Warbird Information Exchange

Hi everyone. I'm a member of The Tower Museum at Bassingbourn here in the UK and currently i'm investigating the crash site of resident Boeing B-50D 49-0270 of the 341th BS, 97th BG, 97th BW (pilot George W. Barnes) which came down on the 3/2/51, sadly with the loss of seven of the ten man crew.

I have retrieved a few pieces of the aircraft from the field, and it is hoped that some of these will be used to make up a display for the museum to remember those on board.
Firstly can anyone identify two brackets / hinges marked GK-32D 1229. There is also a circle disected inside by a cross making four segments, and in each segment are H T 9 8 (how do you post photos on here please?).

Any further help would be much appreciated.

Rob

Posting photos: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1822

The parts you have are not B-50. GK 32 is a B-24 Liberator part number prefix.

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REMEMBER THE SERGEANT PILOTS!

Wow thats interesting Forgotten Field, as ive not heard of a B-24 crash here (Bassingbourn was of course home to the 91st bomb group with B-17's).

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?126368-Crash-parts-i-d-needed


Rob

Going by Forgotten Fields info i have changed the title to B-24 Liberator parts. I have also discovered that RAF B-24 Liberator KN742 crashed at night near Bassingbourn on the 8/11/45, so that could be what these are from. Therefore i would appreciate anymore info on this accident or if anyone can identify the parts mentioned.

Thanks,

Rob

I believe GK32 parts suffixed D are from Ford-built B-24 cowling assemblies.
That would potentially tally with KN724 being a Ford-built airframe (B-24L-20-FO 44-50167).

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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

Thank you for that Paul, that really helps. It was also suggested that those two parts maybe something to do with the cowling gills, so that ties in as well. Don't suppose anyone has a pic of KN724 do they?


Rob

Thanks to some fine detective work by a fellow enthusiast its now been confirmed that the two brackets were used to connect the cowlings to the engine of a B-24. Thanks to everyone on here who helped identify these as B-24 parts.

In the link below i have added a pic of some other parts found at the site.
Comments welcome !

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthre ... i-d-needed

Rob

One of the items found is what looks like a crew access door handle, and stamped on it is a circle with H T 535 inside it. Is there any way of telling where it would of been used on the aircraft?


Rob

Hi Rob,

If it would help I can pop down to Bassingbourn on the next museum open day and have a look at the bits and see what we can come up with.
Alternatively, any time that's mutualy suitable, I'm only up at Kettering so not that far away.

_________________
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

Hi Paul, that would be great - thank you. The Tower Museum is next open on the 13th October, and i'll make sure i put the bits in the boot of my car (i may have a few more by then).

In time we are hoping to put together a small display about this B-24 as part of Bassingbourns post-war history - when we have confirmation that it is KN742, so any assistance would be very welcome.

Edit.. Incidentally if anyone has any photos or info on RAF Liberator KN742 we would be very pleased to hear from you


Rob

Pleased to say i have now located the crash site of Boeing B-50D 49-0270. To help things along does anyone have a photo of this particular Superfortress that could be used by the museum?

Thanks,


Rob