Warbird Information Exchange

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this site are the responsibility of the poster and do not reflect the views of the management.
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 5:37 pm

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Classic Wings Magazine WWII Naval Aviation Research Pacific Luftwaffe Resource Center
When Hollywood Ruled The Skies - Volumes 1 through 4 by Bruce Oriss


Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 2 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Casey Jones Project
PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2016 1:56 pm 
Offline

Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2016 7:32 am
Posts: 3
Let me introduce myself, my name is Louis T Via, I am 91 years old and live in Woodbridge Virginia. I was doing some research and found your website talking about the Casey Jones Project begun in 1946. It’s a small world. From November 1944 until May 1945 I flew B-17s with the 422nd Bomb Sq., 305th bomb group, Eighth Air Force out of Chelveston, England bombing Germany. The airport was located near the town of North Hampton.

As you pointed out, when the war ended the Eighth Air Force was disbanded and moved back to the United States for redeployment to the Pacific theater. Three or more bomb groups remained in England and became assigned to The Casey Jones project-- aerial mapping Germany. The planes were modified by removing all armament and outfitted with a K/20 camera mounted in the radio room. My group was the 305th flying the F model B-17 and bearing the tail insignia Triangle/G.

From my memory now, In July 1945 the entire group moved to St. Trond, Belgium (near Liège) and continued he daily flights over Germany. Then, in late December, we moved to southern Germany to an airfield near Munich. I cannot remember its name.

Here comes the interesting part to me. It is now just after Christmas, 1945 and three or four of our airplanes of the 305th.were assigned to fly to Robert’s Field, Liberia, West Africa. Never heard of it but I was one of them.

It was a long, long, long flight from southern Germany through Rome Italy, south to Tripoli west to Algiers and west again Casablanca in French Morocco. ) No, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall had not yet arrived.) From here it was south to Dakar in French West Africa, and finally to Robert’s field, Liberia where the Casey Joes Project continued, I had no idea why we were in Liberia I continued those photographic missions until April 1946 when I returned to Germany and then finally home.

I saw two photographs of a B-17 model F with a tail designation of triangle G located at Robert’s field in 1946. That had to be one of the plans that left Germany with me and entirely possible that I flew the very same airplane which your photograph shows. What do you think? I’d like to hear from you. Sincerely. L.T. (Pete) Via


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Casey Jones Project
PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2017 5:20 pm 
Offline

Joined: Fri May 19, 2017 5:07 pm
Posts: 1
Dear Louis,

I was interested to see your post about the Casey Jones Project and flying to Liberia. I only recently heard about the project and am searching for the original photography. I am interested in changes in forest cover and this would be a valuable historical record of Liberia's forest resources. So, just to let you know that the imagery is still relevant after all these years. I would be interested to know any other reminiscences you might have of the mission.

Kind Regards

Tim (UK/Monrovia - it is a long flight but more comfortable these days)


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 2 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group