I wondered if anyone can furnish me with the eventual fate of a particular B-25, serial number 43-27696, nose-art ‘Baby Blue Eyes’?
I’m asking on behalf of the son of one of the crew who flew her in North Africa and Italy…
and also any details of these captured Axis aircraft?
By: Al - 22nd February 2012 at 08:32
Al Why did you inquire about “Baby Blue Eye,s? I have a picture of my uncle standing next to It’s nose see my post “Uncles unit”
Sorry longtall – I must have missed your previous posts on this thread.
The son of the late Lt Charles Burandt (Captain of Baby Blue Eyes) asked me if I could find out her eventual fate – I think his family hoped she was still around.
He flew her from the US to the European theatre via Brazil, Ascension, Africa, then Italy in 1944. There’s a lot of additional photos and names here – just search ‘Baby Blue Eyes’…
http://57thbombwing.com/gallery2/main.php
By: longtall - 22nd February 2012 at 00:27
Uncle,s unit
Al Why did you inquire about “Baby Blue Eye,s? I have a picture of my uncle standing next to It’s nose see my post “Uncles unit”
By: antoni - 13th August 2011 at 19:18
Fw-190 A-5/U3 W.Nr 152676 KM+EY. Left by SchG 2 at El Aouina airfield. Probably the most photographed Fw 190 wreck in North Africa. 5.Staffel of II./SchG 2 was equipped with HS 129.
By: Al - 13th August 2011 at 18:41
I was very impressed when an airmail letter arrived from the Smithsonian Museum this morning, with a copy the actual 1944 data sheet for the life of 43-27696. The Pentagon had the same information.
Turns out she was turned in to saucepans at Laurel Army Airfield in the US, probably around 1945.
She had a very short service life – delivered from the North American plant in Kansas City on the 6th April 1944, promptly off to the 12th Air Force in Italy, and back to the US by the 5th September 1944, then scrapped by 1945…
By: Al - 5th August 2011 at 09:28
Thanks!
I’d thought the tubular structure was the remains of a hanger, but it does turn out to be the skeleton of a Me323D which was burned out at El Aouiana, Tunis. That led me to the same FW190, seen here in May 1943 there…
By: Newforest - 5th August 2011 at 08:41
I have the crew on an operation on the 1st June, 1944 as Leon Hawkes, John Matthews, James McRae, Malcolm Leonard, William Bell and Dwight Bryan.
The following day the entire crew was changed with the exception of one. They were John Fitzgerald, J.M., John Hughes, John Kreider, William McKearin and Thomas Bender.
On the 4th June, the mission had two of the first crew only, so it would appear that crews were generally not kept together and were not assigned to a particular plane.
By: pogno - 5th August 2011 at 08:05
Al
Your last picture shows a Henschel HS129 and a FW190 and to the right part of the tubular structure of a Me323 which added to the arid look of the place suggests North Africa, Tunis perhaps.
Richard
By: Al - 5th August 2011 at 07:57
Thanks anyway Tony – looks like you’ve drawn the same blank as me. I’d seen your friend’s rendering of the aircraft, too!
By: TonyT - 5th August 2011 at 02:20
from this not on the list 🙁 others around the number went to Holland the Aus
By: TonyT - 5th August 2011 at 01:40
321st BG 446th BS – SN 43-27696 – BABY BLUE EYES
CREW CHEIF UNKNOWN
BOMBARDIER/NAVIGATOR John J. Hughes
When I used to skin for Il2 my friend did this one, it was based on a site that appears to be no longer online, had tons of info on them and there is a book in french, perhaps that will be a starting poing and I can see if I still have an email for an italian friend who is a historian and author in italy.
see
http://www.warwingsart.com/57thWing/321stBG/446thBS/index.htm
http://www.warwingsart.com/57thWing/index.htm
http://www.aerostories.org/~aerobiblio/article.php3?id_article=315
might be something in these
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August 4, 2011 at 11:26 pm