Warbird Information Exchange

Is it possible to upload a couple of photos of my Dad's B-17 during the war in order to help identify the plane / squadron?

You cannot upload images directly to the forums, you'll have to upload them to a hosting service and then link to them on here. IF you are having trouble getting the files hosted, you can send them to me and I'd be happy to post them for you. My email is conneryc@gmail.com

There is a 'sticky' near the top of this page telling you how to post pictures.

Dave

Sailor,

Until you get a photo up, can you see the tail number? If so, we can probably tell you the group and squadron from that.

Steve G

Thanks Connery and DaveM2. I am hoping I can find out anything about my fathers unit in WWII. He died many years ago so I cannot ask him and his service records were destroyed in a fire in 1973.

http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... DadB17.jpg

http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... dWWIIa.jpg

http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... ders-1.jpg

http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd16 ... adWWII.jpg

I know he flew on this B-17 but am wondering if that plane or squadron can be identified. On the travel orders, does the rate Cpt stand for Captain? I think he was only a Sargeant.

Also, is that a T-6 trainer in the last photo?

The travel orders look like they say Corporal.

The B17 appears to be an E model at a training base stateside.

The plane in the background of the last image is a Vultee BT-13 or BT-15 (same airframe, different engines). It was a basic or intermediate trainer for all US forces. The AT-6/SNJ/Harvard was an advanced trainer. Hope that helps.

Randy

A helping hand

Steve

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"Any excuse is good enough if you're willing to use it!"

Is it possible that this is a D model fort? Notice the lack of a top turret?

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Good eye MustangDriver.

I missed the "missing" top turret.

Don't know much else except the utilities are more in line with a corporal.

SPANNER the un observant

(with apologies to the MUDGE-meister)

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Support Your Local Warbirds! KBO!
The only reasons the airplanes matter is what the veterans did with them... and why.

Only 42 'D' models were built. Most of which were assigned overseas pre-war or very early. I could only find three or four that remained here for training. Could be one of those. Could be an 'E' with the top turret removed, probably not unusual in a training unit. Sailor, do you have any kind of timeline for your Dad's service? That would help.

Steve G

Could the "002" on the nose maybe mean that this was the Douglas-built B-17F-10-DL, 42-3002 that was delivered to Pocatello on 31 December 1942 and assigned to the 359th BS/303rd BG in March 1943?

No extra window in the cockpit so i think she was an E model

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Hang The Expense

That's "cpl" on the rating line, for "corporal". The fold in the paper makes the "l" look like a "t", hence the mistake. Can't help on the aircraft detals, but lovely photos... thanks for posting.

Cheers,
Richard

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Richard Mallory Allnutt - Photography - http://www.rmallnutt.com

Now you got me looking with my good eye!

No navigator's dome.
Smaller earlier props and engine cowling.

I will have to search my reference books at home, but that appears to be stateside training numbering on the nose.

_________________
Support Your Local Warbirds! KBO!
The only reasons the airplanes matter is what the veterans did with them... and why.