1945 PBJ-1H Prang ...

[Mark Allen M]

North American B-25H-10 Mitchell 43-4727. Conversions from 43-4711/4883 to USN PBJ-1H's 88878/89050.

North American PBJ-1H Mitchell's (Per Baugher)
Navy equivalent of B-25H. Were USAAF 43-4530,4638,4654,4661,4703,4704,
4711/4883,4705,5028/5047, 43-4705, 43-5028/5047
88873 wheels-up landing 7/17/1945, MCAF Newpork, Arkansas
88882 (VMB-621) crashed into Pamlico Sound, NC during
bombing practice 10/10/1944. 6 killed.
88886 (BMB-621) ran out of fuel near Jacksonville, NC
and crew bailed out 10/17/1944. 4 killed, 1 injured.
89050 crashed into Badin Lake, North Carolina Jun 8, 1944. Two crew killed. The crew was ferrying the plane from Ohio
to Cherry Point, NC but made an unauthorized detour over the pilot's family home in Palmerville as a romantic
gesture to his bride of 7 months.

The PBJ-1H below had it's nose wheel collapse upon landing on a snow covered runway it seems. Looks to have happened 1/25/45. Location unknown. I'm sure someone will come along and post the accident report on this mishap.
Photo source: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/354756852

[Jim MacDonald]

Great photos, Mark.

I believe this is the accident plane. It is the only PBJ for 25 Jan and the only one in Jan that matches the photos.



Mac

[junkman9096]

Yep, those tires are un-matched.

[Craig59]

VMB-624 was commissioned on 20 June 1944 at MCAS Cherry Point as the last of sixteen PBJ squadrons, eight of which saw action in the Pacific. The squadron began operational training with PBJs and by the end of December had ten PBJ-1Hs and one PBJ-1J. On 15 February ‘45, less than one month after BuNo 88894 had this accident, the squadron was redesignated VMTB-624 and re-equipped with Eastern Aircraft TBM Avengers.

My Dad was at Cherry Point from September’44 to March ‘45 and did not fly this PBJ-1H but flew one from the same block, BuNo88911.