US Air Force Museum Restoration Division seeks Memphis Belle photos
Posted by DarthDilbert at 6/16/2009 11:30:00 AM
Despite the aircraft's fame, little footage of the interior exists. It is believed that the cabin was modified after the Memphis Belle left the factory; all B-17 models were built with a navigator's desk on the left side, and the Belle came to the museum with the desk on the right. Restoration crew members have heard recollections of this arrangement during its final missions, but no wartime photos support these statements. Actual footage of the Belle used in the 1943 documentary The Memphis Belle shows the navigator working on the left side, but the shot does not show the desk, leading to speculations that the workspace could be the sextant and bombsight storage locker usually located in that area.
The museum's restoration division is seeking photographs of the interior of the Belle taken time during or shortly after its service in World War II. Searches of local newspapers and libraries along the route of the Belle's war bond tour have proved fruitless. Any photographs taken while the Belle was in England would be especially appreciated.
To provide a photo, please contact the Restoration Division at (937) 255-8715.
US Air Force Museum
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