394th Bomb Squadron B-17Es

[Steve Birdsall]

I've been looking again at the 19th Bomb Group's homeward flight from Australia in October 1942. As we know, in early November 1942 three of their least war-weary B-17Es were traded to the 394th Squadron in Hawaii, and those B-17s were soon on the way to SOPAC under the command of Captain Orin H. Rigley.

Based on what I know, those three aircraft were 41-2440 Calamity Jane, 41-2632 Crock O'Crap and 41-2658.

Gene Salecker's book has an interesting tale about how 41-2440 got her nickname. According to a 394th mechanic, Phil Klingensmith, when the three B-17Es reached Fiji they shared the airstrip with Navy planes from the carrier Saratoga. One evening three Navy planes were taking off and dust stirred up by the leading aircraft caused the two following planes to go off the runway and into two parked B-17s. One of them was 41-2440. A repair team from the Hawaiian Air Depot was flown in and 41-2440 was repaired using parts from the other, more seriously damaged, aircraft. That was late November 1942, and the repaired plane was given the name Calamity Jane.



It also seems to me that 41-2658 is the only logical contender as the aircraft that was damaged on Fiji and then cannibalised to repair 41-2440. All others are accounted for one way or another. I think the fact that 41-2658 was written off on June 15, 1944 supports that theory - I believe that's a "blanket" date used when the records were brought up to date.

Can anyone fill in the gaps?

[Steve Birdsall]

Here is a photo of Calamity Jane before she was de-fanged and sent home from New Caledonia. The crew is from the 394th Bomb Squadron, 5th Bomb Group and the photo was taken in Fiji. The fellow on the far left, kneeling, is Ray Spaulding. After completing his SOPAC tour he volunteered to go to Europe and died in a B-17 over Germany.

Frank Spaulding, Ray's brother, provided this photograph, and he'd like to contact anyone who knew his brother in those days.

The only other crewman identified at this time is Ralph Mikasen, kneeling third from the right. Frank Spaulding reports that Mikasen painted the beautiful artwork on the nose. (I believe that the same lady appeared on the other side of the nose in a slightly different pose, but I haven't been able to find a photograph.)

Can anyone identify the other members of this crew?

Special thanks go to Jim Augustus, 7th Bombardment Group (H) Historical Foundation for his help in obtaining the photo.

* Cross-Posted at Aero Vintage, Army Air Forces, Wings Over Cambridge and Plane Talk.

[Andy in West Oz]

Apologies for posting without any useful info, Steve, but just thought I'd thank you for the pics. Haven't seen a nose gun mod like that for a while (been deep into C'th air forces in Nth Africa, Burma and Oz).

[Steve Birdsall]

A bit of an update . . . the man in the back row on the far left in the crew photo is the pilot, 1/Lt Charles R. Stewart. He can't identify all the crew, but he says the man next to him was the "new co-pilot, then Bombardier, then Navigator name Joos, last man was an Observer". Front row no further identifications.

Here's an earlier photo of the plane that Justin discovered . . .