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The actual Memphis Belle, a Boeing-built B-17F-10-BO, serial 41-24485, was delivered in September 1942 to the 91st Bomb Group at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. It deployed to Prestwick, Scotland, on September 30, 1942, and then to its permanent base at Bassingbourn, England, on October 14. Captain Robert Morgan’s crew flew 25 combat missions with the 324th Bomb Squadron, all but four in the Memphis Belle:

9 November 1942 - St. Nazaire, France
17 November 1942 - St. Nazaire
6 December 1942 - Lille, France
20 December 1942 - Romilly-sur-Seine, France
3 January 1943 - St. Nazaire
13 January 1943 - Lille
23 January 1943 - Lorient, France
4 February 1943 - Emden, Germany
14 February 1943 - Hamm, Germany
16 February 1943 - St. Nazaire
26 February 1943 - Wilhelmshaven, Germany
27 February 1943 - Brest
6 March 1943 - Lorient
12 March 1943 - Rouen, France
13 March 1943 - Abbeville, France
22 March 1943 - Wilhemshaven
28 March 1943 - Rouen
5 April 1943 - Antwerp, Belgium
16 April 1943 - Lorient
17 April 1943 - Bremen, Germany
1 May 1943 - St. Nazaire
4 May 1943 - Antwerp
15 May 1943 - Wilhelmshaven
17 May 1943 - Lorient

The Memphis Belle flew its 25th and last mission with a different crew on May 19, 1943, to Kiel, Germany. It was then flown back to the United States on June 8, 1943 by Morgan’s crew for war bond tours.

The plane was named for pilot Robert K. Morgan’s sweetheart, Margaret Polk. The famous Petty girl nose art was painted by the 91st’s group artist Tony Starcer.

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