42-50684 A & G Fish Shoppe

Painting on metal of a bespectacled uniformed airman standing next to a small building .  Written on the building are the words, "A&G Fish Shoppe." UPL 73857 UPL 73857 B-24J 42-50684 "A&G Fish Shoppe" 458th BG, 755th BS.
458th Bomb Group 755th Bomb Squadron 42-50684 Horsham St Faith On

Object Number - UPL 73857 - B-24J 42-50684 "A&G Fish Shoppe" 458th BG, 755th BS.

Lead aircraft equipped with H2X.  This aircraft was designated as a lead ship, and thus was placed in the 755BS where it remained throughout its time in the 458th.  A total of 14 combat missions were completed in this aircraft by ten crews in five months.  

Radio call letter changed from D to B between 2 & 4 Nov 44.
Radio call letters shown as D+ and B+ on formation plans in Oct & Nov 44.

The story of the naming of this aircraft is unknown, as is the ground man that was the apparent model for the artwork.

 

Sustained damage on the 18 Mar 45 mission to Berlin when a runaway prop came off and sliced into the right side of the nose. Landed in Belgium. No more combat missions with 458th BG.

Probably transferred after repair to another unit (467th BG has been suggested along with the name SOUTHERN CLIPPER but no trace on 467th BG records seen).

RZI 13 Aug 45 – Altus, OK, 21 Oct 45

Connections

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Units served with

Personnel of the 458th Bomb Group gather around a B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-29303) nicknamed "Liberty Lib" in order to transfer a casualty into a waiting ambulance. Image via Harry Holmes. Written on slide casing: '458th BG.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Places

Missions

A B-24 Liberator of the 467th Bomb Group flies over Berlin during a mission. 18 March 1945. Handwritten caption on reverse: '18/3/45 Berlin.'
  • Date: 18 March 1945
  • Date: 17 March 1945
  • Date: 14 February 1945
  • Official Description:
  • Date: 8 January 1945
A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5725) nicknamed "This is IT!" of the 381st Bomb Group opens her bomb bay doors during a mission.
  • Date: 30 December 1944

Revisions

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42-50684: Gallery (2 items)