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DAYTON, Ohio -- The B-17F "Memphis Belle" is readied for restoration at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo)
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Museum Restoration Division seeks Memphis Belle photos
Posted 6/15/2009 Updated 6/15/2009
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6/15/2009 - DAYTON, Ohio -- The National Museum of the United States Air Force's restoration division is seeking information needed to accurately restore one of World War II's most famous aircraft.
The Memphis Belle, a B-17F Flying Fortress, became the first U.S. Army Air Forces heavy bomber to complete 25 missions over Europe and return to the United States in 1943. Upon its arrival at the museum in 2005, restoration volunteers began working to undo years of overhauls and damage, restoring it to its appearance at the completion of that last mission.
Flying in the 324th Bomb Squadron of the 91st Bomb Group (Heavy), the Memphis Belle and its crew of 10 flew their first combat mission on Nov. 7, 1942. Faced with hordes of enemy aircraft, antiaircraft fire, and little escort of friendly fighters in the target area, few bomber crews finished their required 25 missions. The crew of the Memphis Belle beat the odds with their 25th combat mission on May 17, 1943, against the naval yard at Lorient, France. This raid was the Belle's 24th combat mission due to transfer of aircraft between troops. On May 19, the Memphis Belle flew its 25th combat mission on a strike against Kiel, Germany, while manned by a different crew.
Upon their return to the United States in June 1943, the Memphis Belle's crew flew the aircraft across the country on a three-month war bond and morale boosting tour. After its tour, the Belle was used at MacDill Field in Florida to train B-17 crews. It was later placed on display in Memphis before arriving at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
Despite the aircraft's fame, little footage of the interior exists. It is believed that the cabin was modified after the Memphis Belle left the factory; all B-17 models were built with a navigator's desk on the left side, and the Belle came to the museum with the desk on the right. Restoration crew members have heard recollections of this arrangement during its final missions, but no wartime photos support these statements. Actual footage of the Belle used in the 1943 documentary The Memphis Belle shows the navigator working on the left side, but the shot does not show the desk, leading to speculations that the workspace could be the sextant and bombsight storage locker usually located in that area.
The museum's restoration division is seeking photographs of the interior of the Belle taken time during or shortly after its service in World War II. Searches of local newspapers and libraries along the route of the Belle's war bond tour have proved fruitless. Any photographs taken while the Belle was in England would be especially appreciated.
To provide a photo, please contact the Restoration Division at (937) 255-8715. |
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| Josh Zorne, Chapman NE |
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| Public Affairs Division, Dayton OH |
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| Joe Plummer, Hubbard Ohio |
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| Larry A. Mitchel, Roseville CA |
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