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 Post subject: B-25H 'Sherry'
PostPosted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 11:02 am 
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Location: Ontario, Canada
G'day all. I would very much like to produce a gag birthday present for my youngest sister Sherry, a three time cancer survivor with an outrageous sense of humour. A week or so ago, I came across a photograph which will suit the situation perfectly, with a little bit of help.

The photo shows a closeup of a B-25H with a nose art painting based on burlesque star Sherry Britton. My sister's married name is Mitchell, so you can see how I arrived at this point. Based on my own research and an enthusiastic leg up from Mark Allen M, it is likely that the aircraft served with the 82 BS, 12 BG about the time they were in the CBI.

The sticking point to my little undertaking is the fact that, after days of poring over the internet, I can't find any indication of the individual identity of the aircraft. Without that information, my idea of producing a profile of the aircraft falls on its face.

I would really appreciate any data or suggestions you all might have.

cheers
Doug


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 Post subject: Re: B-25H 'Sherry'
PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 2:25 pm 
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The following is what I have turned up since posting my plea for help. If you can fill in any of the empty spaces, even if it's not the aircaft I am trying to identify, it will make my job that much easier. Cheers :drink3:

82 BS 12 BG markings began as white numerals from 26 to 50. Numbers appear to increase after the move to CBI and change to
black after 3/44. All aircraft have varying, but similar wild eyed, big toothed face paintings across the nose gun area.

Aircraft identified with 82 BS 12 BS:

43-4105/4404 B-25H-1 cn 98-21106/21405

43-4183 B-25H-1 (one of these 1st two is possibly Leggy Lady, maybe even Sherry, because both are early build, with no
43-4206 B-25H-1 pilot side package guns)
43-4208 B-25H-1 Vikin's Vicious Virgin, Tail number 35
43-4381 B-25H-1 Dog Daize, tail number 42
43-4388 B-25H-1 tail number 82

43-4405/4704 B-25H-5 cn 98-21406/21705

43-4357 B-25H-5 Leroy's Joy, tail number 37
43-4374 B-25H-5
43-4459 B-25H-5
43-4470 B-25H-5 belly landing 02 15 45
43-4603 B-25H-5 Silver Lady, tail number 31

43-4705/5104 B-25H-10 cn 98-21706/22105

43-49-- B-25H-10 tail number 65
43-4909 B-25H-10 Eatin' Kitty, tail number 43
43-4910 B-25H-10 tail number 29
43-4968 B-25H-10
43-5104 B-25H-10 Bones (the last production B-25H), tail number45


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 Post subject: Re: B-25H 'Sherry'
PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 5:23 pm 
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Air Classics issue Vol.3 No.6 has an article called "Gun Ship", a photo of B-25H 34405 appears, but no nose art or large numbers are seen. On the following page, a photo of 2 Mitchells appears; one has large #44 on fin along with tail #33921 and another with #35 - no tail number.
In Air Classics issue Vol.6 No.1 an article entitled "Suicide To Cape Waios" refers to B-25's with 17th Obs squadron. The article deals with B-25H's and the attacks around New Guinea area with another photo of 34405 (same Pic); a B-25H with nose art "Emergency Strip" (a Heart with a nude) - no serial #; and nose art references to B-25's called "Miss Cue", "Little Stinker", "The Straggler", and "Sacramento Belle" - No photos or tail numbers...Probably no help!

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 Post subject: Re: B-25H 'Sherry'
PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 8:15 pm 
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LOL! Just the opposite - a blank page is no help. Let me sort these numbers out and see what happens - and thanks for taking the time to look.


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 Post subject: Re: B-25H 'Sherry'
PostPosted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 3:39 pm 
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Location: GTA, Canada
Hi Doug!
I tried to find something more about Sherry, mainly going through "Earthquakers" by Barbara Stahura and 2 more books about the 12-th BG. Unfortunately there was nothing about this a/c. I have a list with several B-25s from the 12-th (mostly names and some serials) and Sherry is there, under 82-nd BS. No s/n or tail number though. I believe the list is from the www, but don't remember the exact site.
Some interesting things I could gather from the photo of Sherry:
1. You mention that there is a possible s/n for Leggy Lady or Sherry. I don't think these two a/cs are from the same block. Leggy Lady is an early camouflaged H-model. IMHO NM-planes started with block 5, but I must check my references:
Image
Sherry is in NM and even if you don't see the port side guns, the blast plate is there. The latter is factory installed and not a field work - see the riveting:
Image
2. There is a high resolution photo of Sherry and I tried to find something more "under the microscope". There is a second B-25 behind, probably camouflaged with a pair of legs in slippers on white background. I have seen this nose art before, but couldn't remember where. In the background there are rows of P-51 with under wing tanks (probably escort planes). There is a third plane in NM behind the second B-25 as well.
Image
After 4 days of search (on and off) I found the lady with the slippers (she's not bare-naked though :D ):
Image
Now the bulldog is obviously the 82-nd's BS. mascot, but I don't remember seeing any "Early Briefing" before!?! :?
On top of it the a/c is covered with graffiti and has the cannon port faired over. As per this site:
http://b-25history.org/aircraft/435104.htm
this is "Bones" :drink3: with a different (later) nose art. In the lower corner of the faired over window (against canon blast) one can still see the eye of the monster, from the time when this a/c was Bones. Compare here:
Image
Image
I know "Bones" had a mid-air collision with a vulture and apparently was never used in action after that. Maybe this is not correct and this photo shows the plane after the collision? Maybe the planes in the photo (incl. Sherry) are for scrap? The 3-rd a/c behind is a NM A-26 "Invader".
The photo of Sherry is from the NASM collection - why don't you try to contact them and ask for more information? Link to the photo in NASM:
https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-o ... otograph-2
The high resolution photo ID is NASM-SI-2009-31383.
BTW Early Briefing photo's ID is NASM-SI-2009-31380
Cheers!

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Yves Marino


Last edited by catch 22 on Tue May 15, 2018 3:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: B-25H 'Sherry'
PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 10:31 am 
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Location: Ontario, Canada
Hey, thanks, Yves. I haven't been around for a couple of days because of a terrible head cold. With a bit of luck, I'll be able to read through your research (my eyes won't stop watering) and get back to you by tomorrow. Very much appreciated!

Doug


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 Post subject: Re: B-25H 'Sherry'
PostPosted: Sun Feb 18, 2018 3:04 pm 
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Hello again, Yves. I have just read through your material a couple of times and I am ticked off that I missed a couple of small items that might be important as this little adventure goes along. The first, and of no small importance, is the fact that Sherry is NM, not camo, and that is a reasonably sure indication that she was an H-5 or even an H-10, not an H-1, like I mistakenly surmised. That, by the way, will also learn me not to assume the importance of things from a photograph - like missing package guns.

Actually, I am becoming quite obsessed with this research because of the apparent lack of easily discoverable coverage on this group of aircraft.

The B-25H 'nude with bombs' I had placed on my list turns out to be from 434 BS 12 BG, so not one of our possibles.(at least according to a caption by Peter Bowers, whose word I respect.)

Thanks for adding 'Early Briefing' to the list. First of all, it's interesting that the B-25 History group added this photo to their series on Bones, the ultimate 'H', without saying anything about the name change. Considering the names and signatures all over the aircraft, plus the #1000 painted over the pilot's window and the remnant of the eyeball in front of the cockpit area, this is obviously Bones in another life and as good a proof as you could ask for that she was not scrapped in India - at least, not as Bones.

I have written to B-25 History Org and will shortly do the same with the NASM.

Thanks a million, Yves and Leon and to anyone else who thinks they have an idea, please put it in writing and i'll chase it down. :drink3:

update to original posting:

82 BS 12 BG markings began as white numerals from 26 to 50. Numbers appear to increase after the move to CBI and change to black after 3/44. Several aircraft have varying, but similar wild eyed, big toothed face paintings across the nose gun area.

Aircraft identified with 82 BS 12 BG:

43-4105/4404 B-25H-1 cn 98-21106/21405 (package guns on stbd side only)

43-4183 B-25H-1
43-4206 B-25H-1
43-4208 B-25H-1 Vikin's Vicious Virgin, Tail number 35
43-4381 B-25H-1 Dog Daize, tail number 42
43-4388 B-25H-1 tail number 82

43-4405/4704 B-25H-5 cn 98-21406/21705 (pilot side package guns started with this series)

43-4357 B-25H-5 Leroy's Joy, tail number 37
43-4374 B-25H-5
43-4459 B-25H-5
43-4470 B-25H-5 belly landing 02 15 45
43-4603 B-25H-5 Silver Lady, tail number 31

43-4705/5104 B-25H-10 cn 98-21706/22105

43-49-- B-25H-10 tail number 65
43-4909 B-25H-10 Eatin' Kitty, tail number 43
43-4910 B-25H-10 tail number 29
43-4947 B-25H-10 Silver Streak tail number 48
43-4968 B-25H-10
43-5104 B-25H-10 Bones (the last production B-25H) later Early Briefing, tail number 45

90% confirmed aircraft with unknown numbers: Paper Doll, Blazin' Betty, Swamp Angel, Leggy Lady, Sherry, Calamity Jane

From Leon Cleaver:
Air Classics Vol 3/6 article 'Gun Ship' photo B-25H-5 43-4405; 43-3921 tail 44 (unfortunately a B-25J) and another un-id'd tail 35. Currently digging through magazine pile/hoard.

Doug


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 Post subject: Re: B-25H 'Sherry'
PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 3:05 pm 
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In addition to my previous post this is the list with Mitchells from the 82-nd BS. I was referring to. It obviously shows a/cs from different periods, but nevertheless is a good source. Some serials or tail numbers might be wrong though - I didn't change anything in this original list:
82. BS

31 OLD WAR HOSS B-25C 82BS/12BG 41-13123

31 SILVER STREAK B-25H 82BS/12BG ?

33 B-25C 82BS/12BG 41-12653

34 THE BLACK WIDOW B-25C 82BS/12BG 41-29956

35 B-25C 82BS/12BG 41-12831

35 VIKIN’S VICIOUS VIRGIN B-25H 82BS/12BG 43-4208

37 LEROY’S JOY B-25H 82BS/12BG 43-4357

40 B-25C 82BS/12BG 41-12862

41 B-25C 82BS/12BG 41-12866

42 DOG DAIZE B-25H 82BS/12BG

44 SUNDAY PUNCH B-25J 82BS/12BG

45 BONES B-25H 82BS/12BG 43-5104 (last B-25H built; signed by numerous NAA
employees) As of March 1, 1945 46 missions...

48 SILVER STREAK B-25H 82BS/12BG 43-4947

BLAZIN’ BETTY 82BS/12BG

BLONDE BETTY 82BS/12BG

BUNDLE BUNNY 82BS/12BG

CALAMITY JANE B-25H 82BS/12BG

CALCUTTA COMMANDO 82BS/12BG

DOUBLE TROUBLE 82BS/12BG

EATIN’ KITTY 82BS/12BG

INCINDIARY BLONDE 82BS/12BG

JIVIN’ JULIE 82BS/12BG

LEGGY LADY B-25H 82BS/12BG

MILK RUN 82BS/12BG

MISS-BEHAV’IN 82BS/12BG

MY DUTCHESS 82BS/12BG

OH DEE WHIZ! 82BS/12BG

PAPER DOLL 82BS/12BG

PIN-UP GIRL 82BS/12BG

PROBLEM CHILD 82BS/12BG

PROP-WASH 82BS/12BG

SHERRY 82BS/12BG

SILVER LADY B-25H 82BS/12BG

SWAMP ANGEL B-25H 82BS/12BG

SWEET LORRAINE 82BS/12BG

TAIL BREEZE 82BS/12BG

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Yves Marino


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 Post subject: Re: B-25H 'Sherry'
PostPosted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 1:36 pm 
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Location: GTA, Canada
One more addition: below is a link to a collection with many B-25H photos from the 12-th
BG. in CBI and MTO. A lot of nose arts and plane names to go through. No Sherry though :( .
http://www.ww2online.org/search-page?ke ... ll&page=31
But during a (re)search like this, you may find unexpected treasures and information.
I'm 99.99% positive that I found another nose art from the 82-nd BS. done by the same artist, who painted Sherry. The fonts used for the names and the style of painting the female bodies is IMHO the same:
Image
Image
Cheers!

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Yves Marino


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 Post subject: Re: B-25H 'Sherry'
PostPosted: Tue Oct 20, 2020 12:54 am 
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Off of Facebook.

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 Post subject: Re: B-25H 'Sherry'
PostPosted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:22 pm 
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Hi all. I know I'm seriously late to the party but was wondering if any of you were able to make any headway into determining the identity of Sherry. I've been doing some serious digging into the 12th BG over the past couple of years and have a few ideas about the identity of Sherry (I think the Sherry art was a repaint of one of the 82nds planes) and would love to talk to you more about anything you've learned since first discussing this plane.

Cheers!
Chris


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