I’m sorry to say that it looks like the 92nd Bomb Group original crew information that I used in Pride of Seattle contained a number of errors. I’m trying to correct them when I can.
I now believe that the 327th Bomb Squadron’s Virgin Sturgeon was 41-24419, photographed on or about August 19, 1942. I also believe that the man in the centre is Captain Francis E. Winget but I’d be grateful if somebody could confirm it, or identify either of the other two men.
When the 92nd’s brand-new B-17Fs were exchanged for the 97th Bomb Group’s B-17Es, Lt Garrett Jones and his crew quickly changed Virgin Sturgeon’s name to Honey Chile II. Margaret Bourke-White created something of a tableau vivant with the plane and crew members, but LIFE never chose to publish it in the magazine, and it only came to light a couple of years ago.
On November 17, 1942, Honey Chile II was one of the flight of eight 341st Bomb Squadron B-17Fs bound for North Africa. Only three of those eight B-17s had originally flown to England with the 327th Bomb Squadron: 41-24376, the ill-fated Hellzapoppin, 41-24473 Exterminator, (by then re-named Kissy-Me-Kowboy), and 41-24419. The 97th Bomb Group records are sometimes confusing during this hectic period, but it seems that Major Harold Schmoldt was flying 41-24419 with Lt Garrett Jones and his crew, and there were possibly or probably other passengers.
The story ended at Biskra on January 10, 1943 when German bombers came out of the evening sky and destroyed a C-47, a P-38 and the B-17 that I believe was Honey Chile II.
Acknowledgments: It would have been impossible to pull these threads together without the generous help of Alan Clark, Jan Lindstrom, Jennifer McCray, Julia Mitchel and William Spencer.
By: S. P. Birdsall - 18th January 2022 at 21:31
I recently learned of Rick Flack’s response to my 2011 post and I think a few things need to be clarified.
Firstly, a lot of those early 92nd Bomb Group B-17Fs certainly did display nicknames and nose art, including 41-24376 Hellzapoppin, 41-24473 Exterminator and Virgin Sturgeon.
Secondly, we know for certain that 41-24473 was renamed Kissy-Me-Kowboy in the 97th . . . as Rick Flack says, a play on the name of the pilot’s hometown, Kissimmee, Florida.
Finally, we know, thanks to Margaret Bourke-White, that Virgin Sturgeon was renamed Honey Chile II in the 97th, and that the name was changed in England.
I’m a little concerned that some websites seem to have used my “short story” as verification that Honey Chile II was 41-24419 . . . I think there’s a good case to be made that it is, but I still have not been able to definitively prove it.
By: RickFlack - 12th November 2018 at 17:40
I am responding to this seven year old posting just in case anyone may still be interested. But first I must present relevant historical information pertaining to the B-17’s and their assigned Flying Fortress Bomb Groups/Squadrons so the readers are provided with a complete and accurate picture of this discussion.
First, the three B-17F’s referenced above (41-24376, 41-24419 and 41-24473) are detailed as follows in both Roger A. Freeman’s book titled “The B-17 Flying Fortress Story” and David A. Osborne’s Master Edit Copy titled “B-17 Fortress Master Log”, both of which are considered the most complete accounting of every B-17 manufactured; unfortunately not 100% correct, but pretty close (note both Roger’s and David’s date format used is dd/mm/yy):
41-24376 Assigned 92BG Bangor 14/7/42; 341BS/97BG Polebrook 8/42; Maison Blanche 13/11/42; bombed by Luftwaffe on takeoff 20/11/42 w/Art Hughes, Bone, Peklenk, Cogdill, Cooper, Faith, Richardson, Hagan, Evans, Hinson (10KIA).
41-24419 Assigned 92BG Bangor 14/7/42; 341BS/97BG Polebrook 8/42; Maison Blanche 13/11/42; Tafaraoui 22/11/42; Biskra 25/12/42; bombed on base by Luftwaffe 10/1/43; Salvaged.
41-24473 Assigned 92BG Bangor 2/8/42; 414BS/97BG Polebrook 24/8/42; Maison Blanche 13/11/42; Tafaraoui 22/11/42; Biskra 25/12/42; Chateau-du-Rhumel 8/2/43; Pont-du-Fahs 1/8/43; De Pienn 15/8/43; Cerignola 20/12/43; Amendola 16/1/44. Salvaged 1/8/45. KISS-ME-KOWBOY.
Second, the 97th Bomb Group consisted of four Bomb Squadrons (340th, 341st, 342nd and 414th). I am well versed on the early history of the 97th Bomb Group as my father, Colonel Rudolph “Rudy” Emil Flack, was the first Squadron Commander of 414th from its activation on 3-Feb-42 (and the 97th Bomb Group’s). Colonel Rudy Flack served as the 414th Squadron Commander through 5-Mar-43 when he was promoted and appointed as the Assistant Operations Officer of the Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) and as a Staff Bombardment Officer (A-3) with the XII Bomber Command both under the Command of Major General Jimmy Doolittle. A detailed history of Colonel Rudy Flack’s life filled with photos is accessible via the following Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/Untold-Stories-of-Colonel-Rudy-Flack-302118180261150/
Third, the following is the early history of the 92nd Bomb Group, which consisted of four Bomb Squadrons (325th, 326th, 327th and 407th). The following is from the 92d Operations Group Wikipedia page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/92d_Operations_Group):
The 92d Bombardment Group was activated on 1 March 1942 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. After training at Sarasota Army Airfield, Florida from May–July 1942, the Air Echelon left for Westover Army Airfield, Massachusetts and moved to Dow Army Airfield, Maine on 29 June 1942. In August, the squadrons flew to Newfoundland and then direct across the Atlantic to Prestwick, Scotland. … on 18 August 1942. This was the same day the first aircraft of the 326th Bomb squadron arrived in Bovingdon. The last squadron – the 407th – arrived on 28 August 1942.
The group was assigned to VIII Bomber Command and allocated RAF Bovingdon as its base. The group was assigned to the 40th Combat Bombardment Wing at RAF Thurleigh. The 92d flew a few two combat missions in September and October 1942, then was withdrawn from combat and its B-17F bombers exchanged for the older B-17E bombers being flown by the 97th Bomb Group.
The last sentence above is incorrect as the 97th Bomb Group swapped most of its B-17E aircraft with the 92nd Bomb Group’s newly arrived B-17F’s in late August 1942 not in October 1942. The exact date each newly arrived B-17F was assigned to each 97th Bomb Group’s squadron may be verified in both Roger A. Freeman’s book titled “The B-17 Flying Fortress Story” and David A. Osborne’s Master Edit Copy book titled “B-17 Fortress Master Log”.
Lastly, a major element of the 92nd Bomb Group’s “General Orders” was to fly from the USA mainland to England and deliver their newly assigned B-17F aircraft to their newly assigned base at RAF Bovingdon, England to be exchanged with the 97th Bomb Group’s B-17E aircraft. The 97th Bomb Group (constituted on 28-Jan-42) was the first Heavy Bombardment Group assigned to the VIII Bomber Command and the first to arrive in England at two different RAF bases in July 1942; Polebrook and Grafton-Underwood. They were also the first Heavy BG to fly combat missions over German occupied territory in Europe beginning on 17-Aug-42. The exchange of most, if not all, of the B-17F’s from the 92nd Bomb Group for most of the 97th Bomb Groups B-17E’s occurred on 24-Aug-42. This was definitely the case for the 414th Bomb Squadron as documented in Colonel Rudy Flack’s Individual Flight Record log books and as detailed his book found in the Facebook link noted above.
Now that the table is set, the following are a couple of clarifying comments regarding the Forum posting titled “B-17F 41-24419: A Short Story” as recounted above:
It is possible, but not likely, the B-17F’s delivered to England by the 92nd Bomb Group were “named” by their assigned Pilots. If photos exist to show otherwise, please provide for historical sake. According to both Roger A. Freeman’s book titled “The B-17 Flying Fortress Story” and David A. Osborne’s Master Edit Copy book titled “B-17 Fortress Master Log” the only B-17F of the three discussed in the Forum’s posting, which was ever named, was the B-17F 41-24473. It was named KISS-ME-KOWBOY on 24-Aug-42, or shortly thereafter, by its newly assigned 414th Bomb Squadron Pilot 1st Lt. Clarence L. Thacker who was from 1108 Mabbette, Street / Kissimmee, Florida. You will find a photo of the B-17F KISS-ME-KOWBOY (41-24473) on Book page number 922 (PDF page number 998) in the 11/11/18 posting of Colonel Rudy Flack’s book found in the Facebook link noted above with then Major Flack in the photo.
The following is in response to the four Flying Fortresses with the names (or partially containing the name), HELLZAPOPPIN, HONEY CHILE II, VIRGIN STURGEON and EXTERMINATOR.
The following B-17E was named HELLZAPOPPIN:
41-9219 Delivered Cheyenne 23/5/42; Assigned 98BS/11BG Hawaii 5/6/42; transferred 13AF Poppy 22/7/42; Ditched at sea, no fuel 13/9/42 w/Major Philip M. Rasmussen. HELLZAPOPPIN.
There were two B-17’s (one F and one G) named HONEY CHILE but none were named HONEY CHILE II:
42-31027 Delivered Cheyenne 4/9/43; Gr Isle 3/10/43; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-R] Framlingham 7/10/43 MISS LACE, then PINKY III; to HONEY CHILE; transferred RAF [SR387]; 214 Squadron BU-G Sculthorpe, Nfk. 21/1/44; No1699 FLT [4Z-Z]; WO 13/11/46.
43-37857 Delivered Cheyenne 29/5/44; Hunter 9/6/44; Dow Field 28/6/44; Assigned 548BS/385BG [GX- ] Gt Ashfield 1/7/44; MIA Mannheim 21/1/45 w/Capt John McErlane (KIA); Earl Hansen, Jim Pillsbury, Paul Manouvier, J.L. Pence, Bill Rambo, Mike Roppolo, Hunter Dunn, Bob Dennard (8POW); flak, crashed Joehlingen, Ger. MACR 11765. HONEY-CHILE.
The following B-17F was named VIRGIN STURGEON:
42-30334 Del Cheyenne 15/5/43; Geiger 28/5/43; Gt Falls 7/6/43; Chanute 22/6/43; Lewiston 23/6/43; Smoky Hill 2/7/43; Dow Field 13/7/43; Assigned 570BS/390BG [DI-E] Framlingham 15/7/43 EIGHT BALL; MIA Frankfurt 29/1/44 w/Bill Harding, cp-Valdemar Cordova, n-Clint Jacobsen, b-Ed Morgan, ettg-Bill Craven, ro-Mario Lubue, btg-Ralph Ross, wg-Vince Plouff, wg-George Fritz, tg-John Ovadal (10POW); mid-air coll w/42-30325 (390BG) breaking off part of right wing, cr in Lake Constance, nr Friedrichshafen, Ger. MACR 2271. VIRGIN STURGEON.
There were four B-17’s (two B-17E’s and two B-17F’s) containing the name EXTERMINATOR:
41-9022 Assigned 341BS/97BG Polebrook 3/42; Bovingdon 8/42, used as ferry navigation a/c; 546BS/384BG [BR-L] Grafton Underwood 4/6/43 as t/t & hack 8/43; 1 BAD Burtonwood 27/7/44; WO 25/5/45. ALABAMA EXTERMINATOR.
41-9108 Delivered Sarasota 342BS/97BG 15/4/42; Presque Is 31/5/42; from Goose Bay w/John Holmes,cp-Fred Shelton, n-Jones Calloway, b-Ed Branch, ettg-Bob Brennan, ro-John Fellows, g-John Lynn, g-George Witham. cr Edgedaminde, Greenland 26/6/42. All eight crewmen RTD; WO. ALABAMA EXTERMINATOR.
42-30105 Delivered Cheyenne 13/4/43; Tinker 12/5/43; Lincoln 20/5/43; Bangor 23/5/43; Ass 412BS/95BG [QW-R] Framlingham 6/6/43 EXTERMINATOR; Horham 12/6/43; 4m, MIA Le Bourget 10/7/43 w/Jim Sarchet, cp-Ron McMullen, b-Arthur Price, btg-Leon Budnick, wg-John Lutrell, tg-Edwin Harmon (6KIA); ettg-Paul Ruska, wg-Jennings Liller (2POW); cp-Bob McCowen, ro-Don Harding (2EVD); e/a, cr St Didier des Bois, nr Elbent, Fr; MACR 4902. SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS.
42-30150 Delivered Cheyenne 17/4/43; Smoky Hill 24/4/43; Walla Walla 30/4/43; Rapid City 9/5/43; Dow Field 24/5/43; Assigned 412BS/95BG [QW-S] Horham 27/6/43; 9m, MIA Oschersleben 28/7/43 w/Fred Hodges, cp-Jim Peacock, n-Bill Grody, b-Eleazar Moody, ettg-Bill Brown, ro-Bob Shafer, btg-Lloyd Brooks, wg-Dick Porter, wg-Larry Burleigh, tg-Ernie Weaver (10KIA); e/a attacked and then ship exploded, crashed in sea off Lathen, Ger; MACR 214. EXTERMINATOR.
Refer to this link for a listing of all 92nd Bomb Group Missions (one on 6-Sep-42 and two on 9-Oct-42): http://www.8thafhs.com/get_one_acgroup.php?acgroup_id=22.
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December 8, 2011 at 1:05 am