73rd Bomb Wing Data - 497 Group Sort

Aircraft of the 73rd Bombardment Wing 497th Group
Tail Code	Serial No.	Nickname (if any)	Remarks
869th Squadron
A1	42-24592	Dauntless Dotty	crashed off Kwajalein 7Jun45-Kelly crew+pax-3 surv.; (note 1)

A2	42-24595	Pacific Union	ditched 14Jan45-Cox crew; four survived;
A2	42-65282	The Big Cookie	Sienkwicz crew-survived the war;

A3	42-24591	Lucky Lynn	survived the war - 50 missions;

A4	42-24596	Little Gem	survived the war; Archer crew

A5	42-24598	Waddy's Wagon	ditched 9Jan45-Young Crew lost;

A6	42-24594	Bad Brew	ditched on takeoff 23Jan45-McGregor crew, 5 surv.;
A6	42-65292	Bad Brew Too	survived the war-Brewster crew;

A7	42-24593	American Maid	Bartlett crew-survived the war;

A8	42-24615	Coral Queen	lost 18Apr45-Bussell crew;

A9	42-24599	Skyscrapper	destroyed on Saipan 27Nov44;
A9	42-63463	Skyscrapper II	w/o 19Feb45-Garvin crew survived;
A9	44-69745	Skyscrapper III	35 missions-survived the war;

A10	42-24597	Our Baby	survived the war

A11	42-24741		lost 1Jun45-Campbell crew, 9 surv.;
A11	42-24717		ditched 19Jul45, Rodge crew, 5 survived

A12	42-63485	Hot Pants	survived the war;

A13		Misti Christi	survived the war;

A14	42-24772		lost 9Jan45 w/ Baird crew;

A15		Agony Wagon

A16	42-65348		shot down 1Jun45-Crowe crew-4 POW died in captivity;
A16	?	Fickle Finger of Fate	crashed Saipan 5Oct45 - Fate crew + pax - no survivors;

A17

A18

A19

A20

870th Squadron
A21	42-24623	Thumper	survived the war - 44 missions;

A22	42-24616	Haley's Comet	lost 27Jan45-McDonnell crew-2 survived;

A23	42-24619	Shady Lady	lost 27Jan45 w/ Dauth crew;

A24	42-24604	Wheel n' Deal	lost 14Apr45 - Abar crew-one survived;

A25	42-63412	Peace On Earth	lost 4Mar45 - Westervelt crew-9 survived;

A26	42-24622	Lucky Irish	lost 24Nov44 w/ Wagner crew;
A26	42-24745		destroyed on Saipan 7Dec44;
A26	42-63492	Lucky Irish II	survived the war;

A27	42-24627	Texas Doll	survived the war - Cutler crew;

A28	42-63423	Werewolf	lost 27Jan45-Hahn crew-3 surv. bailout but died in captivity 26May45;

A29	42-24628	Special Delivery	lost 18Dec44-Ewing crew-10 survived;

A30	42-63492		later A26 Lucky Irish II;
A30	42-63461		lost 3Dec44 w/ Campbell crew;
A30	42-93858	Star Duster	Lind crew;

A31	42-24756	New Glory	ditched 22Dec44;
A31	42-24733		ditched, date unknown

A32	42-63466	Stripped for Action	Survived the war; 35 missions; James Buckheit Crew

A33	42-93885	The Shrimper	ditched 14May45-Lambrecht crew survived;

A34

A35	44-69732	Marianna Ram	survived the war-Wheatley crew;

A36

A37	42-24774	Miss Hap	lost 3 Jul 45 w/ Merrill crew;
A37	?	?	crashed 28Aug45-POW supp. mission-1 surv.;

A38

A39

A40

871st Squadron
A41	42-63425	The Dragon Lady	later Terrible Terry-survived the war (see note 2);
A41	42-65338	Red Hot Rider	survived the war;

A42	42-24626	Joker's Wild	lost 3Jan45 w/ Lawson crew;
A42	42-24857	Joker's Wild II	ditched 19Feb45-Austin crew-five survived;

A43	42-24641	Thunderhead	survived the war - 40+ missions;

A44	42-63431	Ponderous Peg	lost 25Feb45 w/Barnes crew-collided w/42-24808;
A44	44-69750		survived the war;

A45	42-63413	Dixie Darlin'	ditched 18Dec44-Walling crew lost;
A45	42-93985		survived the war; Cardone crew

A46	42-24655	Mis' Behavin'	lost 9Jan45 w/ Crowell crew;
A46	42-63541	Ghastly Goose	ditched 27Jan45 - Peterson crew lost in a storm;
A46	42-63523	Mis' Behavin' II	survived the war;

A47	42-63426	Fickle Finger	w/o after test flight crash on Tinian-Dec 44;
A47	42-63471	Sweat 'er Out	survived the war;

A48	42-24648	Hump's Honey	survived the war;

A49	42-63414	The Jumpin' Stud	Ditched 3Jul45 - Voigt crew survived;
A49	42-65293	Destiny's Tots

A50	42-63418	Jumbo, King of the Show	ditched 3Jan45-Clifford crew-5 survived;
A50	42-24855	Jumbo, King of the Show II	survived the war; Horner Crew;

A51	42-65231	Gonna Mak'er	lost 18Apr45-Anderson crew;
A51	44-69913	Gonna Mak'er II	survived the war; Bob Wright crew

A52	42-65246	Irish Lassie	w/o after 27Jan45 mission-Avery crew;
A52	42-63526	Teaser	shot down 24Mar45-Shaffrath crew;

A53	42-65309		survived the war; Lumpkin crew

A54	44-69724	Panchito	survived the war;

A55

A56	44-69899		lost 5May45 w/ McSpadden crew;

A57	44-61809		survived the war;

A58

A59

A60
Unknown Squadron Assignments
A?	42-24807		lost 14Jan45 w/ Schramm crew;
A?	42-24808		lost 25Feb45-collided with A44-Keith crew;
A?	42-63427		lost 26Feb45-Buckheit crew-9 surv.;
A?	42-93883		lost 1Apr45 w/ Dietzel crew (869th Sq.);
A?	42-94050		lost 26May45-Swenson crew-6 surv. (870th Sq);
A?	44-61716		survived the war;
A?	44-69731
A?	44-69743
A?	44-69863
A?	44-69929
A?	44-69998		lost 25Aug45;
A?	44-70007
A?	44-87665
A?	?		unknown 497th aircraft lost 19Feb45-Miller crew-3 surv.;
A?	?	Outhouse Mouse
mmmm
NOTES:
1) Dauntless Dotty completed 53 missions; she was being flown home by the Kelley crew, first crew to complete
30 missions over Japan; three survived; their primary aircraft had been Lucky Irish.

2) Dragon Lady survived ramming 22Dec44 with the Clifford crew; was repaired, later became Terrible Terry.
(see Rust, p. 45) [Birdsall claims Dragon Ladynever flew again]

Compiled by Tom Robison - Updated 2-14-05