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MOUNT'N
RIDE
42-31585
B-17G
91/323 OR-B
 Tony
Starcer's
superb nose
art painting
on this
ship, with
its mountain
theme, was
strangely
prophetic
of the aircraft's
fate. The
airplane
arrived
at Bassingbourn
on the first
day of February
1944 and
Starcer
lost little
time in
painting
the exercising
girl on
its nose.
Drawing
from his
horde of
Esquire
calendars
once again,
he turned
to the page
for the
current
month, February,
and mirrored
Vargas’
beauty.
Adding a
cowboy boot
to the rear
and mountain
scenery
as background
he created
another
of his bestknown
nose arts.
The choice
of title,
Mount'n
Ride, created
a classic
double entendre
which would
have easily
passed on
any censor's
list. Over
the next
six weeks,
Mount'n
Ride completed
six combat
missions,
five of
them with
Doyle Bradford's
crew. Its
first sortie
was with
Roman Maziarz
to the airfield
at Avord
in France
on 5th February.
The Bradford
crew took
over the
ship on
the following
day and
flew to
attack another
German airfield
at Nancy/Essey.
On 16th
March Lieutenants
Doyle Bradford
and Robert
Mersereau
took the
Mount'n
Ride to
bomb Lechfeld
airfield
where flak
caught both
inboard
engines
and forced
their feathering.
As the ship
began to
fall further
and further
behind the
formation
the pilots
made the
decision
to head
south towards
the Swiss
mountains.
Mount'n
Ride made
its way
across the
mountain
peaks and
eventually
landed at
Dubendorf
under Swiss
guidance.
It was the
91st's only
loss and
the first
of seven
Allied planes
to land
in
Switzerland
on that
day. The
entire crew
was interned
for the
duration
of hostilities
and the
plane was
stored at
Dubendorf
until repaired.
Photographs
taken on
the ground
at Dubendorf
reveal that
the plane,
unusually,
did not
have any
mission
markings
painted
on with
the nose
art. It
is not known
when Tony
Starcer
painted
his masterpiece
but it is
possible
that it
was freshly
done and
there had
not yet
been time
to apply
the mission
tally. Prior
to its final
flight,
the plane
had been
out of combat
for almost
two full
weeks and
it was during
such respites
from operational
flying that
nose art
was often
applied.
Finally,
weeks after
the war
in Europe
had come
to an end,
and a year
and a half
after landing
in Switzerland,
Mount’n
Ride took
off once
more to
fly back
to England
on the 8th
October
1945. In
all probability
it was scrapped
where it
landed,
at the giant
air depot
at Burtonwood.
"Story
taken from
Plane Names
& Fancy
Noses, by
Ray Bowden"
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