A-26s With WWII Combat Histories

Thu Dec 28, 2006 11:17 pm

Any A-26 combat veterans from WWII still surviving? If so, where?

Thu Dec 28, 2006 11:31 pm

The New England Air Museum's A-26C "Reida Rae" flew over 100 missions in WWII. She's currently under restoration and the 14 flak holes that she recieved and were repaired in WWII will be kept! She is a "C" model and retains the early style cockpit hatch. They later went to the clamshell type openings. The museum is still looking for a bombadiers glass nose for "Reida" as the gun nose she currently has was a post war replacement item. One out of four aircraft in the squadron had glass noses, so that is why "Reida Rae" flew so many missions in such a short time. She lead most of the ones she flew on.

Here's a link to the website:

http://www.sgamboti.com/cts/a-26_project/index.htm

I'm sure there are others out there!
Blue skies,
Jerry

Fri Dec 29, 2006 8:42 pm

Wow...cool, thanks!

Fri Dec 29, 2006 9:43 pm

not a WWII history, but the A-26 44-34520 that was owned by Hawkins and Powers is a Korean War Vet, have not gotten any mission details, but it was there according to the USAF.

Sat Dec 30, 2006 2:34 pm

N119DR served in Korea.... still with flak holes and all...

Though this exact aircraft never saw actual combat in WW2, it currently displays markings used on A-26 Invaders based on Okinawa during the summer of 1945.