B-24 Photo

[5shot56]

I have a Photo of a B-24 with the crew in front of it...I am trying to figure out the history of the shot. On the left front side there appears to be a large Number painted on the side. The first diget is partially covered by a person standing in front of it. But could be a 4? The 2nd and third numbers are 56. I found a bomber image online that said the plane name was "456". it crashed Sept. 29, 1944. The S/N was 42-78456. I don't understand why the 2 images shown online show a No#17 painted on the right side? My image also doesn't have a nose turrent, where these online images do. Could it be the same? Any help would be great. Is there any B-24 people on here that may be able to help. I'm new to the site...thought I'd give it a try.

Thank you

 

[fubar57]

Could you post the photo? I think the 456 on the nose coincides with the S/N and this would be before it entered combat hence the lack of the turret. The #17 I believe was called a combat number, used when an aircraft entered the combat area. Hang around. Someone with more knowledge will provide a more precise answer but again, posting the photo would be helpful.

Geo

Edit...a quick search on the b24bestweb.com site says that the aircraft with this serial number crashed Oct 2,1944 along with an aircraft one serial number up..457, belonging to the 98th BG. Same bomb group, not sure. Still looking for more info for you. It was a North American B-24G-16-NT Liberator.

 

[Airframes]

Yes, the '456' are the 'last three'of the serial number, which were painted on the nose Stateside. These were normally (but not always) removed when the aircraft reached a combat zone. Pics would help clarify this further.

 

[fubar57]

Further digging into the web site mentioned in my last post shows two photos of your aircraft, front starboard quarter and rear starboard quarter(Probably the same ones you have) Info from these photos state that the aircraft was from the 15thAF, 484thBG, 824thBS and it crashed on Sept. 29. 44.(Odd that the same site mentions two different dates) These are the photos from the B24BestWeb 11000⊕ PICs - AKA BBW - WWII B-24 Liberator Bombers site. If they screw up some kind of copyright law, could someone remove them.

Geo

Edit:From the 484th.org site...No missions were flown on either date. The markings and numbers were painted in insignia red.

 

[5shot56]

What do you guys think...almost looks like they are standing in snow?

 

[Crimea_River]

I would say they are. Jackets zipped right up and you can see the snow stuck on the shoes.

 

[res6kgcr]

Hi 5shot56

Your photo is of a typical Second AF stateside trainer. The number on the side is probably 1156, by the looks of it newly transferred to this base by the masking tape still left on by the ground crews. With these last 4 digits Joe Baugher list serial numbers: 42-41138 ... 42-41172 as a Consolidated B-24D-140-CO Liberator c/n 2215/2249, the other possibilities in the B-24D, B-24E and B-24G production pool do not have those last 4 digits. I can just make out the star bar national insignia of September 1943 on the ship in the background so I would place the time period as the winter of 1943/44. Where they are at is a good question since in that time frame the last of the B-24 groups formed were finishing their training and the groups moved to a different base for each phase of training. But I think I remember a photo of this same plane with a different crew in the snow, but it is on my other computer which is in the shop, when it comes back I will let you know what I found out.

Best regards,

Tom

 

[5shot56]

Thank you Tom...Any more help you give would be great.

 

[res6kgcr]

Hi 5shot56

I found it:

Wells Wescott Crew of the 467th BG (H) on a cold January crew photo day at Wendover AAB, Utah-Nevada border. Both crews are off to Rackheath, Station 145, England in February, and the rest they say is history.

Best regards,

Tom

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Excellent Tom, that rocks sir!

 

[Airframes]

Great work there Tom. Not much left of Rackheath (in Norfolk, UK) when I last drove past it. There was still a hangar, used by local transport and storage, and some of the taxi tracks and part of a runway.

 

[5shot56]

That is wonderful information Tom, Thank you for your help.

RT

Heavy Bombardment Group training

Wendover's mission was to train heavy bomb groups. The training of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator groups began in April 1942, with the arrival of the 306th Bomb Group flying B-17s.
From March 1942 through April 1944 Wendover AAF hosted twenty newly-formed B-17 and B-24 groups during one phase of their group training. In March 1942, heavy bomber training was a two-phase program, with each phase being six weeks. Later, the training was changed to a three-phase program, and each stage lasted four weeks. Wendover would do the second-phase training.
At Wendover, these groups utilized the huge Wendover Bombing and Gunnery Range southeast of the airfield.

Heavy Bomb Groups Trained at Wendover Army Air Base
Group Type Destination Training dates
306th Bomb Group B-17 Eighth Air Force April–August 1942
302d Bomb Group B-24 Operational Conversion Unit July–September 1942
308th Bomb Group B-24 Fourteenth Air Force October–November 1942
100th Bomb Group B-17 Eighth Air Force November 1942 – January 1943
379th Bomb Group B-17 Eighth Air Force December 1942 – February 1943
384th Bomb Group B-17 Eighth Air Force January–April 1943
388th Bomb Group B-17 Eighth Air Force February–May 1943
393d Bomb Group B-17 Operational Conversion Unit April–June 1943
399th Bomb Group B-24 Operational Conversion Unit April–December 1943
445th Bomb Group B-24 Eighth Air Force June–July 1943
448th Bomb Group B-24 Eighth Air Force July–September 1943
451st Bomb Group B-24 Fifteenth Air Force July–September 1943
458th Bomb Group B-24 Eighth Air Force July 1943 – September 1943
461st Bomb Group B-24 Fifteenth Air Force July 1943
464th Bomb Group B-24 Fifteenth Air Force August 1943
467th Bomb Group B-24 Eighth Air Force August–September 1943
489th Bomb Group B-24 Eighth Air Force October 1943 – April 1944
490th Bomb Group B-24 Eighth Air Force October 1943
494th Bomb Group B-24 Seventh Air Force December 1943 – April 1944
457th Bomb Group B-17 Eighth Air Force December 1943 – January 1944

Source: Hill Aerospace Museum