Captain Bill Pagh poses with his mount at Gusap, New Guinea, in January 1944.

Although the 312th Bombardment Group was just that - a bomber unit, it spent several months flying P-40Ns before it transitioned to A-20Gs. Its only combat was limited to patrols from Gusap where it was then based.

For this purpose it used hand-me-down P-40Ns from the 49th Fighter Group, one of which is seen here. Pagh applied nose-art to his however, and called it Southern Boy in honour of his state of Florida.

The number 26 on the nose is a former 49th FG marking. Pagh was lost in an A-20G on 11th August 1944 over Utarom (see Florida Gator in the A-20 section)

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