Warbird Information Exchange

Good morning everyone. This photo came into my possession yesterday having been given to me by my mother who had it given to her by my cousin who had it from her father who took the photo while assigned to 437 Sqdn. RCAF in the ETO. It shows a B-17 of the 306th bomb group with the individual call sign letter of K. I cannot make out the tail number on my copy.

The C-47s in the background have D-Day stripes applied so this helps with the time line somewhat. This makes sense as my Uncle flew in the post D day timeline taking part in operation Market Garden.

I am hoping someone here can better identify this particular 17 and if anyone who has Photoshop skills and wants to try to enhance this picture, feel free to do so.




Cheers,

Jeff

It looks to be from the 44-6xxx or 44-8xxx serial blocks.
Sadly the 306BG records are a little sketchy when it comes to assigned individual aircraft letters, and as they removed the squadron code letters from the fuselages and replaced when with different colours at the top of the fin a black and white photo makes things even trickier...

However, three 306BG aircraft within those serial ranges do have their individual letters noted as K: 44-6585, 44-8148 and 44-8197.
I'll keep digging to see if any of those was diverted to RAF Blakehill Farm at any time.

From the photo the serial looks to be 44-8x9x, so 44-8197 "Punchy" of the 376BS would be a good fit. She was assigned to the 306th on the 15th September 1944, so was certainly was in the UK at the right time.

All the best,
PB

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Paul Bellamy

401BG Association Historian & Honorary Life Member
401BG Historical Society (UK) Member
1st Air Division HQ Historical Society (UK) Founder Member
Director of Archives & Collections, Airfield Research Group Archive, Alconbury
RAF Alconbury Base Historian

Found this, http://forum.armyairforces.com/m88118-print.aspx

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45-47=-2

Appears to be a "Hack" as it's got no guns or turrets that I can see. Combat career already over for some reason.

I concur with 44-8197 (after squinting at my monitor at an angle for a while... )

WIX does it again!

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This aircraft is very likely a Project Casey Jones photo-mapper. I will work to confirm that.

The 305th and 306th BG were assigned the task to photo-map much of Europe and North Africa in the immediate post-war period. The aircraft were converted for this purpose and used cameras mounted in the radio compartment primarily.

Dave

_________________
Daviemax
Researcher of Post-War B-17 History
Maintains database of B-17s used from 46- on.

48197 was possibly salvaged in July 46. If so, she fits within the time-scale of Casey Jones for some aircraft. The location of the photo is possibly Roberts Field in Libya.

More work to be done, but this is a hint.

Dave

_________________
Daviemax
Researcher of Post-War B-17 History
Maintains database of B-17s used from 46- on.

Seems like I recall seeing a color photo of this bird on E-bay that went for a small fortune.