B-24 liberator id needed

[wendovertom]

OK - this was donated with no identification.
The B-24 D in the background has a nose # of 1231,
the tail number of the B-24 on the right is 273328 - so 42-73328 - which Baugher does not have a record for but it sits between two other 308th BG B-24J model numbers. The 308th Did train in Wendover.
The one in the foreground has a nose # of 7631 (?)

I have no idea how to ID a plane from nose number only so I turn to you guys! Location - I have no clue - it does look like Wendover, but that is only a guess from the super flat background and the two potential Model "J"'s and a model "D" all in the same photo.

Thanks in advance!

Tom P.

[Clifford Bossie]

The nose number on many training aircraft was often the last three, or four digits of the tail number. That looks like a B-24H to me and if that is the case the serial number is likely 42-7631. I will accept any corrections as I am not positive.

The location could be Alamogordo AAF, or Biggs AAF as well as Wendover (plus some others). All trained B-24 crews (B-17s as well at Alamo and Biggs) and if facing in certain directions the mountains will not show up.

Edit: After I posted the above I did find online reference to 42-7631 being at Wendover: http://www.801492.org/Air%20Crew/B24Index.htm

[gemmer]

OK - this was donated with no identification.
The B-24 D in the background has a nose # of 1231,
the tail number of the B-24 on the right is 273328 - so 42-73328 - which Baugher does not have a record for but it sits between two other 308th BG B-24J model numbers. The 308th Did train in Wendover.
The one in the foreground has a nose # of 7631 (?)

I have no idea how to ID a plane from nose number only so I turn to you guys! Location - I have no clue - it does look like Wendover, but that is only a guess from the super flat background and the two potential Model "J"'s and a model "D" all in the same photo.

Thanks in advance!

Tom P.

I doubt that those are 308th BG aircraft. The 308th went to China in early 1943 with B-24Ds, well before the G, H and J models appeared.

[eagle0025]

It is indeed B-24H, s/n 42-7631. It was used at Wendover AAF, UT by a replacement crew assigned to the 788th BS, 467th BG. It later went to the 801st Provisional Group ("The Carpetbaggers") at RAF Harrington UK (Station 179). This group had been sucessfully conducting covert missions for several months for the OSS and was in need of a working cover, thus they took on the designation of the 492nd Bomb Group after 13 August 1944 to conceal their true identity.

Attachments

[wendovertom]

Thanks for the help! Good to get the plane identified at least! Now for the D model in the background. . .

Tom P.

[mike furline]

https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src ... n1944S.htm
440107 B-24J 42-73328 778BS 464BG Pocatello AAB, ID LAC 2 Flanagan, George O. USA UT AAB, Salt Lake City, UT

https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src ... l1944S.htm
440707 B-24D 42-41231 213BU Mt Home AAF, Mt Home, ID LAC 4 Feeley, Edward G USA ID Mt Home AAF, Mt Home, ID