Warbird Information Exchange

Location unknown; caption claims flying off Guam, but the background of 1 mile grid sections looks a lot more like the Great Plains of the US.



Regards,

Andy

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WWII Airborne Demonstration Team
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Agree

Hi, Andy.

Can you definitely confirm that the last digit is an 8 or is it possibly a 9? I blew the picture up but can't tell for absolutely certain.

If it is '688 she became V Square 29 with the 499th Bomb Group, 878th Squadron. This aircraft flew 43 missions and survived the war to be scrapped at Pyote in '51.

If she is '689 she became Nina Ross with the 500th Group, 881st Squadron and was Z Square 9. This aircraft flew 52 missions and appears to also have been rotated home.

Either way, my guess is that the photo was taken shortly after she was built in Wichita and assigned to her new Group. Since the 500th trained at Walker and the 499th at Smoky Hill, I assume the photo was taken over some part of Kansas.

Beautiful photo!
Scott

Scott

The end digit is an 8. Thanks for the history!

Regards,

Andy

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WWII Airborne Demonstration Team
www.WWIIADT.org

Andy, Thanks for posting the Great Photo. I would agree with Scott that must be the Plains of Kansas. I think in the lower portion of the photo you can make out the Arkansas River and the tree growth along side the river. This would probaly have been near the Great Bend Army Airfield due to the location of the river. B-29 42-24438 ( a serial number close to this one) Went down north of Walker AAF Dec 30, 1944 on a training flight. My thoughts would be that this B-29 is from One of the four Kansas B-29 bases, Walker AAF, Smokey Hill AAF, Great Bend AAF, Pratt AAF. Please post any more photos that you may have. Phillip

Here she is in the 499th Bomb Group area on Saipan, late 1944.

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Guam isn't big enough to sport a farming grid like that, so I bet you're right :p

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

I'm going to sort of hijack your thread for a question, Andy.

I met a 73rd Wing airman a number of years ago. He told me that the Group tail codes and symbols were painted on the vertical fins of their brand new B-29s at Herington. His explanation was that nearly all the new ships were delivered to the Group at Herington and a couple of shakedown flights were flown. When everything was declared ship-shape, the Group letter, Wing square, and plane-in-squadron number was assigned and applied there on the Herington apron.

While I have no reason to doubt this gentleman's memory, I would like to know if anyone has definitive proof of this practice. At least one B-29 reference I have implies that the aircraft of the 73rd Wing were marked in Kansas.

Scott

I never heard of any B-29's being marked 'stateside'. That sure would defeat the purpose of security. I know the 330th birds all came into Guam with SN tails only. Then painted as per Bomb Group.

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S.

I hadn't heard of this practice until just recently, Smis. I'm still trying to find photographic or written references to prove it. The only Wing I've heard of that may have "pre-coded" their airplanes was the 73rd. They did use the same coding system at the four Kansas Phase Training stations as they used overseas. The difference was that the letter denoting each Group was A, B, C, and D painted over the same size square and ship number. So, it is true that they had already decided on the _-Square-# identification system while still in the States. My quest is to find out if they painted the codes on at Herington as I've been led to believe.

P.M. on the way!
Scott

In the Twentieth Air Force DVD set made up of original documentary films, they show the A-square planes taking off from the Midwest on their way to California, then onto Hawaii.

The small A-Square and plane number has already been painted on at that point.

That is great news, Edward! Just the evidence I had been searching for to confirm what I had been told. I have to get that DVD set just so I can stare at the CONUS footage.

THANK YOU for helping me solve that bit of trivia.
Scott

So, the more you know.., the more there is to know.

I am amazed that this was, in fact, allowed.

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S.

In an older post there was this comment...



The image link is dead. Any chance anyone has a copy or current link? Was my dad's plane and us "kids" are trying to research the history. This photo or others would be of interest.

Also recall as a kid that dad had a "yearbook" from the airfield or bomber group. Does anyone know of these items? Lost ages ago as parents were divorced, dad split with all his stuff to a new wife and any and all communication was lost as sadly she drove a wedge between us and him... all family ties and history were lost.

mert: I just joined WIX. I have been doing some research into the 42-24688 ("V square 29" and "V29"). I have several photos of the plane I would like to post here, but the site won't let me post photos yet. I have them posted at the Histomil website under the topic "Soldier Memorial Photos" if you are interested. One photo shows the entire plane. Another photo shows my father standing by the nose of the plane. A third photo shows him climbing up into the plane. He was not a member of the crew, but was an AAF weather observer stationed on Saipan. Here's the link (scroll down when you get there):

http://histomil.com/viewtopic.php?f=338&t=20640

Note: If you get to the B29 nicknamed "Gravel Gertie", you've scrolled too far. "Gravel Gertie" is not the plane. "Gravel Gertie" was Z square 29. V square 29 did not have a nickname nor any nose art from what I've researched.

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David N. Currey