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.
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