An original cadre ship acquired 20 October ’43 and assigned to Woods’ crew who flew her overseas in December ’43. Her nose art, initially, revealed a swinging axe beheading Hitler, with the heads of Mussolini and Tojo lying close by! Headquarters requested the falling head be removed from the nose art (too gory) which was later done. The “Chopper” crashed on near base, out of fuel from combat damage, at Grottaglie on 2 July ’44 with Kirkland’s crew aboard. 3 KIA and others survived.

Pictures of Woods Chopper

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