Righto Chaps,
To save everyone from having to pick through the Flypast thread, here's the photo in question:
And here's the entry I found in the 2nd Strategic Air Depot records that may refer to the aircraft in the photo:
Quote:
Headquarters, 2nd Strategic Air Depot
Weekly Activity Report
Period 22nd March 1944 to 28th March 1944
Maintenance:
Instances occur in which flying aircraft from on-site repair to the depot presents unique problems. One such example occurred last week, in that one outboard engine and nacelle of an aircraft had been shot away, which required an inner wing panel change.
Since such repairs are beyond the capacity of field working parties, the remainder of the nacelle was removed and a regular wing leading edge built over the nacelle root. The aircraft was then successfully flown to the depot on three engines.
So what do we know so far?
1: 2SAD was at Abbots Ripton, adjacent to RAF Alconbury, and was the maintenance facility responsible for aircraft of the 1st Air Division.
2: The aircraft in the photo is a 1st Air Division B-17, assigned to the 379th Bomb Group, 526th Bomb Squadron, based at RAF Kimbolton, less than 10 miles from Alconbury.
3: The photo was taken prior to August 1944, as the coloured edging to the fin triangle hasn't yet been added.
4: There is battle damage to the visible inboard engine cowling and nose of the aircraft, which would tie in with the 2SAD report but is by no means conclusive.
5: The photo appears to have been taken on the western dispersals at Abbots Ripton depot, with the depot water tower in the background.
6: There appear to be the shadows of three nacelles visible, the starboard inner merging with that of the fuselage. There also appear to be three props visible.
I suppose the next step would be to check the 379BG records to see if one of their aircraft matches the damage and timeframe.
All the best,
PB