Helendale, California

Helendale
Area Map
Helendale Schools
Silver Lakes

Helendale History

Keepsake vol One
Keepsake vol Two

  1. Inner cover page,
  2. School District
  3. Helen Becomes Helendale - 1918
  4. Helendale Teacherage
  5. Songs written for Helendale
  6. About the Fifth Annual Helendale Rendezvous
  7. Schedule of events -
  8. Self Guided tour
  9. An Old Landmark
  10. Life As A Boy In Lenwood, California
  11. Jack Gaffney Crew Chief, Nose Artist
  12. Growing Up On The Desert
  13. Life On The Desert As I Remember It
  14. Orebaugh Biography,
  15. Buzz Banks
  16. Eva Von Dettum Helendales Poetess
  17. Old Number 8
  18. Airplanes That Sailed Over The Victor Valley Skies In The Past
  19. Brief History of George Air Force Base
  20. Unsung Heroes
    21.

 

Route 66 Communities
in California

 

Keepsake vol Two

JACK GAFFNEY

 

JACK GAFFNEY
CREW CHIEF, NOSE ARTIST

     Air craft nose art during WWII came from a wide variety of
sources and talents, but probably one of the most unusual was to be
found in the 401st sqnd. of the 91st, where assistant crew chief
and crew chief Jack Gaffney not only kept 'em flying mechanically,
but in high style with his numerous contributions to the nose art
of the squadron's aircraft.

     Jack enlisted in October 1941, and graduated from Air
Mechanics school in April, 1942.  He was sent to McDill Field,
where in May he was assigned to the 91st B.G., 401st sqnd., as an
assistant crew chief.

     Shortly thereafter he and Pvts. Fratz, Karas, Ward and Gibsen
were sent on detached service to Grenier Field, Manchester, N.H..
It was here Jack did his first nose art. on the nose of a 92 B.G.
B-17.

     The crew wanted the name STINKY on the right nose side and a
tableau for the right waist side. The only paint they could come up
with was yellow, so the whole job was done in that color. The
tableau was of a huge bomb chasing Hitler and Hirohito, labeled "lt
All Comes Back To You Now." Life magazine carried pictures of the
artwork in the months following.  The five rejoined the 91st soon
after it moved to Walla Walla from McDill.

     At Bassingbourn Jack was assigned as assistant crew chief
(under crew chief Bob Dalton) on Capt. Oscar O'Neil's, INVASION II,
where he did his first 91st Rigid Digit, with coat sleeve done in
red, white, and blue stripes.  #70 did 23 missions before being
shot down on 4-17-43.

     During this time Gaffney painted two other well-known 91st
aircraft, "The Bad Egg" and "The Sky Wolf."

	After losing "Invasion II"  M/Sgt. Dalton and Gaffney were assigned
to 42-29591, LL-Z "The Shamrock Special." The art in Shamrock
Special was probably unique during WW II-Jack painted both sides of
the nose, with a different girl on either side, and in October of
'43 added a picture of a nude on the right vertical stabilizer
"call Hollywood 337" for a rare example of "tail art" and probably
the only plane in WW 11 with three art pictures.

     LL-Z was unusual in another respect. The tail section (and
Hollyweod 337) was badly damaged when "The Careful Virgin" smashed
into its tail section when landing without brakes. The entire
aircraft from the radio room back was replaced with the rear
section of another damaged aircraft, similar to the operation on
Little Miss Mischief.

     In February, 1944 Jack became crew chief of 42-31812 LL-H,
"Destiny's Child," so named by radio operator Gene Letalien, and
did the nose art for the plane. It flew 52 missions before being
shot down over Berlin.

     After the demise of Destiny's Child Jack was assigned to a new
aircraft, "Sunkist Sue", for which he also did the artwork.

	In recent years Jack has taken a serious interest in his art work,
with studies in oil painting, scratchart, and water-color training
under the well-known artist Kolan Peterson. Gafffney's work has
been well received and he has won numerous awards at art shows His
wife Jan is also an accomplished artist. He is associated with the
Morello Valley Allied Art Association, and the Fine Arts Institute
of the San Bernardino County Museum.

 

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