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THE
CAREFUL VIRGIN
41-24639
B-17F-27-BO
91/323-W OR-W
 The
last of this particular batch of B17Fs built by Boeing,
its departure for the European Theatre of Operations
was delayed as a result of a broken crankshaft over
Idaho in September 1942. It wasn't until the following
month that Lt. William Clancy finally landed at an English
base. Once in the UK, Clancy named the ship and Tony
Starcer recorded that this was one of his first noseart
jobs although the only photographs so far seen do not
show any 'typical' Starcer artwork -just lettering.
Capt. Clancy
took the plane on several of its early missions but
on 18th March it was Major Paul D. Brown, Squadron Commander
of the 323rd, who lead the group to Vegesack flying
in The Careful Virgin. It was the first combat mission
to make use of the Automatic Flight Control Equipment
(AFCE) installed in this ship. The device enabled the
bombardier to fly the aircraft on the bomb run by linking
up with the auto-pilot.
On 21st
May, flying to Emden, The Careful Virgin was badly damaged
by fighters which riddled her with shells and wounded
the bombardier and navigator. In November 1943, returning
with hydraulics and brakes shot away, the aircraft ploughed
into Shamrock Special demolishing that plane's tail
section.
She may
have been a careful virgin but the plane was also a
combat veteran by the time it had completed 50 missions.
Flying as lead ship on at least 13 of her missions there
11 swastikas painted on her side to denote the confirmed
claims of her gunners. By the spring of 1944 The Careful
Virgin was one of the last B 17Fs still in action with
the group but in May she was trans- ferred to Air Force
Service Command.
However,the
battle was not over for the 'Virgin'. Three months on,
her cockpit was cut away, an open windscreen was fitted
in its place and she was packed full of 20,0001bs of
Torpex explosive. Redesignated as a BQ-17, The Careful
Virgin was part of the top secret 'Aphrodite' program
which despatched radio-controlled pilotless bombers
to high priority targets. On 4th August she took off
for a V-weapon site at Mimoyecques in France. Once airborne
and on course the crew of two bailed out as planned
but the pilot was badly injured in extricating himself
from the modified aircraft. The Careful Virgin flew
on under the guidance of the controlling"mother
ship"Striking just short of the target and exploded
into a million fragments to leave no clue to her secret
mission.
This was
one of the Original Nine B-17 Flying Fortresses that
formed the 323rd Bomb Squadron of the 91st Bomb Group.
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