Douglas A 20 Havoc 43 - 9436

[Hemiman]

Hello All..

New guy here.. My name is Bill Swain and my dad flew in the 8th Sqdn of the 3rd Attack Group, known as the Grim Reapers.. I have many photo's posed on Pete Dunn's website, the AAF site and have just recently started posting on the AWF site. I sponsored the 3rd/89th Assn. Reunion a couple years back, so know most of the 8th and 89th Sqdn people still with us.
Now to "Big Nig" Tom Reading's mount back then. I believe I have a pic of it, along with a vhs tape of it's recovery.. I'll contact some of the 89th people to see if anyone might have more..Mike Clairingbould has a pretty good write up about "BN" in his book "Forty 0f the FIFTH".

Regards,

Bill

[kurlannaiskos]

the second image is a scan of the Italeri kit decals (1/48th)
they are printed by Cartograf in Italy cartograf@cartograf.com
the color profile (that might be of a replacement aircraft) is from
Voina v Vozdukhe # 92 copyright 2001 by S.V. Ivanov, but it at least gives you some of what the colors look like.
the other images are from pages 131 and 134 of :
Douglas Havoc and Boston the DB-7/A-20 series by Scott Thompson
Crowood Aviation Series ISBN 1-86126-670-7
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/attach...1&d=1146861684
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/attach...1&d=1146862519
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/attach...1&d=1146862519
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/attach...1&d=1146862519
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/attach...1&d=1146862519

[kurlannaiskos]

OOPS ! the Grim Reaper image is actually off the internet...(can't remember where)
these other images are also available on the net , but they do not have the captions. (3 out of 4 pilot's are listed.)

I have a few other images but even with deleting an old image there still isn't enough room for me to upload it.

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/attach...1&d=1146863299
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/attach...1&d=1146863299
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/attach...1&d=1146863299
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/attach...1&d=1146863299

[JMSmith]

hi kurlan,
the last 3 images you posted belong to Jack heyn, the originals are posted over on the airwarfareforum.com site

[kurlannaiskos]

Thank You SaginDragin !
I did not want anyone to think I was 'stealing' those images.
(must be suffering from CRS)
I much prefer that forum's upload capabilities as there is a larger limit size for images and no limit on the number per post , like here.
(NO offence intended for 12 O'CH)

Alex Smart , I hope that book you mention has something as the two websites are a bust !
(general info only)

[Alex Smart]

Hi,

Very little on this aircraft, only what I have given already.
But also gives serials of A-24's through to b25's.

Alex

[Hemiman]

Hello All..

Kurlan,
Your one pic that you posted showing the A-20's lined up is misidentified. Their actually 13th Sqdn planes.. Easy way to tell.. The 13th had "Oscar" on the nose, where the other Sqdns had "Oscar under or slightly forward of the horizontal stabilizer..Dick Walker, X-Co of the 13th, believes the pic was taken at Nadzab... Here's my good friend Jim "Two Gun" Brown in his 8th Sqdn G model "BUB'S BROTHER" Notice where "Oscar is painted"

Bill

[kurlannaiskos]

Originally Posted by Hemiman

Hello All..

Kurlan,
Your one pic that you posted showing the A-20's lined up is misidentified. Their actually 13th Sqdn planes..

the book it comes from only lists '3rd Bomb Group' and does not specify which squadron within the group.

The 13th had "Oscar" on the nose, where the other Sqdns had "Oscar" under or slightly forward of the horizontal stabilizer..

that would be correct for 'Big Nig' and 'Little Isadore'
and would make 'Patches' also a member of 13 BS.

Dick Walker, X-Co of the 13th, believes the pic was taken at Nadzab... Here's my good friend Jim "Two Gun" Brown in his 8th Sqdn G model "BUB'S BROTHER" Notice where "Oscar" is painted

Bill

very interesting...do you know what color the fin/rudder tips are for the 8th,13th and 90th squadrons ?
why is the GrimReaper called 'Oscar' ?
do you know the meaning of 'Bub's Brother'?
when I saw the photo I quessed that bub was short for beilzabub , meaning another name for the devil.

[Hemiman]

Hello Kurlan

that would be correct for 'Big Nig' and 'Little Isadore'
and would make 'Patches' also a member of 13 BS.


Yep, "Big Nig" and "Lil Isadora" were 89th .. "Patches was a 13th Plane..



do you know what color the fin/rudder tips are for the 8th,13th and 90th squadrons ?

8th - Yellow
13th - Red
89th - Green
90th - White


why is the GrimReaper called 'Oscar' ?


"Oscar" was the nickname given to the Skeleton..Don't know why, only know that's his name!!


do you know the meaning of 'Bub's Brother'?

Jim's brother, who was lost during the war, used to call Jim "BUB", so it was Jim's way of honoring him...


Bill

[kurlannaiskos]

two other pieces of information I forgot to divulge :

43-9436 was built in February 1944 and had fuselage number 1499
in white under the left tailplane.
this is seldom visible in photos (almost always in shadow)
but is in the location shown on the color profile posted above.