From a C-47 crash site. Someone can help us?

[salerno1943]

Here is reportage of our visit to a crash site of a C-47. We know it is crashed in summer of 1944. There are 19 men on it and 11 or 12 deceased. We will be glad to know more about this aircraft and about these men.

The place

1


First find!

2


The crash site

3


Fragment of fuselage.

4


Pilots and\or parachute equipment?

5


Fragments.

6


Object of men are in aircraft. I recognize a fragment of a fork U.S. Some idea for other objects?

7


A lot of glass

8


10 A 250 What it is?

9


Fuselage fragment with LAD 24

10


Plate from the bullet-proof jacket that have gunners in bombers. Do you know C-47 have gunners? We also find a bullet 12,7.

11


Fragments of ceramic

12


Fragments of ammunitions. Bullet of rocket. Bullets 12,7. Bullet and ball from Carbine M1. Balls from cal. 30.

13


What it is?

14

14a


What it is?

15

15a


Fuze BURNDY A-10496

16


What it is?

17


Glass with N

18


Small bottle DES PAT. 85925

19


Small bottle DES PAT 85...

20


Small bottle K-4533 1-1

21


Buttons and some small part

22


Button and collar disk infantry

23


Label RADIO CALL 315153. This is a sure reference to C-47 4315153.

24


Mario, Pierpaolo e Angelo

25

Thanks for every informations you can gave us!

Last edited by salerno1943 on Tue Jul 05, 2011 1:52 am, edited 1 time in total.

[The Inspector]

Could you possibly give us anything less to go on regarding this incident? You apparently messed up and allowed all of us to presume this happened on the third rock from the Sun, beyond that____________________________________________________________________________?

[salerno1943]

Could you possibly give us anything less to go on regarding this incident? You apparently messed up and allowed all of us to presume this happened on the third rock from the Sun, beyond that____________________________________________________________________________?

Please excuse me. The aircraft was a C-47 4315153. It crashed about 50 km south\east of Naples, Italy, in july or august 1944. There 19 men on this aircraft. 11 or 12 deceased. I have not other informations but I'll be thankful for your help to identify pilots and some other men on this aircraft. Thanks!

[The Inspector]

Sorry for the earlier posting but there wasn't any information to go on. 4315153 is missing from J Baughers lists of s/n but would fall into a block of C-47A-80-DL airframes. Maybe someone else can take that info and expand further on what outfit operated it as we've got some serious C-47/DC-3 folks here.

[Dave Smith]

I opened the big 2nd volume of the Air-Britain DC-3 book at a random page to find 43-15153. The first serial number that hit my eye was that one. How spooky is that?!

Anyway, the entry says that it went to the 9th AF's 79th Troop Carrier Sqn on March 11, 1944 and crashed on August 1, 1944 into a mountain near Montevergine, Italy. That is all the information I have but I hope it will help our friends to find out more.

[cco23i]

On the 7th photo on the bottom is a DZus tool, probably the flight engineers.

Scott

[Taigh Ramey]

This one is the twistloc electrical socket that was commonly found on the Q-1 electrically heated suit control box and other locations where they needed 24 volts like for the signal lamp and heated casualty blankets







The rectangular ones look like the insulators for the Liaison antenna knife switch that would select the trailing wire or the fixed antenna.





This is the bipod for a 30 cal Browning Automatic Rifle or BAR. From one of the troops






This was the foundry stamping for ALCLAD 24ST which was the designation for the aluminum. This type of aluminum was used throughout the whole aircraft. The current designation is 2024T-3


Images shamelessly stolen from the internet

That's all for now. It's past my bed time

[CoastieJohn]

Pic 6 - The one item looks like a diffuser for either heating/ventilation duct or a cabin light?

Pic 7 - The item in the upper left side initially looked like a used key to open a can of spam or sardines. Could also be for rigging/straps of some sort. The item next to it with the indents kind of looks like a lock washer of some sorts? The item below the fork handle looks like a mini pry tool with that shape?

Pic 12 - One piece on the left side, in the middle looks like a push/pull circuit breaker?

Pic 14/14A - Both look like hinges?

Those are my guesses on what some items may be.

Good luck on your search.....

[Dan K]

This suggests 43-15153 flew paratroops of the 101st Airborne on D-Day. Don't know if the name "Wank" refers to the PIC or someone else on board.

http://www.6juin1944.com/assaut/aeropus ... p?page=s10

[The Inspector]

If the pilots last name was Wank, and he was based in England, I wonder how long it took him to find out from some giggling English gal what was so funny...

[cco23i]

Pic 7 - The item in the upper left side initially looked like a used key to open a can of spam or sardines. Could also be for rigging/straps of some sort. The item next to it with the indents kind of looks like a lock washer of some sorts? The item below the fork handle looks like a mini pry tool with that shape?



YUP, the "pry tool" on the bottom is a DZUS fastener tool.

Scott

[CoastieJohn]

Pic 7 - The item in the upper left side initially looked like a used key to open a can of spam or sardines. Could also be for rigging/straps of some sort. The item next to it with the indents kind of looks like a lock washer of some sorts? The item below the fork handle looks like a mini pry tool with that shape?

YUP, the "pry tool" on the bottom is a DZUS fastener tool.

Scott

Scott,

I'm looking at the curvy item that looks like a mini pry bar below the fork handle.....not your DZUS fastner tool on the very bottom.

John

[cco23i]

Sorry John, that looks like the old style cotter key extractor.

Scott

[salerno1943]

I opened the big 2nd volume of the Air-Britain DC-3 book at a random page to find 43-15153. The first serial number that hit my eye was that one. How spooky is that?!

Anyway, the entry says that it went to the 9th AF's 79th Troop Carrier Sqn on March 11, 1944 and crashed on August 1, 1944 into a mountain near Montevergine, Italy. That is all the information I have but I hope it will help our friends to find out more.

Many thanks Dave. The place is correct. About the date we learn from a book that aircraft crashed 29 july 1944. But the crash can be registered 1 august. Do you have some idea to find names of crew and of soldiers on it? Again thanks!

[salerno1943]

Thanks to eveyone for precious informations you are giving me! Will be very interesting also to know names of people on this aircraft. Some idea? Thanks!