Description:

Subject: Flight crew and the Pink Lady in 1945.

Rear from left: 'S/Sgt. Phil Povlotsky,Lt. Eugene Leone, Lt. Howard F. Smith, S/Sgt. Kenneth A. Morris. Front, S/Sgt. John R. M. O'Neill, S/Sgt. Robert Smith, T/Sgt. John Snyder, T/Sgt. James Morphew'.

Source: Ken Harbour, The 351st Bomb Group in WWII, p. 140.
available at freespace.virgin.net/ken.harbour/index.htm

Crew and the Pink Lady 1945

Comments:

This photo was taken in 1945 while the Pink Lady was stationed in Polebrook, England as part of the 351st Bomb Group. It is showing the original markings of the 511th squadron, where the aircraft was given the letter M as an identifier (the squadron's ID was DS). As you can see, the Pink Lady was in the usual unpainted aluminum typical of B17Gs, and is in mint condition.

Additionally, it is noteworthy to see that there is no nose artwork at the time of this photo. In fact, when B-17s had nose art, crews posed by it to help identify themselves with their aircraft. It is therefore evident that the only way to identify the Pink Lady in the same photo frame as a portrait of the crew was to have them pose by the "M" painted on the chin turret.

It is interesting to compare this with the photo of the post-"Memphis Belle" configuration which you may see in my first entry "Clear the Prop!" below...