Warbird Information Exchange

Hi all, I acquired this last weekend from a Guy that was throwing a stack of stuff out to the dump. Happened to be in the right place at the right time and collected a nice stash of Goodies

Anyway, this Ammo box was in with the trailer load he was throwing out.....and has me stumped.

I've posted a few pics to help aid the ID. The Guy who I acquired it from thought it was a B-24 or B-17 ammo box...it does have an aircraft serial no. and some info painted on the side which is almost all gone (the serial not the side )

If anybody can ID the type of aircraft it may have been fitted to , I will post the other side of the Box to show the serial no..etc....
Which will hopefully confirm that indeed I did save a unique piece of history I'm hoping my good feeling bubble doesn;t burst

Cheers,
Chris

At a glance, without the benefit of any tech manuals, I am guessing (if, in fact, it is from a B-17 or -24) it may be for the upper turret... Curious now...


Jim

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P-51 Mustang Special Interest Group
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Hi all, today I found some stamped part numbers on it.

One side has what appears to be 6-6569
and the other side has 15-6999-8

I'm starting to excite my good feeling vibes again as those numbers are in the range on a B-17G armament area but if my info is correct it may be B-17c or D

Ok, heres the rest of the information




Serial is 40-3083

Which according to a quick Google search places it as a Pearl Harbour B-17D destroyed Dec 7 1941.

Now how it got to Australia is lost in the annals of time...i'm just happy that I saved it from the rubbish dump

Still looking for a photo of the plane to print out to put with it though if anyone might have one.

Cheers,
Chris

Not to be a downer with this--I think it would be incredible if this is from a Fort from PH--however, just keep in mind that the S/N on the ammo can may not necessarily be the aircraft S/N. Refer to the "Silverplate B-29" thread for details of the various S/N possibilities. On the other hand, it could--theoretically--be possible it is from a PH plane. It could have been salvaged and put into another B-17 which later went into action. Just some thoughts... There was a mass movement of aircraft to Australia in (IIRC) early 1942--I think it was called Project X. Hmmm...


Jim

_________________
P-51 Mustang Special Interest Group
http://p51sig.com/index.php

From Key Publishing forum...

DC Page

That's a nice find. It appears to be an ammo box for a Sperry top turret like you would find in an early B-17, and is slightly different from the ones used for the waist guns. You may very well have a piece of an aircraft that was destroyed at Pearl Harbor in the Japanese attack.

In the book "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story" by Roger A. Freeman on page 73 there is this info:

40-3083 Ass 50BS/11BG Hawaii, dest Hickam Fd
7/12/41; sal (a/c No. 81)

On page 72 there is a picture of sister ship No. 41 (40-3092) that was at Hickam but survived the war. I think I have seen a picture of your aircraft and I'm trying to figure out which book it is in.

So it looks like a Sperry top turret ammo box that may have been in a B-17D that was assigned to Hickam, destroyed at Hickam, and salvaged at Hickam after the Pearl Harbor attack. That could account for the deformation and missing pieces. I'm glad you were there to rescue this piece from the junk pile.