FANCY PANTS
42-107075
B-17G 91/323-Q OR-Q

George Jankos was on Bob Sheriff s crew and flew in "Sheriff s Posse" until that ship was damaged by another pilot and salvaged. George recalled, "We also flew a ship called "Fancy Pants" with our copilot John Kerr as first pilot after Sheriff became a group leader". Study of the records shows that on the 22nd May, John Kerr began the first of eight missions as a first pilot in B-17G 42-107075. The plane had already completed 23 missions by that date and is more usually associated with the title "Champagne Girl". This may, however, have been attributed later. Kerr's crew flew their last mission in the ship on 18th June, to Hamburg, and thereafter it was take by Cyril Braund. Over the following month, he flew six consecutive sorties in the plane but the last, on 19 July, ended when the aircraft was abandoned over Switzerland and crashed into the mountains. No photograph has been located showing the title of "Champagne Girl" or "Fancy Pants" and it is not known whether both titles were carried simultaneously (on either side) or if one replaced another.

"Story taken from Plane Names & Fancy Noses,by Ray Bowden"