines.

As their aircraft reflected, fighter pilots of both wars were busy strafing, bombing, hunting for aerial kills and protecting friendly aircraft, airfields, supply lines and troops. But the ground crews were just as busy trying to make sure the aircraft they had generously loaned to the pilot was on the line each day and ready to bring him home. There is never enough credit to be given to these men who worked ten hours for every hour the pilot flew.

The fame and glory attached to the pilot over shadowed his faithful ground ponders, but this usually did not prevent the enlisted men and officers from becoming devoted friends. Each needed the other to make the mission successful, and a pilot's crew would experience as much pride for a victory, knowing they were behind the guns as well. As a result, nose art was often the choice of the ground crew rather than the pilot. Some units made room for both by having the pilot's art on the left side and the ground crew's on the right.

Unique among fighters, the P-38 Lightning had three noses to adorn, allowing a separate canvas for the pilot, crew chief, armorer and radio man.

Pin Ups.......

The Professor is trying to give you a more scientific explanation of how this kind of cheesecake affected the average American soldier.

World War II pinups appeared in many forms, from fighter and bomber nose art and bomber jacket art to calendars, postcards, matchbooks, and playing cards. The term pinup was coined during World War II, when soldiers would "pin up" these idealized pictures on their barracks and foxhole walls, and sailors did the same to lockers and bulkheads. There were photos of Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth and Lana Turner, and hundreds of other calendar girls and Hollywood starlets whose only claim to fleeting fame was their image seared into a GI's brain from a ragged page of YANK or Esquire magazine.

"Servicemen soon began to create their own pinup art, decorating the noses of their planes and their bomber jackets with more primitive paintings of shapely babes."

Betty Grable as she appeared in a map-reading manual. This image was used to get pilots used to reading map grids.

An early centerfold featuring Dorothy Lamour, "... the No. 1 pinup girl of the U.S. Army."

Nose art was a popular morale builder, it ranged from tame cartoon characters to some really "RACEY" women.

It must be remembered that these men were young, at war, and homesick at times. The names of mothers, girlfriends and colorful limericks were often the inspiration for this unique art form. These pictures and captions are published here for historical value, exactly as they appeared on the planes.

[MistyCA]

Wow, that's a good price. Thanks, Jen! See you in a while. I am leaving too. have to get my garage sorted out! :)

[MistyCA]

BUMP for Snow Bunny!!!

[MistyCA]

OK...see ya later on! :)

[connectthedots]

While nice, these pin-ups cannot compare to the beauty of the many FReepettes who would be the envy of many of those posted on this thread.

[MistyCA]

LOL! They do have spirit! :)

[archy]

Yeah, but those aircraft were meant to do a WHOLE lot more than sit on the ground and show off their pretty noses...

Now here's something you don't see everyday:

[MistyCA]

LOL..I have no doubt that you are correct about that! :) FReepettes have the looks and the brains! :) JMHO!

[MistyCA]

Nice pix archy! :)

[Alamo-Girl]

buuump!

[gwmoore]

Thanks much, Snow Bunny for a fantastic thread today. As an afficianado of nose art, I enjoy ALL the wonderful pix, expecially those of the Vargas Girl era.

I gave a lot of thought to putting some art on my C182RG (providing I can get my 2nd class medical back...which does look promising, though not immediately. I feel bad about that as I wanted to help 4TheFlag out this July (Sorry, 4 I would if I could), but the FAA wants one fully recovered from back surgery LOL.

My idea was to use Mrsgwmoore as the "model" for said "Vargas Girl" with the logo "Isabella Anne" (Big evil grin), but she is somewhat reluctant to the idea. I will probably use a cat motif (Thanks SAMWolf), with the logo "Purrfection". Of course, any of the dollz on this thread would look great for nose art ;-)

Tonk, thanks for the interactive nose art link...great site.......

Incidentally, any ideas on nose art will be appreciated here. The new tail number (I got a vanity approved, but still have to put the papers in for the official change of number), will be N707GW, so maybe that will give some ideas out there. Thanks to all for Keeping the Faith for Freedom!

MAY GOD BLESS AND PROTECT THIS HONORABLE REPUBLIC FROM THE CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGERS FACING HER FROM BOTH WITHIN AND OUTSIDE HER BORDERS, INCLUDING FROM THOSE WHOSE POLITICAL AFFILIATION INCLUDES THE (D) INCLUDING THOSE WHO SHOULD, LIKE TRAITOR MCCAIN. THIS, MOST CERTAINLY INCLUDES THE INCUMBENTS OF THE SENATE (DASCHLE,FEINSTEIN, BOXER,SCHUMER AMONG OTHERS IN THE HOUSE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE SOCIALIST AND PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS (COMMUNISTS UNDER A NEW NAME). DAMN THE CFR BILL, I WILL SPEAK MY MIND FREELY, AS GUARANTEED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT!!!. YOU MAY TAKE THE 60 DAYS AND SHOVE THEM!!!! JOE MCCARTHY, WHERE ARE YOU NOW WHEN WE NEED YOU?

Greg

[archy]

Here's Fifinella, *Fifi* for short, the female gremlin who was once the symbol of the WASP female ferry pilots who flew out of Avenger Field in Texas- and who lived on the nose of my old AT-10 and Piper search-and-rescue birds:

[Victoria Delsoul]

Thanks for the information, Tonk!

Time to post the pinups, lol

[Victoria Delsoul]

Oops, I have that one too, LOL!!! Oh well, I don't mind.

[MistyCA]

That's great, Archy! :) Thanks for sharing it! :)

[MistyCA]

My vote goes for the Mrs! :)

[MistyCA]

I am supposed to be cleaning out the garage! LOL. I trust you will do an excellent job of keeping the pinups posted! :)

[Victoria Delsoul]

I have a few of them, LOL!!

[SAMWolf]

My favorite WWII plane.(B-17) Thanks archy

[MistyCA]

Ohoh...that's why I prefer not using the adoptables! :) Sorry.

[MistyCA]

LOL...that's a good one!:)