Warbird Information Exchange

Neat looking B-24. Looks like it's been converted into a hack, but it has kills and mission markings.

Anyone have anymore information?



Shay
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Semper Fortis

SOunds like there is a story there...wondering about the conversion and the history of this bird...

Well, it is a "D" judging from the narrow chord propellers. Notice that the high-mounted pitot mast has been removed and a plug riveted in place. Also, the aft bomb bay doors seem to have been sealed--I can't see any evidence of the tracks for the aft doors other than a solid strip of aluminum just in front of the national insignia. I wonder if this could be some kind of drone director--notice the astrodome aft of the cockpit. A very interesting machine.

I didn't find anything on Colonel Huston from the war years, but he was Commander of the 45th Space Wing in 1964 as a Major General.

Scott

Well the only other information is that the picture was taken at Hickam Field, HI. Hence the "Honey LuLu"

Shay
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Semper Fortis

General Huston was born in 1914, in Norristown, Pa. He attended Northeast High School, Mastbaum Vocational School and Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia, majoring in electrical engineering. He enlisted in the National Guard in January 1938 and received his commission as a second lieutenant in February.

In March 1938 he entered pilot training at Kelly Field, Texas, and graduated and received his pilot wings in February 1939. He attended Maintenance Engineering School at Chanute Field, Ill., in early 1939 and then was assigned as radar and electronics officer at Wright Field, Ohio, until 1943.

During World War II General Huston served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the Northern Solomons, Bismarck Archipelago and Eastern Mandates Campaigns.

After returning to the United States he was assigned to Headquarters Air Materiel Command, Wright Field, Ohio, and served in the Directorate of Procurement and Production. In July 1947 he was named assistant chief, Inspection Section, and in January 1948 became chief of the Aeronautical Equipment Section.

General Huston attended the Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va., from August 1948 to December 1948, and was then assigned as chief of maintenance, Directorate of Materiel, Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

In September 1952 he was assigned as Air Force member, Military Application Division, Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, D.C., and became deputy director, Military Application Division, in September 1953.

He returned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in September 1955, as deputy director, Directorate of Nuclear Systems, Headquarters Air Research and Development Command. He next was assigned as commander, 3079th Aviation Depot Wing, with additional duty as assistant for special weapons, Headquarters Air Materiel Command. In 1958 he attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University for three months.

In July 1960 he was assigned as commander, Air Materiel Forces, Pacific Area, with headquarters at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. Two years later he became assistant chief of staff, materiel, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

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SHAEF1944
American Veterans Museum

After reading the biographical info that SHAEF posted, I wonder even more if this was a test aircraft. The General had a strong background in Radar and electronics, so it isn't beyond the realm of possibility that this airplane was used for grooming radar systems or operators and that this is a group photo of men involved in such a program.

Scott

I love a mystery. This is a total guess, and open to FACTS, but after some searching, my bet is that Huston was assigned to 30th BG, 819th BS. Consider he was radar and electronics
officer at Wright Field from 1939 to 1943

Then there is this history of the 30th BG and 819th BS :

In September 1943, 134 officers and 1,270 enlisted men of the 30th Bombardment Group's ground echelon left March Field for duty overseas
via Camp Stoneman, California. The first of the flight echelon arrived at Hickham Field, Oahu, Hawaii, on October 1, 1943. The remaining
personnel and planes arrived in Hawaii by October 20. The group's 27th and 38th Squadrons were based at Kahuku, Oahu, while the 392nd and
819th Squadrons were at Barking Sands on the Island of Kauai. The 819th Squadron was the newest addition to the Group. Previously designated
the 3rd Anti-Submarine Squadron, it was redesignated and assigned to the group as a replacement unit for the 21st Squadron that had been sent
to Alaska.


Movement to the forward area began in early November 1943 when the 27th and 38th Bombardment Squadrons moved to Nanomea in the Ellice Islands,
and the 392nd to Canton in the Phoenix Islands. The 819th Squadron remained at Wheeler Field, Oahu, where it processed new crews and airplanes
that were later dispatched to the front line.


In August 1944, the 30th Bombardment Group moved to Saipan where it was joined by the 819th Squadron, bringing together all four squadrons for
the first time since Hawaii.


May be that Huston was assigned for a while due to his radar and electronics experience, and the 819th, previously the 3rd Anti-Submarine Squadron, would likely have all sorts of neat
radar and electronic gegaws in their A/C, but at this point, is just a guess on my part.

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SHAEF1944
American Veterans Museum

I think that Honey Lulu is just a run-of-the-mill Hawaiian Air Depot transport conversion.

This might be what she looks like from the other side . . .

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www.B17BlackJack.com

It certainly looks like it could be the same machine. The pitot mast is relocated (maybe behind the second or center men in Steve's photo).

Of course, I can't read the entire data block, as usual when I really want a serial number, but it is an RB-24D.

Quite a hot rod!
Scott

Could be. Although B24bestWeb lists it as "previously with 307th BG", the 307th Bomb Group website lists B24D-10-CO, SN 41-23911, name " Hawaiian Air Depot ", so there is a question
whether it got the name with the 307th, or after a possible transfer and assignment to the HAD.


Given that the HAD modified B-24D's with nose turrets, relocation of navigators position to flight deck, pilot/co-pilot window blisters, etc, it is possible it was named by a 307th crew for
the depot ?

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SHAEF1944
American Veterans Museum

My grandfather Deward Lamar Roy was crew chief on the Honey Lulu in combat in the Phillipines.
Anyone serve with him or in crew at another time?