Page 7 - Aerotech News and Review, September 4, 2020

High Desert Hangar Stories
B-24s in the South Pacific:

The mystery of the disappearing nose art

by Bob Alvis which they were being transferred. When
special to Aerotech News the pilots of the aircraft were called into the
head shed, they were instructed to have the
This issue I was kicking around subject matter for my column, and nose art removed from all the aircraft. After
I sure had a bunch of ideas running around my brain to choose from. some more moaning and groaning, they left
I was thinking about an article about a one-day visit by Charles to tell their support crews to remove the “of-
Lindbergh to Mojave Marine Corps Air Station during World War fensive” artwork by the next morning.
II ... but also the story of Lancaster’s John Steage, who graduated The next morning, the base commander
from Antelope Valley High School in the 1930s and ended up com- looked out on the flight line at the B-24s
manding a P-38 squadron in the South Pacific. getting ready for the long journey and was
The rollout of the B1-A? Or maybe the life of test pilot Marion pleased to see standard government issue-
Carl? looking Liberators sporting olive drab and
Lots of directions to take, but it’s been awhile since I have told a dull silver paint, with the only adornment
story with a light-hearted look at our military and lord only knows, being the Stars and Bars on the wings and
we sure need to smile a bit more nowadays! So here is a great little fuselage. Later that morning the flight took
story from World War II that I got from an old B-24 guy who trained off with no incident, and it was just assumed
at Muroc, or what we, today, call Edwards AFB. that the war would continue on and the new
Aircraft nose art from World War II is pretty much legendary — assignment location would be pleased that
an art form all its own. American “Art Work” would not be present
In today’s world you will get opinions from folks who either love to upset the locals.
it or hate it but the reality is, it was just a part of that World War II Two days later, a radio call came in from
generation and part of the morale of winning that Great War. a very upset base commander who wanted
The Airmen who “decorated” their aircraft paraded their creations to talk to the commander who had sent the
around in the war zones of the skies and used it as inspiration to carry B-24 boys off to his base! “What’s the big
on with the battle. Featuring themes as varied as political statements, idea of ignoring my request to have all that
comedy and cartoons, or a racy look at the girl back home, the art nose art removed from those planes?” Con- Courtesy photograph
work became their Excalibur of protection, and nobody better mess fused, the only explanation the originating The B-24 Liberator “One Weakness,” assigned to the 68th Bomb Squadron, 44th Bomb
with their personal feelings about their aircraft and its featured art. commander could offer was, “I personally Group, 8th Air Force.
B-24 operations were moving at a brisk pace in the South Pacific. saw those Liberators off and I can guarantee
Planes and crews were being moved around to different theaters to you there was no nose art on any of those luck charm was to be removed — and that was met with a lot of
fill the requirements of plane losses and crew rotations or, as we craft when they left my field!” negative remarks and grumbling.
old military folks understand, “The needs of Uncle Sam.” One day “‘Oh, really?” said the caller. “From what I’m looking at, that According to the pilots, overnight the crew followed their orders
a call came in to operations that a squadron of B-24s was going to would make you a liar and I’m going to get to the bottom of this and painted over the artwork and in the morning the pilots inspected
be redeployed to a location in the Middle East, and to get the crews and heads will roll!” and approved, while feeling a bit guilty for taking away the plane
ready to make the long journey to their new assignment. The new base commander sent for the pilots of the flight and mascot that the crews looked to for inspiration. But the crews didn’t
After much moaning and groaning, the crews were up to speed before long they were in the hot seat, being grilled as to if they ever seem all that upset that next morning as the pilots departed on their
and ready to make the hop, when an additional instruction came got the word that naked ladies on airplanes were NOT to be seen long journey that would see them flying over seas and through tropi-
down from leadership regarding their new assignment. It was felt around the Middle East, and were to be removed at their previous cal thunderstorms typical for the area. The trip was pretty much
that it would be insensitive to local cultures if aircraft with scantily- base. All the pilots claimed innocence and just said that they relayed uneventful, until the planes landed at their new assignment.
painted women on them were allowed to operate from the base to the orders to the ground crew and that their prized nose art and good For the first time seeing their planes from the outside in the dawn’s
early light, pilots and co-pilots were witness to a miracle as the
nose art had magically reappeared on the nose of all their aircraft!
Dumbfounded questions were asked of the crews and a lot of “I
don’t know, Sir” or “I can’t explain it” was shared, but with no real
explanation. Of course, when the new commander made an appear-
ance, no fairy tale explanation was going to do. He wanted answers
because, as he saw it, the only logical explanation was that the planes
left their original base without ever having removed that nose art.
The secret held for a while until serious accusations started to fly
around and genuine trouble began to brew. At that point, it wasn’t
long until the real miracle showed up in the form of an American
Airman who didn’t want anybody messing around with his good
luck charm. It was finally shared that the crews all got together and
decided they would paint over their symbols — with water-based
paint! Pretty much water colors! Everything looked great on depar-
ture, but those rain showers and storms along the way to the new
base slowly eroded away that paint and exposed the nose art. Upon
landing, it looked just like the plane they took so much pride in at
their old base!
I don’t know what happened to all the principals in this episode,
as my conveyor of the story just remembered it was a pretty well-
circulated tale around the CBI and Middle East. The bottom line is
that it never really became that big of an issue with the locals when
American aircraft showed up with nose art that was a bit racy — the
feeling being that it was better to have those girls on the planes, than
the ones that had Swastikas on them!
American Soldiers and their ingenuity are legendary. It’s always
reassuring to know that in the worst of times and conditions, that
same ingenuity can turn back attacks or advance on enemy positions,
but it can also protect that spiritual symbol that gets them to the next
day and one step closer to home.
The Nose Art Girls of World War II and the American Airman: two
Courtesy photograph aspects of an aircraft that were inseparable — unless, of course, some
The B-24 Liberator “Evasive Action” and its crew. The aircraft was assigned to the 819th Bombardment Squadron, 30th Bomb Group, water colors were around! But that was only for a while, for some!
7th Air Force.
Until next time, Bob out …
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