This was one of the original cadre of B24s assigned to the 98th Bomb Group. It was painted by Lippard with a crude but memorable image of a caveman figure clutching two small bombs. It was not his own crew's regular B24 but, on 19th January 1943, Sgt Lippard was flying as a replacement tail gunner with Lt Lewis's crew in "Alice the Goon" when they were hit by flak over Tripoli harbour. Both wings were hit and the right wing tip completely shot away. Two engines caught fire and Lt Lewis turned to head for Malta, pursued by Me109 fighters. Finally, 47 miles south of Malta, Lewis attempted to ditch the damaged B24. As it hit the water, the tail broke off, possibly also the right wing, before the aircraft up-ended momentarily and then slipped under the water. One man is believed to have escaped the sinking fuselage but no survivors were found. The 98th had lost one of its talented artists along with nine other crew men. (info from USAAF Nose Art Research Project)
Photo by Jared Clark