F-7A

[Jack Cook]

F-7A Photo Liberator s/n 42-64047 ''PATCHED UP PIECE'' of the 20th CMS 5th AF, Morotai 1945

[Chris Brame]

F-7B Photo Liberator 44-40967 "Hi-Priority Stuff" of the 2nd PCS, Palawan 1945 (#4 is my "uncle" Bernard "Bud" Seglin).

[Second Air Force]

I was just looking for more information on Sarkis Bartigian and ran across this photo on the 43rd Bombardment Group website. I had seen a photo of Patched Up Piece in camouflage before, but this was a new one to me:

The caption that goes with this photo states that the artist MAY be Bartigian, but I'm not sure. Opinions?

Scott

[Steve Birdsall]

No, that's Al G. Merkling of the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron.

[Second Air Force]

Thanks, Steve.

His facial features and the style of artwork didn't seem right to me.

Scott

[Steve Birdsall]

Most of Al Merkling's work appeared on the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron's Liberators, but he also painted the A-20 Hard To Get and a 375th Troop Carrier Group C-47 named Hot Stuff. Maybe others.

One of his most spectacular works was Queen Mae, a Jolly Rogers B-24. The story goes that the 90th Bomb Group commander "requested" his talents for this particular job, and combat photographer Steve Novak took this photo of the result.



I had the pleasure of spending some time with Al and his wife Betty in New Jersey in 1980. He was a really nice guy.

[Django]

That's really cool. Did he share any stories of how they did the artwork? Conditions, timeframes, ideas, etc? How many did he paint?

There are alot of B-24 pics in the "flying billboard" thread here in the photo gallery.

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... hp?t=24362

[Steve Birdsall]

Let's see . . . Patched Up Piece, Bourbon Boxcar, St Louis Blues, The Rip Snorter, Little Joe, American Beauty, The Wango Wango Bird, Cherokee Strip and Photo Queen! were all 20th Combat Mapping Squadron by Al Merkling.

They say that in 1949 American Beauty's artwork was still fading in the sun at Nadzab . . . there was some thought of saving that section, but in the end it was junked and smelted with everything else.

[Steve Birdsall]

One more - Hangover Haven, also 20th Combat Mapping Squadron.

[Second Air Force]

Good heavens, Chad--I went back to the thread you linked and see that I was asleep at the wheel with my Patched Up Piece photo!

Oh, well--this is STILL my favorite B-24 artwork! (Pirated from page 305 of "Log Of The Liberators"--sorry Steve! )

Last edited by Second Air Force on Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:30 pm, edited 3 times in total.

[Django]

What does that say? "unit by hand" and seal it something??

[Second Air Force]

I can tell you're no hillbilly! Another photo:


"Writ by hand
X
an' seal't wit'
terbaccu joos!"