B-24 Photos found in antique store...

[Panzer82]

Hi folks,

Just registered for the site today, because I thought you might be interested to see a couple of photos I found in a bin full of random old photos at an antique store in Ithaca, NY the other day.

As a kid who grew up with a dad who was into WWII, we watched Black Sheep Squadron, we went to air shows, etc. I have a reasonable knowledge of old warbirds and when I found these two photos of a crewman standing proudly in front of this B-24 I figured these photos deserved a better home than just languishing in a box of old black and whites at an antique store.

They're 3" x 4.5" and after finding these two I rooted through the box hooping to find more from this same roll of film, but no luck, these were the only two.

I have to wonder what this guy's story was.... was he the tail gunner? Did he make it home? What did he see and where did he fly?

 

[mjfur]

The "79" on the forward fuselage indicates this was a Stateside training aircraft.

e.g.

 

[T Bolt]

Judging by the number on the nose in the second picture, I would say that it was a training aircraft and the picture was more than likely taken at a training base in New Mexico or Texas. The B-24s used for training had those large numbers painted on the sides of the nose.
This is a close up from a B-24 from the training squadron my father was in. Most likely Alamogordo New Mexico 1942-43. You can just make out the number on the side of the nose.

 

[nuuumannn]

Hi folks,

Just registered for the site today, because I thought you might be interested to see a couple of photos I found in a bin full of random old photos at an antique store in Ithaca, NY the other day.

As a kid who grew up with a dad who was into WWII, we watched Black Sheep Squadron, we went to air shows, etc. I have a reasonable knowledge of old warbirds and when I found these two photos of a crewman standing proudly in front of this B-24 I figured these photos deserved a better home than just languishing in a box of old black and whites at an antique store.

They're 3" x 4.5" and after finding these two I rooted through the box hooping to find more from this same roll of film, but no luck, these were the only two.

I have to wonder what this guy's story was.... was he the tail gunner? Did he make it home? What did he see and where did he fly?

Great photos, I can't give any detail beyond what more informed folks here have stated, but the B-24 looks like a D model. It has the undercarriage doors that retract into the bay rather than extend outwards when the gear is down (I learned that from this forum). The fella is standing next to a Consolidated A6A tail turret.