Size: 9 x 12 inches

It's amazing original World War II artwork comes from the ‘Artcraft Sketch Book’ of  Lieutenant Donald Wright (0-2056313) of the 342nd Bombardment Squadron. During his service and Combat operations  Lt. Wright carried this sketch book with him in flight on long-range strategic bombardment of occupied Europe, attacking airfields, marshaling yards, industries, naval installations, and other targets in France and the Low Countries. During World War II, the 342d Bombardment Squadron was a B-17 Flying Fortress squadron, assigned to the 97th Bombardment Group, Fifteenth Air Force. It earned two Distinguished Unit Citations. While some of the more intricate colored artwork was finished post-flight, many of these rough sketches and quick pencil drawings were done in flight in the B-17 of the pilot, Gunners, and other crew members from 1944-1945. During this time the squadron was reassigned to the new Fifteenth Air Force and the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in southern Italy, November 1943, flying a combination of B-17Fs and new B-17Gs. From Southern Italy it engaged in very long-range strategic bombardment missions, attacking targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Greece, attacking oil refineries, marshalling yards, aircraft factories, and other strategic objectives. It participated in the first shuttle-bombing mission to Russia (Operation Frantic) in June 1944. The squadron returned to the United States after the German capitulation in May 1945, and prepared for transition to Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircraft and deployment to Twentieth Air Force in the Pacific Theater. Japanese capitulation in August ended training activities; the squadron was demobilized and inactivated in October.

This finished and very colorful pencil artwork drawing was most likely quick sketched by Lt. Wright during a post-mission structural analysis of the aircraft. This artwork drawing is signed by Lt. Wright and is dated 1944 and was most likely done in stages. First as a quick sketch by Lt. Wright standing behind the plane during a post-mission structural analysis. The piece was then finished up by Wright later on to add the extra details and colors. The sketch appears to show shrapnel and bullet holes on the rear tail section. This is being examined by a mechanic and being look on by another.