B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 92nd Bomb Group fly in formation during a training exercise. Aircraft are, from left to right: B-17E (serial number 41-9022) nicknamed "Alabama Exterminator", B-17E (serial number 41-9023) nicknamed "Yankee Doodle", B-17E (UX-?, serial number 41-9017) nicknamed "Heidi Ho", B-17E (UX-V, serial number 41-9013), B-17E (UX-S, serial number 41-9154) nicknamed "The Bat out of Hell", B-17E (serial number 41-9132). Printed caption on reverse: 'B-26340 AC - Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" of the 8th Air Force, England on way to bomb targets in Germany. U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO.' Handwritten caption on reverse: '92BG B17es used for training at Bovingdon Oct 1942.'
![Staff Sergeant Gordon Thornton an engineer of the 94th Bomb Group, paints the tail of a B-17 Flying Fortresses. Printed caption on reverse: 'An Engineering Section Of A U.S. Service Squadron. Associated Press Photo Shows:- A sudden order to paint identifying numbers high on the tail and on one wing of each Fortress brought this brainchild to Staff Sgt. Gordon Thornton, of LaFayette, Georgia, when ladders proved unsuccessful on the job. The scaffold was rigged on a truck in a couple of hours and the paint crews went to work immediately to carry out the order. Sgt. Thornton climbs the ladder to where a pair of ground crewmen are laying out an identifying marker for painting. 13-12-43-J.' On reverse: US Army Press Censor and Associated Press [Stamps].](https://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/freeman/media-408433.jpg?itok=XnLJ_zVF)
Staff Sergeant Gordon Thornton an engineer of the 94th Bomb Group, paints the tail of a B-17 Flying Fortresses. Printed caption on reverse: 'An Engineering Section Of A U.S. Service Squadron. Associated Press Photo Shows:- A sudden order to paint identifying numbers high on the tail and on one wing of each Fortress brought this brainchild to Staff Sgt. Gordon Thornton, of LaFayette, Georgia, when ladders proved unsuccessful on the job. The scaffold was rigged on a truck in a couple of hours and the paint crews went to work immediately to carry out the order. Sgt. Thornton climbs the ladder to where a pair of ground crewmen are laying out an identifying marker for painting. 13-12-43-J.' On reverse: US Army Press Censor and Associated Press [Stamps].
Assigned 341BS/97BG 3/42; courier trip to N.Africa 18/12/42; transferred 327BS/92BG (UX-V) Bovingdon 27/8/43; 482BG Alconbury 27/8/43; 95BG Horham as tow target & hack; 94BG Rougham 10/11/43; Returned to the USA 4136 BU Tinker 22/5/44; Recl Comp 9/2/45.
Military site : airfield
Alconbury had been constructed as a satellite airfield for RAF Upwood and Wyton and was used by RAF Squadrons: Nos. 15, 40 and 156. In preparation for the arrival of American heavy bombers, the base was developed in 1942 with the runways extended. When...
Military site : airfield
The airfield was purpose-built for American bomb groups and as such had a 2,000 yard main runway that lain in concrete with a tarred and wood-chipped surface. The scale of bases such as this meant that very often the technical, administrative and...
Military site : airfield
Horham airfield was planned and built for RAF use, but handed over to the Eighth Air Force and used initially by the 47th Bomb Group. When they joined the Twelfth Air Force in January 1943, it became home to the B-26 Marauders of the 323rd Bomb Group....
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