Warbird Information Exchange

Is it that big of a deal that we have it in authentic markings?

Could we maybe do a once a year "Paint-a-thon" on WIX to return a warbird to authentic markings?
Ryan

Absolutely... but only if a WIX tramp stamp is applied.

Do you prefer the 48- or 60-inch size?

How about a Korean War scheme (the forgotten war) and put the airplanes story on the stretcher door?

How about a Korean War scheme (the forgotten war) and put the airplanes story on the stretcher door?

HISTORY OF 44-17397

I looked at the history card for 397 again and it clearly shows that it was assigned to the 5th Air Force, Brisbane (code name LEFT) and that at the end of the war it was assigned to the 5th Air Force, Guam (code name DUVA) when it was released to the Foreign Liquidation Commission (FLC) for disposal. Based on this, I tend to believe that the plane was probably assigned to the 314th Bomb Wing at Guam right at the outset as this is the only 5th Air Force unit to be based on Guam (with its associated squadrons) during 1945.

There is still a possibility it could have been a 3rd Air Commando bird, but I'm leaning toward an initial assignment with the 314th on Guam. One reason is that Guam is about 1,500 miles from the Philippines, Okinawa and Japan, so it didn't fly there from those places. Another is that at the end of the war, the vast majority of L-5's were either assigned to occupation duty in the Philippines, Japan, Okinawa or Korea, or they were transferred to the reconstituted Philippine Air Force (PAF), or they were scrapped. In fact, of the L-5C's assigned to the USAAF in the Pacific Theater, only 2 others have survived.

There was a block of 16 L-5C's that were shipped to the 5th Air Force from San Francisco on April 16th and 17th and they share the same Project Number, which is 96980-R. N45TX was among these aircraft, and it would have taken 4 to 5 weeks for them to arrive in the Philippines and be assembled - exactly the time the 3rd ACG received their C-models. Since we have two definite blocks of 5 assigned to the 157th and 159th, and a probable 5 to the 160th, that leaves 1 plane potentially unaccounted for. I suspect it may have been 44-17397 for the reasons given earlier.

Reinforcing that theory, by 1945 almost every USAAF Air Base Unit and Combat Group HQ (bomb, fighter, recon, transport, etc) had one or two L-5's assigned to them for courier and general utility use. Presumably, when the 314th Bomb Wing arrived on Guam in December 1944, they needed an L-5 or two to shuttle between the 3 airbases on the island, across which all the 314th's Squadrons were spread. It is doubtful that they would have brought any already assembled L-4's or L-5's with them from the US, and when they packed up and left for occupation duty in 1946, it makes sense that they would have left any such small aircraft behind on Guam and acquired new ones in Japan.

All this is only speculation at this point, but I think you can see the logic to what I'm guessing at. While 44-17397 could certainly gone to either the 159th or 160th Liaison Squadrons, I think that because it ended up on Guam that it may have started out in Guam with the 314th.

Can't help with pictures for Pacific L-5 as my Dad flew them and several other L-Birds during WWII in Europe and North Africa IIRC correctly conversations prior to his death. He did fly all the different L-Birds and helos in Korean War and the pictures I am scanning are from that era. I'll still look for that B/N in stuff I have.

I'll do what I can.....great building....applause for y'all taking the initiative to create a Museum there!!!!