USAF?

[rex]

What is this 1945 aircraft? Is it USAF? Could this be Morotai, Ambon, Tarakan or Balikpapan?

 

[Wurger]

IMHO it is a B-24 belonged to the USAF. The 1945 is very likely.

 

[Snautzer01]

Style of looks a lot like scoll to end.

Before&After7

307BG

b-24.weebly.com

 

[Wurger]

The pic is trimmed and not the entire number can be seen. It should be 946. She belonged to the 307th Bomb Group, the 13th AF. The Group consisted of the 370th BS, the 371st BS, the 372nd BS and the 424th BS.

the pic source: 307th Bomb Group Nose Art

 

[Wurger]

Yep ... B-24J s/n. 44-40946 and belonged to the 372nd BS. If 372nd squadron so the airfields were:
On January 9, 1944 moved to Munda Airfield on New Georgia.
On May 13, 1944 moved to Mokerang Airfield on Los Negros.
On August 22, 1944 moved to Wakde Airfield ( (operated from: Kornasoren (Yebrurro) Airfield, Noemfoor).
On November 10, 1944 moved to Wama Airfield on Morotai.

So the requested pic may be taken in 1944 or 1945. It should be checked when the squadron started using of the B-24J. It looks like they got the bomber variant in the mid of the 1944.

the source: Aviation – Literary Art and Illustration
the info:

Pacific Wrecks - 372th Bombardment Squadron (372th BS)

Assigned to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 13th Air Force (13th AF), 307th Bombardment Group (307th BG) in the South Pacific (SOPA).

pacificwrecks.com

Pacific Wrecks - Mokerang Airfield, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG)

Mokerang Airfield was on Mokerang Point at the northwest tip of Los Negros in the Admiralty Island Group (Admiralty Islands).

pacificwrecks.com

Pacific Wrecks - Wakde Airfield, Sarmi Regency, Papua Province, Indonesia

Wakde Airfield encompasses Wakde Island off the northern coast of New Guinea built by the Japanese and expanded by the Americans, disused today.

pacificwrecks.com

 

[rex]

What is this 1945 aircraft? Is it USAF? Could this be Morotai, Ambon, Tarakan or Balikpapan?

Thanks. We're the B24 based in Morotai, Tarakan and Balikpapan?

 

[Wurger]

Thanks. We're the B24 based in Morotai, Tarakan and Balikpapan?

On Morotai the squadron based at the Wama Airfield. In September 1945 was moved to the Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines,

 

[rex]

On Morotai the squadron based at the Wama Airfield. In September 1945 was moved to the Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines,

Thanks. Trying to work out my father's movements in 1945. Looks like he was working in Morotai not just passing through. At Wama would the USAF and RAAF have shared aircraft servicing facilities?

 

[Wurger]

According to the Pacific Wreck site .. yes the airfield was also used by the RAAF.

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
No. 79 Squadron (Spitfire) 1945
No. 452 Squadron (Spitfire) arrived December 11, 1944 – June 29, 1945 departed Tarakan
No. 457 Squadron (Spitfire) arrived February 1945 – June 19, 1945 departed Labuan

Pacific Wrecks - Wama Airfield (Guama) North Maluku Province, Indonesia

Wama Airfield is parallel to the southern coast of Morotai Island (Moratai) in the Maluku Islands (Moluccas Islands).

pacificwrecks.com