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6th Bomb Group Squadron Name Charts

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PHOTO:  ©Bill Webster. All Rights Reserved.

AIRCRAFT MARKINGS: Rudder and General Markings

 

FEBRUARY – MARCH 1945

  •  Most crews gave their aircraft nicknames, which were painted on the side of the aircraft.
  • When the 6th Bomb Group aircraft first entered service in February, they did not have a lot of decoration.
  • A name might be stenciled on the side and the rudder might have the old rudder markings.
  • By the end of the war, all of the aircraft had the “Circle R” on the rudder. Lead aircraft had vertical stripes on the rudder.

APRIL – AUGUST 1945

  • The aircraft group number appears on the front bottom and the sides of rear fuselage.
  • The aircraft serial number is sometimes shown on the tail.
  • Later in the war, the aircraft were painted red on the tip of the tail and on the engine cowlings. This was presumably done to help the groups form up after takeoff. Aircraft used to drop supplies to POWs after the war had POW SUPPLIES written on the bottom of the wings.

The letter and circle were arbitrary tail designations, with each Wing of the 20th Air Force assigned a different outline (circle, square, triangle….) and each bomb group assigned a different letter within that outer shape.

58th Bomb Wing (triangle outline symbol):
40th BG – S, 444th BG – N, 462nd BG – U, 468th BG – I

73rd Bomb Wing (square outline symbol, 10.5-foot letters):
497th BG – A, 498th BG – T, 499th BG – V, 500th BG – Z

313th Bomb Wing (circle outline symbol):
6th BG – R, 9th BG – X, 504th BG – E, 505th BG (January to March) – K, (April to September) – W

314th Bomb Wing (solid black square):
19 BG – M | 29th BG – O | 39th BG – P | 330th BG K

315th Bomb Wing (diamond outline):
16th BG – B, 331st BG – L, 501st BG – Y, 502nd BG – H

THE 6TH BOMB GROUP FLEW B-29s, INCLUDING B-29As AND B-29Bs. Almost all crews gave nicknames to their airplanes. Initially, the nicknames were just painted on the side. Later, the crews began to also decorate their aircraft with artwork, often of scantily-clad women. In response to complaints from the home front, many Group commanders censored the pictures. The 6th Bomb Group avoided the problem by issuing an order requiring that all aircraft bear the pirate insignia. The decoration around the pirate insignia evolved over time. Some early examples are plain. Others show a black circle behind the insignia. Later aircraft show a white circle behind the insignia. Initially, the aircraft nickname was simply painted to the rear of the insignia. Other planes inserted the insignia in trailing red and white flames. The final version of the insignia was fairly standardized. However, the script used to write the names could vary. Artwork was improved as time permitted. The older paint jobs were not always updated immediately. Some crews did not get around to painting the names on the aircraft. On any given mission, the planes could have different styles of markings.

24th SQUADRON

NOTE: These Name Charts are still being worked on and are not official.

 

No.NicknameAircraft CommanderSerial #Comments
01.Ernie Pyle’s Milkwagon Uncle Sam’s MilkwagonParks42-93906Destroyed May 23
Spirit of SammyHume42-63535 
02.UnknownRamsey, Moreno44-61549 
03.Sharon LinnJordan44-70116Lost July 19 #66
04.El Pajaro de la GuerraLitchfield42-24874aka “The War Bird”
05.Big JoeHaki, Johnstone42-24885
06.Irish LullabyCooney42-24830 
07.Incendiary JourneyHolton, Bereznoff44-61784 
08.Bataan AvengerJones44-61635Returned to Wichita in June
  Fortune  
09.Meadows44-69864 
10.Anonymous IVHowett44-61688 
11. Mutoh42-24889Destroyed Apr 22
Miss America ’62Alger, Henshaw42-65281On display at Travis AFB, SFO
12.The WolfpackGuay42-94063 
13.Jake’s Jernt [Some Punkins]Schad, Hurd44-61558
44-27296
 
14.SnookyPreston, Holtzclaw42-24825First B-29 on Tinian
Many crew lost Apr 7 #20
Patty SueLazin??-?4890 
15.Blind Date/Lady’s DelightBoynton42-24759Lost on May 23 #43
ShastaSchwager, Fortune44-87734Ditched in ocean
16.Our LadyDawson  
Tinny AnnBerry44-69865 
17.UnknownSnyder42-24870Lost on May 23 #43
 Wilson42-24836Flew in last mission.
18.Lovely LoisRodgers44-61905 
n/aFortunes FolliesPreston42-65347Lost Apr 7 #20
08.Lucky Leven 42-93951Involved in accident.
??.Holton’s HellionsHolton  

39th Squadron

NOTE: The B-29 planes were originally assigned lower numbers – for example, plane #35 was originally #25.

No.NicknameAircraft CommanderSerial #Comments
25.  ??-?4901 
26.Tokyo TrolleyFox42-63553Lost May 25 [#44]
Tokyo Trolley IITreeman44-70150 
27.Lucky StrikeLemme42-63552 
28.Trigger MortisBooth42-93911Scrapped Mar 27
Trigger Mortis IIFrank44-69744[see #39]
29.Look Homeward AngelRalph44-69736 
30.Rip Van WinkleSmith42-24868 
Son of a B-29Richards  
31.Lady JeanHenshaw, Cunningham42-93898 
32.SnugglebunnySmith, Jennings44-6966734 missions + 78 in Korea
33.ReamatroidRussell, Joslin44-69672 
34.Patrica LynnBurwell, Disosway42-93901 
35.The Cultured VultureRichmond, Crumpton42-24901 
36.Grider GalBesore42-24884 
37.Anne Garry IIIClay42-63351Destroyed May 25
Anne Garry IVClay  
Anne Garry VGeorge44-87650 
38.Forever Amber IISharp44-61686 
39.Here’s LuckyEzell, Koser44-69744[see #28]
40.Myas’ DragonCatts*42-94042* from airplane 41
41.Forever AmberCatts44-69839Destroyed Jun 5 [#45]
[Unknown]Russell44-61836 
42.Speagle EagleOlive44-69757 
43. 4?-? 
44.[Unknown]   
??.Tulsa BarbCleverdon  
??.[Unknown]Casaurang42-24842Lost Feb 12 [#04]
??.Do It AgainSams42-65229Destroyed July ?

40th Squadron

Note: The planes were originally assigned lower numbers – for example, planes #53 was originally #33.

No.NicknameAircraft CommanderSerial #Comments
51.Earthquake McGoonPatterson42-24866 
52.No NameTriplett44-69831 
53.Flak Alley SallyVincent42-24878 
54.The PeacemakerGrounds42-24916Lost Mar 27 #16
Battling BettyComerford44-69847 
55.Little GiantSchmid42-93939Lost Jul 9 #61
Rattle N’ RollBunting44-61803 
56.Jolly RogerRussow44-24872 
57.White MistressWilson42-24776Damaged POW mission
58.Virgin SturgeonScurria44-70006 
59.Dearly Beloved “The Ramp Tramp”Kubicek44-70069 
60.Tojo’s NightmareChristenson44-70124 
61.Connecticut YankeeBierkan42-24783Crash landed and destroyed
Wun Wing LoHarp  
62.Gravel GertieSomonian42-24880 
63.Lady AnnabelleTucker42-93887 
64.Banana BoatClay42-63551Taxiing accident Mar
65.Little JeffChristie44-69855 
66.UnknownMoulton44-69825Ditched May 26 off Iwo Jima
67.Connecticut Yankee IIBierkan44-69980 
??Capt. Clay 42-63514 
??.Grand SlamNeal42-93902Crash landed Mar 10 – All OK
??. Steel42-63553Destroyed Mar 13
??.The Bad PennySteel42-69675Lost Mar 27 #16
??.The Bad Penny IIReed42-69840Destroyed May 16

Squadron Unknown

No.NicknameAircraft CommanderSerial #Comments
??.Early Bird 44-86303 
??  42-24788MACR
??.Kinney Dalle 44-61538MACR
 [Unknown]  Ditched off Tinian

Planes Used in Stateside Training

No.NicknameAircraft CommanderSerial #Comments
 Queen of ‘Em All 42-86380 
 Take It Off ??-?6371 

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