B-17 "The Knight of Lithuania"
Wed May 20, 2015 12:30 pm
Greetings!
I am a new member to the forum and I am hoping someone can provide some information on a specific B-17. I am a pilot as well as aviation enthusiast of Lithuanian-American heritage. During WWII many Lithuanian-Americans participated in fund raising drives in order to buy military equipment for the U.S. Armed Forces. Aircraft such as C-47s and P-47s have been procured and typically had some type of Lithuanian themed inscription on their noses. Recently I was surprised to find out that a B-17 was acquired for the AAF in 1943 by the Lithuanian-American community in Philadelphia, PA.
I recently acquired a photo of a B-17 christening ceremony of a B-17 Flying Fortress. The aircraft has the inscription "The Knight of Lithuania" and a group of Lithuanian-Americans standing beside it. Lithuanian-Americans who were not in the U.S. military were very active in the war effort , especially by participating in bond drives.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77704676@N07/
So far my research efforts have not yielded very much information on this aircraft. I suspect that the photo was taken at New Castle Army Air Base in Delaware which was just a stone’s throw from Philadelphia, PA, home to many Lithuanian-Americans. New Castle Army Air Base was a transit point for many aircraft going to Europe.
There are two enlisted AAF fellows standing in the photo. Either they were the designated pilots to fly the plane across the Atlantic or brought the aircraft in from one of the factories.
I searched the terms "The Lithuanian Knight and B-17" and came up with an obituary for a Joseph Kavalauskas who was a Lithuanian-American funeral director. This link references Mr. Kavalauskas' participation in the bond efforts in order to procure this aircraft. The link is below:
http://articles.philly.com/1993-02-09/n ... -daughters
Mr. Kavalauskas was an active fund raiser and died in 1993 around the age of 90. I suspect that Kavalauskas was most likely the fourth person from the left in the photo. He is wearing a dark suit (typical for a funeral director) and appears to be the right age for someone who passed away in 1993. Everyone else looks much older and would have died way before 1993 (except the young fellow next to the propeller).
Perhaps some forum members may have some evidence of what airplanes arrived at New Castle Army Air Base in November 1943? A serial number for this aircraft would be the key and then more information on this aircraft could be obtained.
I am a new member to the forum and I am hoping someone can provide some information on a specific B-17. I am a pilot as well as aviation enthusiast of Lithuanian-American heritage. During WWII many Lithuanian-Americans participated in fund raising drives in order to buy military equipment for the U.S. Armed Forces. Aircraft such as C-47s and P-47s have been procured and typically had some type of Lithuanian themed inscription on their noses. Recently I was surprised to find out that a B-17 was acquired for the AAF in 1943 by the Lithuanian-American community in Philadelphia, PA.
I recently acquired a photo of a B-17 christening ceremony of a B-17 Flying Fortress. The aircraft has the inscription "The Knight of Lithuania" and a group of Lithuanian-Americans standing beside it. Lithuanian-Americans who were not in the U.S. military were very active in the war effort , especially by participating in bond drives.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77704676@N07/
So far my research efforts have not yielded very much information on this aircraft. I suspect that the photo was taken at New Castle Army Air Base in Delaware which was just a stone’s throw from Philadelphia, PA, home to many Lithuanian-Americans. New Castle Army Air Base was a transit point for many aircraft going to Europe.
There are two enlisted AAF fellows standing in the photo. Either they were the designated pilots to fly the plane across the Atlantic or brought the aircraft in from one of the factories.
I searched the terms "The Lithuanian Knight and B-17" and came up with an obituary for a Joseph Kavalauskas who was a Lithuanian-American funeral director. This link references Mr. Kavalauskas' participation in the bond efforts in order to procure this aircraft. The link is below:
http://articles.philly.com/1993-02-09/n ... -daughters
Mr. Kavalauskas was an active fund raiser and died in 1993 around the age of 90. I suspect that Kavalauskas was most likely the fourth person from the left in the photo. He is wearing a dark suit (typical for a funeral director) and appears to be the right age for someone who passed away in 1993. Everyone else looks much older and would have died way before 1993 (except the young fellow next to the propeller).
Perhaps some forum members may have some evidence of what airplanes arrived at New Castle Army Air Base in November 1943? A serial number for this aircraft would be the key and then more information on this aircraft could be obtained.
Re: B-17 "The Knight of Lithuania"
Sat May 30, 2015 2:22 am
That could be 41-2535.
Is there any chance of getting a really high-resolution scan of the area between the third nose window and the letters ITHUAN of Lithuania? I don't expect to find the serial number, but the style of any traces of stencilling might provide a clue. It's a longshot I know.
Is there any chance of getting a really high-resolution scan of the area between the third nose window and the letters ITHUAN of Lithuania? I don't expect to find the serial number, but the style of any traces of stencilling might provide a clue. It's a longshot I know.
Re: B-17 "The Knight of Lithuania"
Sat May 30, 2015 5:58 pm
I scanned that section of the photo at 1200 DPI and I do see what appear are several numbers. They look like they were painted on without stencils. I can make out what
appears are two numbers. I do not want to say what they are as I want your opinion. I can e-mail you the photo.
appears are two numbers. I do not want to say what they are as I want your opinion. I can e-mail you the photo.