Sale 8%
Casemate
Pilots and Painted Ladies: 493rd Bomb Squadron and the Air War in the Cbi
Product Code:
9781636244952
ISBN13:
9781636244952
Condition:
New
$34.95
$31.82
Sale 9%
Pilots and Painted Ladies: 493rd Bomb Squadron and the Air War in the Cbi
$34.95
$31.82
Sale 9%
Raised on a Montana farm, Vernon Drake enlisted in the Army Air Corps, piloting B-24 bombers and painting nose art while enduring perilous missions in the Himalayas during World War II.
Raised on a farm in Montana, Vernon Drake enlisted in the Army Air Corp in the spring of 1942. Assigned to the 493rd Bomb Squadron, 7th Bomb Group of the 10th Air Force stationed in India, he piloted B-24 bombers into Burma in a fight to prevent the Japanese from advancing north to China, then flew C-108 gas-hauling tankers across the formidable Himalayas to support the U.S. and Allied armies. This dangerous airlift saw tons of fuel and supplies flown daily over the tallest mountain range in the world, regardless of the weather.
He and the other airmen--aged only eighteen to twenty-five--flew dangerous missions over unforgiving territory against a brutal enemy. To provide some personal identity in an impersonal war, aircrews often painted artwork and identifying names onto the nose of their aircraft. As a talented artist, Lt Drake would spend many off-duty hours painting aircraft at the request of their crews, becoming a significant contributor to the nose art of the 10th Air Force.
Drake's story, pieced together from his meticulous records, contrasts the hours spent creating works of art with the moments of sheer terror in combat over enemy targets and navigating through towering mountains engulfed in murderous storms while carrying thousands of gallons of highly explosive fuel.
Raised on a farm in Montana, Vernon Drake enlisted in the Army Air Corp in the spring of 1942. Assigned to the 493rd Bomb Squadron, 7th Bomb Group of the 10th Air Force stationed in India, he piloted B-24 bombers into Burma in a fight to prevent the Japanese from advancing north to China, then flew C-108 gas-hauling tankers across the formidable Himalayas to support the U.S. and Allied armies. This dangerous airlift saw tons of fuel and supplies flown daily over the tallest mountain range in the world, regardless of the weather.
He and the other airmen--aged only eighteen to twenty-five--flew dangerous missions over unforgiving territory against a brutal enemy. To provide some personal identity in an impersonal war, aircrews often painted artwork and identifying names onto the nose of their aircraft. As a talented artist, Lt Drake would spend many off-duty hours painting aircraft at the request of their crews, becoming a significant contributor to the nose art of the 10th Air Force.
Drake's story, pieced together from his meticulous records, contrasts the hours spent creating works of art with the moments of sheer terror in combat over enemy targets and navigating through towering mountains engulfed in murderous storms while carrying thousands of gallons of highly explosive fuel.
| Author: Lawrence V. Drake |
| Publisher: Casemate |
| Publication Date: Jan 15, 2025 |
| Number of Pages: 240 pages |
| Binding: Hardback or Cased Book |
| ISBN-10: 1636244955 |
| ISBN-13: 9781636244952 |
Related Products
Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
First in the Air: The Eagle Squadrons of World War II
$17.47
Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Bombs Away!: A History of the 70th Bombardment Squadron (M) In Early World War II
$10.62
Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
First in the Air: The Eagle Squadrons of World War II : 9781477626429
$19.23