{Note: Click on the images/links below to view  the image. Some of the images below come up much bigger than your screen.  This was intentional, so that the viewer could move around the image in a zoomed in mode so that the markings on the planes can be seen. }

   I have several images of B-17s taken from a home movie taken from a bombing mission sometime during the winter - spring 1945 time frame.  In addition to the home movie, several 3"x5" photographs were recently found from which several 303rdBG aircraft can be identified.  Most of these photographs are dated so that the pilot and other crew members of the planes can be identified, however the images from the movie are not dated, so it is uncertain what mission they are from, and what crews are flying the aircraft.  The 3x5 photographs are quite good in quality, however the quality of the images taken from the 16mm movie are often rather poor.  However considering that they were all action shots taken on actual missions 55 years ago, even the poor quality images are remarkable.

      Early in the war, the B-17s in WWII usually flew in a box formation composed of 20 planes contributed by 3 of the squadrons the bomb group.   However after mid 1944, the 8th Air Force switched to a squadron based formation composed of  13 planes.  Each bomb group would generally put up 3 of these 13 plane squadron formations on each mission.  A view of one squadron taken from a B-17 in another squadron shows a typical squadron formation, which is usually made up of 4 flights of 3 or 4 planes each.  A closer viewof part of a squadron formation is also shown. An interesting view of a different type of squadron formation that was used later in the war is also shown by an image of the Apr16 1945 mission.

   The first image from the movie is the front half of 44-6516 , which was PU-Q, ie the "Q" plane of the 360th bomb squadron of the 303rd, also known as "My Darling".
The  back half of PU-Q and  middle section is also shown in other images.  In these images, the "Q" is visible to the left of the star, and the "P" of the "PU" is visible to the right of the star.  "PU" designates the 360th bomb squadron.  Also visible in the rear image is the "triangle C" on the tail, indicating the 303rd bomb group, and below the triangle is the aircraft serial number, ie 46516 (ie the leading 4 is left out...44 is the year that the plane was ordered).  Beneath the serial number, but not visible in these pictures (blocked by horizontal stabilizer) is another "Q" . PU-Q is also found on a few of the photographs.  Most notably on a photograph of the return from the  Jan 29 1945 mission  with the english countryside below.   On this mission, "My Darling" is flown by 2Lt Armfield. Also identified on this photograph, which was interesting because it showed a squadron containing planes from 3 different squadrons, were PU-D flown by 1Lt Arwood, PU-H flown by 2Lt Statton, PU-A flown by 2Lt Edmunds.  BN-F of the 359th squadron and VK-Z of the 358th squadron can also be identified.

   Another plane identified on the home movie was aircraft # 44-8439, also known as PU-Z (no name), identified by the "Z" on the tail.  This plane was a "PFF" plane, ie a plane which has had the ball turret gun removed, and replaced by a ground sensing radar radom, ie the white dome extending down from the belly of the plane.  This particular image shows the radome fully extended, which would be done near the target. PU-Zis also visible on one of the photographs, date unknown.

   Another plane identified is 44-8647 , also known as PU-M. This plane was involved in a mid air collission with another B-17 on Apr 6 1945.
    One interesting image from the movie is that of aircraft# 43-38870 , ie PU-B. This  image is interesting because the plane has it's #2 engine feathered. Supposedly, it was critical to feather the engines when an engine went out, in order to prevent it from running away and with loss of lubrication, tearing itself apart, often flinging propeller parts into the plane.  In addition to the feathered #2, the #3 engine was black, possibly due to a fire or oil leak.

   Another interesting plane is aircraft #42-31055, PU-J , also known as "Aloha".  This plane was battle damaged over Berlin in 1943, then repaired and returned to action. It was later used as a "scouter aircraft", which I think is a plane flown out ahead of the formation to check cloud cover over the targets. The interesting thing about this plane is that it doesn't seem to have a ball turret.  I am not sure of the reason for this.  Aloha was declared war weary in March 1945, and retired.
   One other plane  identified on the recently found photographsis PU-X , ie AC# 44-8552. PU-X, like PU-Z above, is a PFF radar plane which has the radome in place of the ball turret. I beleive that this picture was taken on the aborted March 6 1945 air-sea rescue mission searching for downed airmen in the North Sea.   Another 360th BS plane found on the photographs is PU-I, ie 43-38672. I think this picture was taken on the "Continental Express" mission after VE day, when ground crews were taken on an air tour of the bombed target areas.
   Another plane visible in the movie is a 359th BS plane, Aircraft # 43-37537 .  This plane was named "Queen of Hearts", and was once the "Q" plane of the 359th, but in the spring of 1945 it was called BN-X, since late in 1944 all planes that were PFF (ground sensing radar) equipped were given callsigns of either X,Y or Z.   Although a bit blurry, the "Queen of Hearts" nose art is visible in the picture. This plane was so close to the plane taking the picture, as is evident from the difference in size of the two engines (ie you can calculate the distance to the plane by the ratio of engine size measured off the image, and the known distance between the engines), that the calculated distance between the two planes is less than the length of the wings, ie a dramatic illustration of the formation flying these pilots performed in combat.  A plane that drifted out of formation was vulnerable to attack by German fighters.

   Two other 359th planes identified are 43-38609  BN-F , and 43-39127 BN-K , both no-name.  These were apparently on the same mission with the Q plane above, and the type of formation suggests an April 1945 date.   Several of the planes visible in the movie could not be positively identified.  For example 2 planes dropping their bombs, which might be BN-F and BN-K seen above.  BN-F was also seen on the photographs as mentioned before on the  Jan 29 1945 mission. picture. Another 359th plane found on the recently found photographs, is   AC# 44-6076     BN-Y     "Liberty Run"  .  This picture was taken on theAug 27 1944 mission.

       On pictures of the Jan 8 1945 mission, three planes from the 358th squadron are identified, including VK-F, VK-L and VK-E at "Bombs Away"  and VK-L with, VK-E and VK-F again. Previously mentioned was VK-Z seen on the Jan 29 1945 mission image.

For more images of 303rd BG aircraft, Click here.

For a list of the plane images shown above, Click Here

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