Trying to learn about a B-24H

[Ken]

I'm preparing a presentation for a memorial to my neighbor CB (see his Gone West thread). Too late to go overseas, his pilot class was sent to mechanic/flight engineer training in 1945. I believe some of his school was at Tyndall and that he posted as a B-24 crew chief with the 2136 AAF Flexible Gunnery School at Apalachicola AAFB. I have located some negatives of him standing by a B-24, natural metal, with a large buzz number "13" on the nose. I can't be certain, but it looks like B-24H-30-FO 42-95459. Below the serial stencil it says "Tyndall, Fla."

Anyone care to comment?

[Craig59]

According to Joe Baugher's serial number database site, 42-95459 was indeed a Ford built, B-24H-30-FO Liberator. Beyond that his site has no other information about this aircraft.

[res6kgcr]

Hi Ken

Can you tell if it is CFC gunner trainer or “stock” B-24? Other than that you know a lot of information about the plane, location and date.

Best regards,

Tom

[Ken]

Unfortunately, the few snapshots I have are grainy and the additional negatives did not scan well ... traditional darkroom setup might yield decent prints. One negative is of a similar B-24 in flight, but I could not get it to scan. I also looked at Baugher's site and hoped someone would chime in and be able to state if this bird was a war weary or new when assigned as a trainer. Of course there's a Maxwell card, I'm sure.

For you guys who are savvy with the National archives, is there any way to narrow down a photo search, for instance, "Tyndall Field, 1945"?

You don't see many photos like these and it's been an exciting find.

Ken

[Ken]

[Ken]

So, no chat from the B-24 gurus?

Anyone able to answer about finding official photos in the US Archives?

[TonyM]

Ask your question on this forum:


http://forum.armyairforces.com/B24-Best ... -f414.aspx