B-17G-65-BO 43-37544
710th SQ — J
Left-side (photo taken at Rattlesden by Mark Brown, 3AD photographer, on or after 4/21/45)
One of the more colorful examples of nose art in the 447th, and one of the few preserved for us in color photographs. D-Day Doll may have earned her name on the day itself. Yet mission records available to us indicate that she flew her very first combat mission on June 7, 1944, one day after D-Day.
Flight listings for 43-37544
These lists are NOT limited to officially credited Combat missions, and may include Aborts, returns and non-takeoff occurrences as well.
Photo taken after a gear collapse, probably in July or August, 1944. Inspecting damage is Sgt. Richard Weaver, Reece crew, 710th Sqdn. D-Day Doll disappears from mission records for 16 days after July 25, and again for 11 days after August 13.
Right-side (photo taken by Mark Brown, date uncertain)
At Kingman
D-Day Doll returned to the US in July 1945, and was scrapped at Kingman during 1946.
The Doll at Kingman. Same plane, modified art
Evolution of D-Day Doll’s Nose Art
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Left side nose art sometime during the July or August 1944.
Simple standing figure in a bikini, with lettering consistent with right side. |
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17 missions. Mid-August 1944.
Original art with flak burst, unpainted chin gun fairing. |
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74 missions. Taken shortly after April 21, 1945.
Original art remains. Larger photo above shows red-painted fairing behind chin gun |
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New left-side nose art, taken at Rattlesden; date uncertain, but probably April 1945 or later. |
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74 missions, figure has changed, and is now carrying a .50 cal.
For more detail, see photo below. |
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Right-side at Kingman in 1946. Lettering, bomb and flak burst remain as before (although faded). The figure has been redone, as a blonde, with some additional hardware. In some ways (hair color, shoe style, quantity of clothing) she more closely resembles the figure on the left side. Note also the addition of names Geisinger, Bartoo and Lamprecht. All three appear in the “Roster of Enlisted Men of the 447th as of 1945” (Pictorial History), indicating that their names, at least, were added at Rattlesden between April and July, 1945. |
Also on the Color Collection page.
Combat Missions (previously compiled)
| Date | Target | Pilot | |
| 1 | 6/7/1944 | NANTES (π) | Elder |
| 2 | 6/14/1944 | FLORENNES/JUZAINE A/F (π) | Voorhees |
| 3 | 6/15/1944 | MISBURG | Voorhees |
| 4 | 6/20/1944 | FALLERSLABEN KONINGSBORN | Voorhees |
| 5 | 6/21/1944 | BERLIN | Voorhees |
| 6 | 7/6/1944 | SOUTRECOURT (π) | Newman |
| 7 | 7/11/1944 | MUNICH | Reece |
| 8 | 7/12/1944 | MUNICH | Reece |
| 9 | 7/13/1944 | MUNICH | McKinley |
| 10 | 7/16/1944 | STUTTGART | Reece |
| 11 | 7/18/1944 | CUXHAVEN | Reece |
| 12 | 7/20/1944 | MERSEBURG | Mattenson |
| 13 | 7/21/1944 | REGENSBURG | McDermott* |
| 14 | 7/24/1944 | ST. LO AREA | McKinley |
| 15 | 7/25/1944 | ST. LO AREA | McKinley |
| 16 | 8/11/1944 | BELFORT M/V (π) | McDermott |
| 17 | 8/13/1944 | SEINE R. AREA(π) | McDermott |
| 18 | 8/24/1944 | BRUX | McDermott |
| 19 | 8/25/1944 | RECHLIN | McDermott |
| 20 | 8/26/1944 | BREST (π) | Brown |
| 21 | 8/27/1944 | BREST (π) | McDermott |
| 22 | 8/30/1944 | BERLIN | McDermott |
| 23 | 9/1/1944 | MAINZ | McDermott |
| 24 | 9/3/1944 | BREST (π) | Moore |
| 25 | 9/5/1944 | BREST (π) | Moore |
| 26 | 9/8/1944 | MAINZ | McDermott |
| 27 | 9/9/1944 | GRASSY | McDermott |
| 28 | 9/10/1944 | GIEBELSTADT | McDermott |
| 29 | 9/11/1944 | FULDA | McDermott |
| 30 | 9/13/1944 | STUTTGART | Moore |
| 31 | 9/17/1944 | ARNHEIM | McDermott |
| 32 | 9/22/1944 | KASSEL | McDermott |
| 33 | 9/25/1944 | LUDWIGSHAFEN | Milks |
| 34 | 9/26/1944 | BREMEN | McDermott |
| Significant damage on this raid. Mr. McDermott assumed it had been salvaged and was unaware until just recently that D-Day Doll was repaired and returned to the 447th. | |||
| 35 | 1/5/1945 | WORMS | Reck |
| 36 | 1/10/1945 | KARLSRUHE | Hodge |
| 37 | 1/13/1945 | MAINZ | Shepard |
| 38 | 1/15/1945 | AUGSBURG | Beighley |
| 39 | 1/16/1945 | DESSAU | Beighley |
| 40 | 2/3/1945 | BERLIN | Larrance |
| 41 | 2/7/1945 | CHEMNITZ | Larrance |
| 42 | 2/14/1945 | WESEL | Larrance |
| 43 | 2/15/1945 | COTBUS | Larrance |
| 44 | 2/16/1945 | WESEL | Larrance |
| 45 | 2/19/1945 | WESEL | Larrance |
| 46 | 2/24/1945 | BREMEN | Gurney |
| 47 | 2/25/1945 | NEUBERG | Larrance |
| 48 | 2/26/1945 | BERLIN | Johnson |
| 49 | 2/27/1945 | LEIPZIG | Johnson |
| 50 | 3/1/1945 | ULM | Schwab |
| 51 | 3/2/1945 | DRESDEN | Larrance |
| 52 | 3/3/1945 | BRUNSWICK | Larrance |
| 53 | 3/7/1945 | DATTELN | Larrance |
| 54 | 3/8/1945 | FRANKFURT | Larrance |
| 55 | 3/9/1945 | FRANKFURT | Larrance |
| 56 | 3/10/1945 | DORTMUND | Larrance |
| 57 | 3/11/1945 | HAMBURG | Hayes |
| 58 | 3/15/1945 | ORANIENBURG | Larrance |
| 59 | 3/17/1945 | RUHLAND | Johnson |
| 60 | 3/18/1945 | BERLIN | Larrance |
| 61 | 3/20/1945 | HAMBURG | Larrance |
| 62 | 3/21/1945 | WITTMUNDHAFEN | Larrance |
| 63 | 3/22/1945 | HELBERT AREA | Larrance |
| 64 | 3/23/1945 | HOLZWICKEDE | Larrance |
| 65 | 3/28/1945 | HANOVER | Larrance |
| 66 | 3/31/1945 | BRANDENBURG | Larrance |
| 67 | 4/4/1945 | KIEL | Jennings |
| 68 | 4/5/1945 | NURNBERG | Larrance |
| 69 | 4/7/1945 | SCHWERIN | Montague |
| 70 | 4/8/1945 | PLAUEN | Montague |
| 71 | 4/9/1945 | NEWBURG A/F | Montague |
| 72 | 4/10/1945 | BRANDENBURG | Montague |
| 73 | 4/17/1945 | DRESDEN | Montague |
| 74 | 4/20/1945 | NEURUPPIN | Montague |
| 75 | 4/21/1945 | INGLOSTADT | Montague |
Some photos/information provided by:
Some information and/or images sourced from LIFE Magazine Archives