A Detective Story

[grandkid]

Hi All-
I have signed on to this board to ask the help of all of you very educated and informed people, and if this request is inappropriate, please do let me know.
My grandfather, Nick DeCenzo, served in WWII and I believe he worked in some capacity with B-17s. Attached is a JPEG of him during the war, with what he describes in the caption as "my plane." Some writing on the plane is visible, along with what looks to be some pin-up nose cone art. Here is my question:
Can any of you help me identify my grandpa's plane, or give me any other information that you can glean from the photograph?
He never talked about his service in the war, as was often the case, but his three granddaughters (myself included) would love to solve the mystery of this photo.
Thank you in advance for any help!

Best,

Catherine

[varsity07840]

It's a B-17E. Judging from the insignia on the aircraft behind it(B-18?, C-47?, I'm not sure), the time frame would be late 1943 to 1945. The location is most probably stateside or perhaps Panama sine B-17Es were no longer used in combat during that time frame.

Duane

[Steve Birdsall]

Everything Duane says is accurate. If you can provide a larger scan, either here or by PM, we can very likely tell you more.

[varsity07840]

After taking a second look, judging by the jacket he's wearing, it's not Panama!!

Duane

[Steve Birdsall]

I assume that Catherine's grandfather is Dominic DeCenzo, who died in Ohio in 1982. Many visible details in the photo certainly look like it was taken at a ZI training base.