Bomber Command nose art

One of the archive team has recently finished building a 1/32 scale model Lancaster. A short time ago, we had to choose which aircraft it was to represent. Without giving it much thought we asked on social media for suggestions, made a short list and posted an opinion poll. With almost 50 percent of the votes, ‘Fair Fighters Revenge’ was chosen for the model.[1]

1 The IBCC model Lancaster

Some aircraft were known only by their squadron codes and individual letter, others were given their own character and painted with ‘nose art.’ The number of operations each aircraft completed was often recorded by painting a small bomb underneath the cockpit. Operations to Italy were sometimes symbolised by the depiction of an ice-cream cone. Some aircraft were also decorated with nose art; they were given a name or a mascot. As a form of folk art’, some aircraft were painted with comical cartoons, risqué pin ups or quotes.[2] The Canadian War Museum displays a collection of nose art from Halifax aircraft,[3] and there are several books on the topic.[4] The Lancaster S-Sugar, currently at Hendon is decorated with a quote from Herman Goering “No enemy plane will fly over the Reich Territory.” The RAF has regularly chosen cartoons to be painted on the nose of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster. The BBMF Lancaster has previously been ‘The Phantom of the Ruhr’, ‘Johnny Walker’ and Mickey the Moocher.’ In 2014 it was painted as ‘Thumper’ and in 2017 became ‘Leader.’

‘Thumper', the Avro Lancaster Mk III undergoing maintenance in the BBMF hangar at RAF Coningsby.

Thumper at the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. (SAC Megan Woodhouse)

The aircraft our poll chose, Lancaster ME812, ‘Fair Fighter’s Revenge’, completed over 100 operations with 166 and 153 squadrons. Its nose art shows a red-haired woman in a short red dress flexing a sword. At a recent meeting some of the team were uncomfortable with the choice, one mentioned the figure on the nose art looked like ‘Miss Whiplash’. During the war, ‘pin ups’ by artists such as Alberto Vargas, George Petty and David Wright influenced the artwork on many bomber aircraft. Based on Norman Pett’s risqué character ‘Jane’ from the Daily Mirror, the Lancaster at the Lincolnshire Heritage Aviation Centre at East Kirkby has been ‘Just Jane’ since the 1990s. She is depicted wearing swimwear and sitting on a rather phallic looking bomb.

3 Just Jane

Just Jane (Alan Wilson)

Such nose art can only properly be understood and explained in the context of the largely masculine environment of a 1940s wartime bomber station. Today, such objectification of women and the use of offensive national stereotypes are problematic and may cause offense, but so can almost every other aspect of the history of Bomber Command. Its history is difficult heritage, and remembering the bombing war continues to expose a barrage of conflicting opinions, positions and agendas. For some people, Lancaster bombers commemorate the aircrew killed flying in Bomber Command, but for many others in Germany, Italy and France they represent death and destruction, whatever is painted on them.

 

 

[1] You can follow the build at: http://ibccdigitalarchivelancbd.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/

[2] Lane, J. ‘Nose Art’ Art Then and Now (2006) http://art-now-and-then.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/nose-art.html accessed 08.11.2017

[3] The Collection of Original Halifax Nose Art Currently on Display at the Canadian War Museum http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/noseartcwm.html accessed 08.11.2017

[4] See for example: Wood, J, Aircraft Nose Art, (Salamander, 1997). Simonsen, C. RAF and RCAF Nose Art in World War II (Hikoki, 2000). Valant, G. Vintage Aircraft Nose Art, (Motorbooks, 2001).