Your wonderful post brings to mind my visit to the USAF Museum at Wright Patterson in Dayton. I took my nieces & nephews who, of course, enjoyed the aircraft and all of the displays but explaining the nose art to the curious 8 and 9 year olds was the most challenging part of the trip.
Thanks for your interesting posts, Snow Bunny !
GENE TOWNSEND joined the 32nd Bomb Squadron at Geiger Field in Spokane, Washington, shortly after the 301st Bomb Group was formed in February 1942. He had just completed training in engineering at the Boeing B-17 plant in Seattle prior to his assignment.
GENE HAD DONE art work before entering the service; so once we were all at our base in Chelveston, England, in September of '42, it fell to him to decorate the 32nd's planes. The first plane painted was "The Bad Penny." When asked why such a name, the whole crew replied "A bad penny always returns." (Sadly, this was not to be, however.) This was the beginning of nose art for the 32nd, and by the war's end, Sgt. Townsend had painted over 40 planes, with such names as "Hun Pecker," "Sleepy Time Gal," "Lead Foot," and "The Goon." The squadron moved to North Africa with the 12th Air Corps, and eventually to Italy with the 15th. During these campaigns there were many times that he did his work under adverse conditions and with very limited materials.
AIRCRAFT NOSE ART provided a way for both the air crews and ground personnel to personalize their "baby"; to make it different from other planes in the squadron, or anywhere else. It was all up to the talent and imagination of the men who flew and maintained the planes. Few 32nd Bomb Squadron crew members or ground personnel would know a plane as "42-1398" or "44-6180," but they all knew and talked about "Amazin' Mazie" and "Slick Chick." And nose-art inspiration came from almost everywhere: wives, girl friends, cartoons, movie stars, and even some from crew chiefs. It was a time when almost anything was allowed to be painted on a plane, and this kind of expression was seen as a way to boost morale and the squadron's efficiency.
FROM ANDY ROONEY, of today's "60 Minutes," there's a wonderful quote in an August 1943 issue of Stars and Stripes about this very special art form: "Grim-faced Luftwaffe pilots, proud of the guts that take them within the suicide circle of a fortress formation, determined to do or die for the Fatherland, must wonder what the hell kind of air force they are up against. They come diving in, teeth clenched, hell bent for Hitler and along with a hail of lead are greeted by the stupid grin of some absurd comic-book character, or the nude form of a pretty girl painted on the nose of the bomber they are attacking...." The art was "something else," and Andy Rooney was Andy Rooney even then.
TODAY GENE TOWNSEND and his wife, Pat, make their home on the St. Croix River, across from Canada, in Calais, Maine, and spend their winters in Saint Augustine, Florida. Although retired, Gene still enjoys painting and also looking back these fifty years and more and reminiscing with his buddies about their experiences and travels in WWII.
Courtesy of www.i81virginia.com/32nd/32ndart.html
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