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The original "Memphis Belle" meets the B-17 named after her.
Memphis Belle pilot Captain Robert K Morgan shows his B-17 to his fiancée, Margaret Polk.
Memphis Municipal Airport June 19th, 1943
The Memphis Belle was named to honor Polk, of Memphis, Tennessee, whom Morgan met before leaving for England.
B-17F, Serial No. 41-24485, was one of the first USAAF B-17 heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions, after which the aircrew returned with the bomber to the United States to sell war bonds.
The famous Memphis Belle nose art is a representation of the George Petty “pin-up” illustration in the April 1941 edition of Esquire magazine. She was painted in the blue swimsuit on the left side and a red one on the right side.
Originally painted in the US by an unknown painter, the Memphis Belle’s nose art was touched up and later repainted by Cpl Tony Starcer at Bassingbourn, England.
The yellow star above the bomb art work represent the times the 'Belle' was the lead aircraft of the bomb group on that mission, the red star represents the times they were the lead plane of the whole bomb wing. However that info is subject to debate.
The 8 swastikas were painted after her combat tour had ended and represent the number of German aircraft shot down by the B-17 and crew, as according the the author of the book 'Memphis Belle - Dispelling the Myths', there is very good evidence that the gunners on board the Memphis Belle never shot down eight enemy aircraft, what those eight swastikas show is an 'overall total of enemy aircraft destroyed by the aircraft and it's returning crew'.
Due to aircraft availability, sometimes the crew would fly a different aircraft.
The engagement of Morgan and Polk ended during the war bond tour, however the two would remain good friends until her death in 1990.
The Memphis Belle is now on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
Image courtesy of the Preservation and Special Collections Department, University Libraries, University of Memphis.
Info sources - https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/.../igphoto/2001906792/ https://a2asimulations.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21499
Memphis Belle pilot Captain Robert K Morgan shows his B-17 to his fiancée, Margaret Polk.
Memphis Municipal Airport June 19th, 1943
The Memphis Belle was named to honor Polk, of Memphis, Tennessee, whom Morgan met before leaving for England.
B-17F, Serial No. 41-24485, was one of the first USAAF B-17 heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions, after which the aircrew returned with the bomber to the United States to sell war bonds.
The famous Memphis Belle nose art is a representation of the George Petty “pin-up” illustration in the April 1941 edition of Esquire magazine. She was painted in the blue swimsuit on the left side and a red one on the right side.
Originally painted in the US by an unknown painter, the Memphis Belle’s nose art was touched up and later repainted by Cpl Tony Starcer at Bassingbourn, England.
The yellow star above the bomb art work represent the times the 'Belle' was the lead aircraft of the bomb group on that mission, the red star represents the times they were the lead plane of the whole bomb wing. However that info is subject to debate.
The 8 swastikas were painted after her combat tour had ended and represent the number of German aircraft shot down by the B-17 and crew, as according the the author of the book 'Memphis Belle - Dispelling the Myths', there is very good evidence that the gunners on board the Memphis Belle never shot down eight enemy aircraft, what those eight swastikas show is an 'overall total of enemy aircraft destroyed by the aircraft and it's returning crew'.
Due to aircraft availability, sometimes the crew would fly a different aircraft.
The engagement of Morgan and Polk ended during the war bond tour, however the two would remain good friends until her death in 1990.
The Memphis Belle is now on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
Image courtesy of the Preservation and Special Collections Department, University Libraries, University of Memphis.
Info sources - https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/.../igphoto/2001906792/ https://a2asimulations.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21499
