Shared story
Jeanne Rickey II
From Lt. Ihlenburg, Pilot.
“The B-24′s and B-17′s have started a buzzing feud of late – so – o – o, being as I didn’t fly a
mission today, I paid a B-24 field a visit. I think I settled it today. I made a six-foot hedge five feet
in four places and brought back home part of their wind sock.”
From Matt:
I remembered the story… apparently the day he did that there was someone on
the ’24 base that happened to have a camera out. They took the shot of Pop
over the tower. Pop didn’t even know it was taken. Anyway, several weeks later
the photo comes to the base care of “The Pilot” who was flying this plane. How
funny is that? Pop used to love that story. It’s amazing what you can forget… it’s
also amazing what will bring it back.
Additional Notes on this plane from Matt:
Just found out an interesting tidbit… the “Jeanne Rickey II” was painted with the
name on it. My grandfather writes in a letter dated July 6,1944,
“Too bad I haven’t got the old Jeanne Ricky II any more for the picture with the
name on it. I guess not though, ’cause I wouldn’t want to fly that ship again even
if they could fix it. It makes me so mad we didn’t take some pictures of her after
we landed, as we had both a bomb bay camera and a waist hand camera that
day, but in the excitement and confusion, all was forgotten.”
.jpg "Dad at his post 1-2-44 (2)")
from Matt (pilot’s grandson): Jeanne Rickey (II)
This is, or at least it’s as far as I can find right now, the only shot I have of the Jeanne Rickey II. They’re buzzing the tower… I’m assuming it’s at the Great Ashfield. The funny thing is on the back of the Photo, it says Gin Rickey II… I’ve seen the “Jeanne Rickey” listed as the “Jeanne (Gin) Rickey” in at least one newspaper article. My theory is that the guys referred to it as the Gin Rickey… or it could be because my grandfather’s nickname for my grandmother was “Ginny”… not sure.