Bill Broderick and his crew flew the plane to England in August 1942 and by October it carried the name Turd Burd, with artwork by Sgt Gene Townsend on both sides of the nose.
As far as I can see, 41-24359 flew only three missions from England with the 301st - on October 2, November 7 and November 8. At this time I’m unsure just how successfully completed those three missions were.
The 301st left Chelveston for North Africa on November 24, 1942 but 41-24359 did not go with them, and the plane was transferred to the 305th Bomb Group the next day. The aircraft was equipped with OBOE Mark I in March and served with the 305th until April 20, 1943 when she was reassigned to the 92nd Bomb Group. On August 20, 1943 she joined the 813th Bomb Squadron of the 482nd Bomb Group. She was transferred to the 91st Bomb Group on December 20, 1943, where she flew two missions with the 323rd Bomb Squadron . . . on February 24, 1944 she was flown by Lt Claude Williams but aborted before reaching the target. The next day the same crew successfully bombed Augsburg. After serving with five different groups, 41-24359 was returned to the United States in March or April 1944 and was scrapped at Walnut Ridge in 1945.
Meanwhile, Bill Broderick had flown a brand-new B-17F to North Africa on November 24, 1942. It was 42-5131 and became the ”Hun-Pecker”.
Finally, we’re fortunate that the renowned photographer Robert Capa visited the 301st at Chelveston one sunny day in October 1942 and captured 41-24359 in all her glory . . .
http://www.magnumphotos.com/image/NYC35560.html
http://www.magnumphotos.com/image/NYC35561.html
http://www.magnumphotos.com/image/NYC35567.html
It would be good to fill in a few of the gaps in this story.
