Harl Pease B-17 E "Why Don't We Do This More Often"

[Sydhuey]

I have been following up one of my favorite subjects RAAF aircrew in US units 1942-1943 and found the Co-pilot to Captain Harl Pease on his final mission was Flt Sgt Fredrick Earp one of a number of RAAF personell posted to the 19 Bomb Grp in 1942. The aircraft they were in was an early B-17E 41-2429 "Why Don't We Do This More Often" and it had a very unusual what I believe to be a 4 colour camoflage scheme, I have never seen a B-17 in a 4 colour scheme are any pictures of this aircraft or scheme or profiles drawings available , I have seen one poor quality image of the aircraft on the pacific Wrecks web site and the 4 colour scheme definetly stands out.

RAAF Personel served in many US units in the SW Pacific from early 42 till mid 43 and unfortunatly very little is written about them, Maj Gen John P. Henebry in his excellent book "The Grim Reapers" the third attack group in the pacific never mentioned them in his book at all ,despite the fact at the time of the Battle of The Bismarck Sea 1/4 of the aircrew at the 13th and 90th BS of the 3rd Attack group were Australian and 8 of them won US DFC's for the action, other Australians in actions not mentioned , the B-26 of the 22 nd bomb group that Lyndon Johnson flew his mission he got his silver star for had an Australian co-pilot, the B-26 he should have been in that got shot down on that mission also had an Australian co-pilot, the co-pilot to Captain Robert Chatt in the B-25 "Chatter Box", which mortally damaged the japanese destroyer "Arashio" at the Battle of the Bismarck Sea was RAAF Flying Officer Maurice Carse who got a US DFC and went on to fly a tour with RAAF A-20 Bostons and finished the war as a B-24 flight commander , not bad going a tour in US B-25 Strafers, a tour in A-20's and a tour in B-24's, also more than 40 Australias were KIA flying with US Units early 42 til May43 when they were all pulled out.

[Steve Birdsall]

Here's 41-2430, later named Naughty But Nice, taking off from Garbutt Field sometime around February 1942.



This camouflage was apparently applied in Hawaii, and Dana Bell describes it as "Sea Green, Rust Brown and Sand over the factory finish of Olive Drab and Neutral Gray".

It's logical to think that the twelve B-17Es brought to Australia by the 40th Recon Squadron - 41-2408, 41-2416, 41-2421, 41-2429, 41-2430, 41-2432, 41-2434, 41-2435, 41-2438, 41-2440 and 41-2447 - all displayed this paint scheme.

Wait, that's only eleven . . . oh yeah, 41-2446, known nowadays as the Swamp Ghost.

Now there's an idea . . .

[Sydhuey]

Great thanks for that now I know the names of the colours I may be able to get the spec. numbers, found this profile artwork of a B-17 in what must be those colours, wrong belly turret for an early 'E' but its a start. She must be a sister machine to the 12 you mentioned -same S/number batch

[hang the expense]

My guess is the name came from Freddy Martin and his orchestra about 1926.Check out the song on youtube. The name is fitting in a dark way as well.

[pokryshkin]

There's a camouflaged B-17E, either 41-2405 or 41-2434, in that formation photo as numbers 2 and 3 to that multi-color B-17D on early 1942 patrol out of Hickam. Hope that helps. I can't recall the B-17D serial!

Regards,
Dan Katz
PS - hope this helps.

[Steve Birdsall]

Has anybody ever seen proof that 41-2429 actually displayed the name Why Don't We Do This More Often on the nose of the aircraft? That name sort of came out of nowhere and, as far as I know, it came without any verification. Have I missed something?

[varsity07840]

Great thanks for that now I know the names of the colours I may be able to get the spec. numbers, found this profile artwork of a B-17 in what must be those colours, wrong belly turret for an early 'E' but its a start. She must be a sister machine to the 12 you mentioned -same S/number batch

Somewhere in my files I have a pic of a 5th or 11th BG B-17E at a maintenance depot in New Caledonia with the same
camoflage scheme and a serial number with the last 3 didgets in the 400s(pre ball turret). It had a ball turret. I have another
with a view to the undersides of an E showing a ball turret AND the scanning windows for a Sperry remote turret. So, apparently besides fitting nose and ball turrets to B-24Ds, the Hawaiian Depot replaced the remote turret with the ball on at least some early B-17Es.

Duane