eBay: Martin B-26 Marauder

Snautzer01 · Jan 24, 2020

ORIGINAL WW2 US AAF B-25 NOSE ART PHOTO CHILD RIDING BOMB W/ SLING SHOT | eBay

Wurger · Jan 24, 2020

Greg Boeser · Jan 25, 2020

That's "Henry" B-26B #41-17565 of the 69th Bombardment Squadron, 38th Bombardment Group (M) in New Caledonia, late 1942. The 69th and 70th Bomb Squadrons were the first to receive the new B-26B in March of 1942. They deployed to Hawaii between May 22nd and June 10th, 1942. A pair of 69th BS B-26Bs were sent to Midway with a pair of B-26s from the 408th BS and took part in the Battle of Midway. "Henry" was flown to New Caledonia by LT Wilmarth and Lt Story in late June. The 69th conducted sea patrols from New Caledonia and Efate during the second half of 1942. In January, 1943 they flew to Guadalcanal to conduct combat operations. "Henry" lost an engine enroute and though it made it to Guadalcanal, it never flew again. The aircraft features the field modifications unique to 69th BS aircraft. Namely, the fixed .50 in the right lower nose and the heavily braced mantlet housing the .50 caliber flexible nose gun. The first B-26Bs only had a flexible .30 caliber nose gun.
Source: The Story, James B. Story

Greg Boeser · Jan 25, 2020

The 69th and 70th Bomb Squadrons were the last units to be sent to the Pacific with B-26s. Shortly after they departed, the remaining squadrons of the 38th BG were re-equipped with B-25s. The USAAF had decided to earmark all subsequent B-26 production for the formation of medium bomb groups destined for the MTO and the ETO. The B-26's take-off characteristics were unsuited for the primitive, small airfields typical of island bases in the Pacific.