So I just finished reading a book called The Fall of Fortresses, by Elmer Bendiner.
Bendiner was navigator on a B-17 named “Tondelayo” in 1943, serving with the 379BG, 8TH AF. When I first read about the name of his plane I thought about the restored B-25 of the same name flying today and wondered if the B-25 was, for whatever reason, named for the B-17 at the center of the story. Google assured me such was not the case. There was a B-25 that served in the Pacific named Tondelayo. Ok, so there were two planes named this.
After finishing the book, I did more “Googling”, trying to get more information about this plane and its crew. It turns out that, besides the B-25, there were at least four B-17s, two B-24s, and one B-26 named Tondelayo! What's the deal with Tondelayo anyway? Google, once again, to the rescue. It seems Tondelayo was the name of a character in a movie called White Cargo. The movie came out in 1942, and the character of Tondelayo was played by Hedy Lamarr. Evidently it was a big hit in 1942, and with Hedy Lamarr in the staring role I can understand why!
There were probably hundreds of Tondelayos flying over enemy skies in WW-II!
Bendiner was navigator on a B-17 named “Tondelayo” in 1943, serving with the 379BG, 8TH AF. When I first read about the name of his plane I thought about the restored B-25 of the same name flying today and wondered if the B-25 was, for whatever reason, named for the B-17 at the center of the story. Google assured me such was not the case. There was a B-25 that served in the Pacific named Tondelayo. Ok, so there were two planes named this.
After finishing the book, I did more “Googling”, trying to get more information about this plane and its crew. It turns out that, besides the B-25, there were at least four B-17s, two B-24s, and one B-26 named Tondelayo! What's the deal with Tondelayo anyway? Google, once again, to the rescue. It seems Tondelayo was the name of a character in a movie called White Cargo. The movie came out in 1942, and the character of Tondelayo was played by Hedy Lamarr. Evidently it was a big hit in 1942, and with Hedy Lamarr in the staring role I can understand why!
There were probably hundreds of Tondelayos flying over enemy skies in WW-II!
