Please help identify grandfather's B-24

[RemingtonVeteto]

Lieutenant (JG) Rex R Veteto, USNR, my grandfather, served as a Navigator on this B-24. I only ever heard one story about his time over there. He was new to the crew, and untested in the eyes of the others. They flew a mission looking for uboats (over what I'm guessing was the channel). They spotted one, and kept track of it for a long time, circling and turning this way and that. When it came time to turn back, they looked to my grandfather, Rex, for a heading. He gave them one, it took them straight home, and he earned his place on the crew.

I'd like to know more about the specific aircraft he served on, and its history. Unfortunately I've so little to go on from this picture. I'm not sure what the B-11 mark is on the nose. And you can make out "Pegasus" painted on the side behind the crew. I've come across other Pegasus b-24 pictures, but they look different. If I had pictures/info, I'd certainly make a model to keep by his photographs.

Thank you for checking out my post!

 

[fubar57]

B-11 is the aircraft number. If this is a US Navy B-24 it would be called a PB4Y-1

Some info on the PB4Y-1 here, 997 in total with the USN...Consolidated PB4Y-1

PB4Y Aircraft History

https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/USN/PB4Y.htm

If you could find his log book or knew his squadron it would be handy

 

[fubar57]

Your photos look like it was painted in what I think was called the "Atlantic Scheme"

 

[RemingtonVeteto]

Thanks for the good reading, fubar57. I've only got a small box with his things. No log book, or anything like that. I've got a wallet that I assume he had with him in England. Still has several coins, a hand written purchase receipt, some kind of ticket/invite to a dance sponsored by YMCA, and what looks like a USN "driver's license" of sorts. Dated Nov 7, 1943.

 

[RemingtonVeteto]

You can make out a stamped VL-105 in the third picture. Thought that might have been a clue for squadron ID, but doesn't seem to match anything on that list you posted.

Looking at it again, it may say VB-105

 

[fubar57]

Interesting

Maybe try a contact here....VPNAVY - VP-105 Main Summary Page - VP Patrol Squadron

Here...Dunkeswell Memorial Museum - VB-105

 

[fubar57]

 

[RemingtonVeteto]

Wow, one little bread crumb has revealed a lot! Thanks again for the assistance. I've got quite a bit of reading to do now.

 

[fubar57]

https://www.facebook.com/pg/The-Special-277976858931987/posts/

 

[CATCH 22]

I'd like to know more about the specific aircraft he served on, and its history. Unfortunately I've so little to go on from this picture. I'm not sure what the B-11 mark is on the nose. And you can make out "Pegasus" painted on the side behind the crew. I've come across other Pegasus b-24 pictures, but they look different. If I had pictures/info, I'd certainly make a model to keep by his photographs.
Thank you for checking out my post!

Hi Remington,
You already got many clues about your granddad's unit (VB/VPB-105 or PatBomRon 105) and the location he was stationed (NAF Dunkeswell, Devon, England). The squadron moved to this station on 12-th. October 1943 and was under operational control of 19-th Group Coastal Command RAF. Before that VB-105 was stationed in St.Eval, Cornwall, England and before Great Britain it was in Kindley Filed, Bermuda. Since April 1943 they had PB4Y-1 and flew missions (as you mentioned it) mainly over the British Channel and the Irish Sea.
Can you determine the time frame your granddad was there. Obviously in the late 1943 he was an ensign (as per the document you posted), but maybe he flew missions in 1944 or later?
Anyway I don't think the first photo is of his (or any) crew - those are only young lieutenants there and probably it's just a group photo (e.g. all navigators of VB-105). A Navy-crew of a PB4Y-1 usually consists of 3-4 officers and 6-7 enlisted men. If you find the name of his Plane captain it will be easier to search for the exact a/c he was assigned to. I have some war diaries and the squadron history of VPB-105 (in an on-line archive) and checked for his name but to no avail.
Review this general information about VB-105 with some nice photos though:
https://www.vpnavy.com/adobe/vpb105_29apr2001.pdf
You'll find a photo of B-12 with a typical crew of 10.
Cheers!
Yves

 

[Dana Bell]

There's a chance that B-11 wasn't your grandfather's aircraft - unit photographers often set up their cameras in front of one aircraft, then marched the squadron members in to take various group and individual photos. (Your photo might just be a shot of all the squadron navs; still there's always a chance that it was his aircraft.) Note also that there may have been more than one aircraft marked B-11 if the first aircraft was damaged or lost.

There's a crew photo from the National Archives showing another VB-105 crew of B-11 taken at Quonset in June 1943, before deployment. You mentioned that your grandfather was a replacement navigator, which might explain why he wasn't in this photo. Note the different name on this side of the aircraft - carrying a different name on each side was not uncommon. In England an individual aircraft letter would be added to the aft fuselage.

Quonset was testing ASW camouflage schemes in May/June 1943. The base determined that a dark gray over white was effective, and most aircraft on base were reportedly being repainted in this scheme late that spring. (BuAer came up with the Dark Gull Gray and white scheme a month later, but it appears most VB-105 aircraft were painted in the Quonset colors before moving to the UK.)

One of Fubar57's links included a photo of mission markings being painted on B-11 - I'm attaching that image too.

Cheers,



Dana

 

[ODonovan]

LIFE MAGAZINE???


And here's one, which looks to be a different aircraft with the same aircraft number (or, with a different name put on by a different pilot), from "The Wartime Memories Project."

ANNNND, here's another page which might help - "Patrol Bombing Squadron (VPB) Histories." VPB-105's section begins on page 125.



-Irish

 

[Steve Hnz]

This book might well have some info in it, it deals with the units time at Dunkeswell. If I can find it, ( ) I'll look out my copy & see if I can find anything relevant.

 

[CATCH 22]

LIFE MAGAZINE???
And here's one, which looks to be a different aircraft with the same aircraft number (or, with a different name put on by a different pilot), from "The Wartime Memories Project."
-Irish

Irish, the photos from LIFE-magazine are from VB-103. They are by the photographer David E. Scherman and are from January 1944. All 3 squadrons (VB-103, -105 and -110) in Dunkeswell had a/cs numbered in the same way: B-XX.
If you carefully check all photos of planes numbered B-11 you'll see that these are in fact different a/cs (e.g. compare "green house"-nose and nose turrets etc.)
Cheers!

 

[ODonovan]

If you carefully check all photos of planes numbered B-11 you'll see that these are in fact different a/cs (e.g. compare "green house"-nose and nose turrets etc.)

It wasn't unusual for several aircraft in the same squadron to have the same fuselage number, over a period of time. When aircraft were replaced, their numbers would be assigned to new aircraft, possibly of a different variant. Likewise, field mods/updates could be done on aircraft even while assigned, which -could- change the appearance of the same aircraft from photo to photo. However, these aircraft are most likely, as you said, just different planes.



-Irish