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Nose art painted by Cpl Anthony L Starcer
91st Bomb
Group (Heavy)
Bassingbourn, England
ANXIOUS ANGEL B-17G 43-38035 401st Squadron
This was one of Starcer's rare nudes and it showed the high level
of skill and paint manipulation that he achieved. The flesh tones are
superb although the girl's legs are extraordinarily long. As with many
of his nose art paintings, Starcer included his signature -- a useful
aid, if one is needed, for historians.
"Anxious Angel" accrued over 70 combat missions, more than one
third of them were flown by Dick Gibson's crew who named the plane and
commissioned Starcer to paint its raunchy artwork. Towards the end of
the war, the aircraft was fitted with radio counter measure equipment
to confuse German ground radar which guided the flak gunners and
fighters, no doubt causing many an anxious moment for plane and crew.
Surviving hostilities, "Anxious Angel" was flown back to the USA on
8th June 1945 with a crew of ten plus ten passenger ground crew.
© Ray Bowden
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