324th BS A/C Codes

Karl...If I am not mistaken...The DF was the designator for the 324th BS...and the A,B,C etc represents the first, second, and third aircraft assigned to the squadron  and continues as each additional aircraft was assigned......If, say for instance, the C, or third original aircraft was lost, then the replacement aircraft would also carrry the same code C as the original aircraft....
 
However, there would be only ONE of the suffix codes used at any single time period..this is to say that there would only be ONE  C at any single period of time...however, there could be as many as three or more total...all with the C code, if there were three aircraft lost, with all three carrying the same C, as replacement aircraft were asssigned to replace each lost aircraft.
 
 
I do not know how many aircraft were actually assigned to the 324th, but as a WAG, I would say it would be in the vicinity of some 15-17 aircraft...the 17th aircraft would be alphabetically
Q....so, any letter following AFTER Q would be appropriate, such as R,T,U,V,W, X,Y,or Z.
 
If this was the selection, that was used to designate the sequence of progression for the letter following the DF-
 
Jim :-)

Here is a photo of a DF-R
http://www.91stbombgroup.com/photo_history/b17alps.html
This "May Be" DF-T
http://www.91stbombgroup.com/photo_history/peg_o_my_heart_nose.html
DF-X
http://www.91stbombgroup.com/crewphotos/yankeedoodle.html
 
Here is a link that "eliminates" a few more.
  http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=401585
DF-Y 41-24527 “The Great Speckled Bird” MIA 17 Aug 43 (Part of the 401st Bomb Squadron’s original compliment, transferred to the 324th)
DF-Z 42-29921 “Oklahoma Okie” MIA 31 Dec 43
 

D ,
A Few Examples -
B-17 # 42 - 29837 DF A  " Lady Luck "
324th Sq.  7/27/45 RFC Stillwater , OK.
B-17 # 42 - 97959 DF Y  " Rhapsody In Red "
324th Sq.  11/28/45  RFC Kingman , AZ.
B-17 # 43 - 38889 DF M " Chippewa The Miwaukee Road "
324th Sq.  11/19/45 RFC Kingman , AZ.
Mike

The codes changed over time also. Miss Minookie (43-30712) was OR-O and OR-R. Some of the planes were switched squadrons Just Plain  Lonesome (42-39975) was DF-Z and later to the 323rd, but don't have her code OR-?. Ray Bowden has Great Speckled Bird 41-24527 as DF-Y. DF-A was the Memphis Belle, Lady Luck took her place. Also has Local Girl (42-3111) and Little Jean (42-31230) as DF-A1.
DF-E was Quitchurbitchin, one of the longest serving ships. I don't see any other letter/number codes other than A1, so with a slight stretch maybe DF-Y2 or something. Good luck!
L

I don't know why there was a DF-A1. My uncle flew with the Klotz crew and was KIA in Mary Kay DF-K.Their first ship was 505 Quitchurbitchin, which had been one of the first ships assigned to 324. 505 had been badly damaged in combat, and was a hanger queen for almost a year. She was returned to active duty in DEC 1943, but suffered from a bunch of aborts and was officially retired in April 1944. Their home ship was Liberty Belle DF-M.
Each squadron in England had a 2 letter code, and a radio call sign, so 324 was DF or Dimple. Each ship had a call sign letter so 505 was Dimple E for Easy. As a WAG , maybe since 505 and perhaps other forts were hanger queens, if  they were assigned more than 26 aircraft, obviously there would not be enough letters. Doing a quick scan of Ray Bowden, I do not see any I's, possibly not used , so maybe it was 25 a/c. I see a 401st A1 and a 323rd B1.
Little Jean DF-A1 was lost on Jan 11, 1944, called the "greatest air battle in history" at the time. Pilot was Lt.  Uskela, who's crew were barracks mates to the Klotz crew.
The more research you do, the more you find that the fighting the war was the important thing, and the other stuff was filled in, sometimes later. Records are often hand written or on triplicate carbon copies, and difficult to read, some illegible. Take your best guess and go with it.It may not be possible to be entirely exact, and even then you would be exact for a certain time period only.
Good Luck,
Lou