Warbird Information Exchange

Hey everybody. Looking for a little help here. A co-worker of mine comes up to me and tells me that near where he lives he thinks he's found the crash site of an aircraft. I guess neighbors told him that a WW2 bomber crashed nearby. In this field by his house he's found bits and bobs indicative of a crashsite. I.E. melted aluminum, fragmented plexi, hard line tubing (like hydraulic or somes such) and some other items including a stitched rubber sole of a shoe. The crash site is located within a mile or 2 of what is now Dayton International Airport. But during the war it was Dayton AAF and I think I recall that one of it's functions was that of a Bomber modifications center. So there is that.

Ok the part itself is pretty vague but I'm just curious what the wealth of experience and knowledge of WIX has to say about it. It's a rectangular piece of aluminum measuring 2.63 inches in length. It has 6 holes in it with 3 of them still containing odd looking rivets. I looks like the peice may have originally been flat and used to butt together 2 other pieces and hold them together. There is what appears to be part number: "231077". There is another stamped crooked number but it's almost illedgible: Kinda looks like "(R20)" but not sure.

I guess what I'm asking is does anyone recognize this type of piece? Also can anyone cross ref the part number to gleam any info like maybe a manufacturer? Anyone recognize these type of rivets and what they were typically used for?

This was the only piece found so far with a part number. If nothing else may to revisit the site to find more clues.

Thanks

Shay
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Semper Fortis

The 231077 is a good number to be used to ID the wreck

Lockheed P-38, part numbers begin with 19,20,21,22,23,24+

Looks like you found the crash site of this plane

431202 P-38J 42-67127 ASTB Flight Sec Dayton Muni Airport, Vandalia,OH KCRGC 5 Posey, Harry P USA OH Dayton Muni Airport, Vandalia, OH

Killed in Crash Ground Collision

DaveT

Wow,thanks Dave.That's more info than I ever thought would be gleamed from this one little piece. I'll let my co-worker know what you've found and I'm sure it'll motivate him to find more artifacts to tell the pilot's story.

Thanks again

Shay
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Semper Fortis

The story can be found on page 604 of Volume II of FATAL ARMY AIR FORCES AVIATION ACCIDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES, 1941-1945.

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"Welcome back Mr. Lasky."

The story can be found on page 604 of Volume II of FATAL ARMY AIR FORCES AVIATION ACCIDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES, 1941-1945.

Appears to be a stall on turn from downwind to base.

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"Welcome back Mr. Lasky."

Not for nuthin'.....The Posey crash shows up in what I would consider primary use databases as BOTH 43-12-2 and 44-12-2...and before everybody jumps in my lunch about googling the name...the 44 date reference comes from a little outfit called the USAF--History index--out of Maxwell.

Just sayin'...always triple check your sources.

The correct date of the accident is 2 December 1943. I have the accident report. The "44" refers to fiscal year on the beginning of the microfilm reels. For instance, the microfilm reel that this accident report is on is Call No. # 46291 and covers 2 Dec 1943 through 4 Dec 1943. The first frame of the microfilm says Reel #238 / 44.12.2 . The "44" in this case refers to the fiscal year and not the calendar year. And that is how Maxwell indexes these reels. So the film says 44.12.2 but the date on the reports are December 1943.

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"Welcome back Mr. Lasky."

Thanks Tony---A little misleading for the uninitiated! But who could ever doubt the citation from the Zanesville Signal?!?!?

How about this....

1942 SHAW FIELD Sumter South Carolina YEARBOOK Southeast Army Air Forces Center



Edit

Posey, Harry P.
b. Sep. 9, 1921 d. Dec. 2, 1943
Greenwood Cemetery
Montgomery County
Montgomery Alabama, USA

Great post Pathfinder. Thanks for posting that.

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"Welcome back Mr. Lasky."

Great info! I'm amazed at the information that can be retrieved off one little part found in a field. Type of plane, what caused the accident and even a picture of the pilot. Good job guys....it really is pretty cool.

14069860 (Note this is an enlisted ASN he would carry until commissioned)
POSEY HARRY P ALABAMA
Entered Service 42
Branch: Air Corps
Nativity: KENTUCKY
YOB: 21
Education: 4 years of high school
Civ Occ: Draftsmen
Status: Single, without dependents

SN starts with a "1", that means he joined up.

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"Welcome back Mr. Lasky."

That's correct Tony. And the second digit is the Corps Area number.

And an enlisted number beginning with 20 (followed by the Corps Area number 1-9) indicates Guard/Reserves.

Folks always say a number beginning with a 3 is "drafted" but that is only partly true. They stopped issuing first digit 1 numbers in APR43. And everybody regardless of selective service or straight enlistment, who went in after APR 43, got a number beginning with 3...which toward the end of the war became a 4...and still later and into Korea started with a 5.

They reinstated the first digit 1 numbers after the war for voluntary enlistment...my dad got a WW2 type first digit 1 number in 1950 when he enlisted USAF. Those numbers preceded by AF. Army enlistees numbers were preceded by RA.

I was surprised to not find Posey in the NARA books. Most of my studies involve overseas losses so the man is usually there. Since you do stateside stuff, is that common not to find a man listed in NARA....even as a DNB?

Wow guys, pretty impressive stuff. Any idea as to what unit this P-38 belonged to?

Shay
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Semper Fortis