"Jungle Princess"
"Jungle Princess" may seem like an unlikely name for
an Eighth Air Force
B-24 Liberator operating in Europe, but one such aircraft did exist.
This B-24H, serial number 42-7537, was among the first Liberators sent to
England with the new nose turret. The aircraft was assigned to crew number
13-37 in Topeka Kansas, in August of 1943. This crew was originally assigned
to the south Pacific so the name and nose art was selected by the crew and
painted on the bomber. Subsequently, the crew was re-assigned to England and
they didn't have time to change the nose art.
The Jungle Princess flew with the 392nd Bomb Group operating from Wendling,
England. She was shot down on her 13th mission, but the crew bailed out
safely and was assigned to another B-24, "The Black Widow". They were shot
down in this ship over enemy territory and spent the remainder of the war as
POW's in Germany. This painting depicts "The Jungle Princess" on a mission
over Germany in 1944.
Jungle Princess
Giclees on canvas available:
