[G.R.Morrison]

Mr. Baumgartner,

You asked about the B-24D in the first photo:

"BLONDE BOMBER II" (serial 41-23659), piloted by Lt. Dan Story, was returning with flak damage from a mission to Naples on 20.Feb. 1943 when it landed in the dark at Pachino (near Syracuse), Sicily.

Believing they had reached Malta, the crew saw the airfield’s landing lights and put down, running off the end of the strip and sinking into the mud. Recovered by Italian test pilot Capt. Giovanni Raina (photos of the aircraft with dried mud on its sides have been misinterpreted by profile artists to be camouflage) and flown to Catania. Photo taken at time of capture (morning of 21.Feb.?) shows faint serial (yellow?), small letter "V" (black, outlined white?) beneath, and four RAF fin flashes.

Transferred to Guidonia on 6.March, it was again hit by Italian flak despite the freshly-applied fasces insignia. It then received a civil registration, I-RAIN. Transferred to Munich on 19.June 1943, and later to the test center at Rechlin, where it was painted with dark green uppers.

Hope this helps, GRM