Memphis Awaits the Belle - B-17E Memphis Belle Canvas | INCLUDES: Tire Fragment

Authentic Tire Relic – A Piece of the Legend

Each framed edition includes a genuine fragment of the Memphis Belle’s rubber tire, preserved from her time at Mud Island during the 1990s restoration efforts. Originally offered on a commemorative fundraising plaque, this relic helped support the aircraft’s restoration and return to public display. The plaque was personally autographed by Captain Robert Morgan, the Belle’s pilot, and Margaret Polk—the woman whose name inspired the aircraft's iconic nose art.

This rare piece offers collectors and history enthusiasts a direct connection to one of the most famous aircraft of World War II. The embedded relic serves not just as a piece of material—but as a piece of memory, dedication, and American aviation heritage.

Original tire fragment preserved from Mud Island during the 1990s restoration efforts.

About the Memphis Belle:

The Memphis Belle is one of the most iconic aircraft to emerge from World War II. A B-17F Flying Fortress assigned to the 324th Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group of the U.S. Army Air Forces, the Belle flew from Bassingbourn, England, during the height of the air war over Europe.

What set the Memphis Belle apart was her crew—and their remarkable survival. Between November 1942 and May 1943, Pilot Robert K. Morgan and his nine crewmembers flew 25 combat missions over heavily defended targets in Germany and occupied France. This was no small feat. At the time, bomber crews had to survive 25 missions to rotate home, and the odds of doing so were slim. The Belle became one of the first U.S. heavy bombers to complete that mission quota with her entire crew alive.

The crew of the Memphis Belle included:

• Pilot: Captain Robert K. Morgan

• Co-Pilot: Captain James A. Verinis

• Navigator: Captain Charles B. Leighton

• Bombardier: Captain Vincent B. Evans

• Flight Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: Technical Sergeant Harold P. Loch

• Radio Operator: Technical Sergeant Robert J. Hanson

• Ball Turret Gunner: Staff Sergeant Cecil H. Scott

• Left Waist Gunner: Staff Sergeant Eugene A. Adkins

• Right Waist Gunner: Staff Sergeant Clarence E. Winchell

• Tail Gunner: Staff Sergeant John P. Quinlan

Their aircraft, tail number 41-24485, was named after Morgan’s sweetheart, Margaret Polk of Memphis, Tennessee. Nose art featuring a George Petty pin-up from Esquire magazine completed the aircraft’s signature look.

After their final combat mission, the crew and aircraft returned to the United States for a highly publicized War Bond Tour. They visited over 30 cities across the country to boost morale and raise funds for the war effort. At each stop—by direct order of General “Hap” Arnold—Morgan would buzz the airfield in dramatic fashion, much to the delight of the waiting crowds.

Today, the Memphis Belle is preserved at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. After decades exposed to the elements and a lengthy restoration process, the Belle now serves as a powerful symbol of the courage, endurance, and sacrifice of the American bomber crews of WWII.