Surviving Helldivers

[k5083]

Bangkok, 1969:



P'cola, 1983:



Chino, 1988:



August

[JDK]

Thanks August, Brad.

Interesting to see the Bangkok one on jacks and axle stands and the tailwheel?!

[Flat 12x2]

I have just received an e-mail from a French contact of mine, a former aircraft mechanic in the French Navy, and he regetfully informs me that no SB2C Helldiver resides in France any longer. The only possibility is that one 'may' be hidden away somewhere. Forty eight SB2C-4 / -5 Helldivers and 32 SBD's apparently all scrapped.

Hopefully not all scrapped, lots of miss-labling on google earth,so who knows, the shape looks right for a SBD ,
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&safe=off&q=http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php%3Fubb%3Ddownload%26Number%3D770365%26filename%3DLORIENT.kmz&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=websearch
I looked on the net for pics of the aircraft on the base, there are pics of every other a/c on the base ,but not this one !

[marine air]

One thought is about the French Skyraiders, the T-28 Fennecs, and the Fouga Magisters that have come onto the warbird scene via third world countries. WHat aircraft did they replace? So could the 48 Helldivers and Dauntlesses have been scattered around the French territories like Chad, French Guyana, St. Maarten, French Indochina, and etc.
WHere were the French active after the Second World War?

[JDK]

I have just received an e-mail from a French contact of mine, a former aircraft mechanic in the French Navy, and he regetfully informs me that no SB2C Helldiver resides in France any longer. The only possibility is that one 'may' be hidden away somewhere. Forty eight SB2C-4 / -5 Helldivers and 32 SBD's apparently all scrapped.

Hopefully not all scrapped, lots of miss-labling on google earth,so who knows, the shape looks right for a SBD ,
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&safe=off&q=http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php%3Fubb%3Ddownload%26Number%3D770365%26filename%3DLORIENT.kmz&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=websearch
I looked on the net for pics of the aircraft on the base, there are pics of every other a/c on the base ,but not this one !

There are no Dauntlesses or Helldivers on public view in France. That kind of thing does not get missed in such a location today.

[Flat 12x2]

I have just received an e-mail from a French contact of mine, a former aircraft mechanic in the French Navy, and he regetfully informs me that no SB2C Helldiver resides in France any longer. The only possibility is that one 'may' be hidden away somewhere. Forty eight SB2C-4 / -5 Helldivers and 32 SBD's apparently all scrapped.

Hopefully not all scrapped, lots of miss-labling on google earth,so who knows, the shape looks right for a SBD ,
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&safe=off&q=http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php%3Fubb%3Ddownload%26Number%3D770365%26filename%3DLORIENT.kmz&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=websearch
I looked on the net for pics of the aircraft on the base, there are pics of every other a/c on the base ,but not this one !

There are no Dauntlesses or Helldivers on public view in France. That kind of thing does not get missed in such a location today.

I agree James, but this aircraft what ever it is looks to be hidden from general view unless you are visiting the surrounding buildings which are on the military part of the airfield,so not public. Did you look at the satellite view ? It seems odd that there are no pics of what ever it is, but pics of all the rest.

[fred27]

Hello,

For the moment I havent' find anybody that can give me informations/pictures about the helldiver 89255.
But if weather is good, I will I am have two hours of "circuit pattern" next week in Lann bihoue, I will ask the TWR for a 500ft AAL north circuit
and try to look at the place described as SDB on google earth.
There will be an "open house" on 18th september at Lann bihoue for the century of french Naval Air Force with probably a lot of veterans,
I will try to ask some of them about the Helldiver.
According to that website: http://indochine1940-1975.over-blog.com/pages/Les_BOMBARDIERS_DE_LAERONAVALE-2018984.html
The SB2C were used on aircraft carriers in "indochine" (vietnam) after being bought in the US between 1950 and 1952. And ten more for parts in 1955.
The Helldivers were used as trainer and "all purpose" aircratf until 1958.

Frederic.

[k5083]

Just a random thought on the French Helldiver. If by some miracle it had been rescued from where it was on display in the late 1960s, its most logical next stop would have been one of the storage hangars at Le Bourget -- where perhaps it might have been a casualty of the 1990 fire?

Not the slightest evidence for any of this, just wild speculation.

August

[ChrisDNT]

Has anybody a recent picture of the Greek preserved SB2C ?
Thanks.

[DaveM2]

Has anybody a recent picture of the Greek preserved SB2C ?
Thanks.

I have one on my home puter taken at the opening of the new facility when we did an article on it sometime back in CW, will dig it out.
Frederic, thanks for your efforts on tracking the fate of the French 'survivor'

Dave

[DaveM2]

About 1985 photo by moi





About 2008 photo via HAFM

[JDK]

There are no Dauntlesses or Helldivers on public view in France. That kind of thing does not get missed in such a location today.

I agree James, but this aircraft what ever it is looks to be hidden from general view unless you are visiting the surrounding buildings which are on the military part of the airfield,so not public. Did you look at the satellite view ? It seems odd that there are no pics of what ever it is, but pics of all the rest.

Odd, perhaps but not indicative. There may be a Helldiver in a forgotten barn, like the Schlumpf Collection, but there's not one as a gate guard. If it were visible to anyone on display on a military base or whatever, it'd be known as such. France and French bases are not terra incognita.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cit%C3%A9_ ... mpf_affair

Like DaveM2, thanks to Fred for his posts.

Regards,

[ChrisDNT]

Thanks a lot, Dave, exactly what I was searching for

[jdvoss]

FWIW, some years back I did see footage taken by SCUBA divers who explored the sunken USS Saratoga at Bikini Atoll. The hangar deck is full of WWII naval carrier aircraft includiing SB2C, TBM, and F6F's. Like the Otay example the engines had fallen away from the mounts. Time and warm salt water have no doubt created a lot of scrap aircraft inside. The ship is in quite shallow water as the top of the island is down less less than 50 feet from the surface. The divers noted extreme danger inside the ship when a number of 500 pound bombs were stacked and scattered inside the hangar deck.

[fred27]

I have just received an e-mail from a French contact of mine, a former aircraft mechanic in the French Navy, and he regetfully informs me that no SB2C Helldiver resides in France any longer. The only possibility is that one 'may' be hidden away somewhere. Forty eight SB2C-4 / -5 Helldivers and 32 SBD's apparently all scrapped.

Hopefully not all scrapped, lots of miss-labling on google earth,so who knows, the shape looks right for a SBD ,
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&safe=off&q=http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php%3Fubb%3Ddownload%26Number%3D770365%26filename%3DLORIENT.kmz&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=websearch
I looked on the net for pics of the aircraft on the base, there are pics of every other a/c on the base ,but not this one !

Hello,

Yesterday flying above LFRH, I have seen a plane that could be a SDB near the air tower at the place described on the above link.
But it could be a T6 (not easy to see from above). Nothing that looks like an Helldiver anywhere.

Frederic