Some nice US 8th Airforce finds 30/1/11

**381st digger** · 07-09-2011, 05:24 PM

Hello everyone,
Gremlin and i were back at it again today,
Sadly the bomb fins are not going to last very long but are a great thing to have found. Simon tells me its 100lb er.

I took some ground photos of the flexifeed and the oxy-bottle and will upload them soon the photos are on my phone at the moment and take ages to get on the laptop.
The oxy-bottle is an early one and in top condition and im hopeing the oxy-mask will come up good to.
Im sure the piece of plexglass is from the nose of a B17 (ive been on the lookout for one of these for a long long time)
Enjoy the photos.

Andy

**Whitehunter** · 07-09-2011, 06:06 PM

WOW! Well done guys!! I'm sure what i like the most. good work!! Looking forward to seeing the in-ground shots

John

**davejb** · 07-09-2011, 06:36 PM

Very neat finds there Andy, love that oxy bottle, it looks like there was quite a bit more attached to that tail fin as well

**381st digger** · 07-09-2011, 07:09 PM

Thanks very much guys,
Some ground photos for you inc a water bottle that i forgot about before.
Andy

**381st digger** · 07-10-2011, 10:10 AM

Some of the finds from yesterday cleaned up for you.
The oxygen mask is in really smart condition and compleat apart from the mic is missing.
The oxygen bottle is an early 1942 A-4.
Can anyone I-D the small hatch for me its marked 5-3686-18.
The next piece is a repeat find and we still dont know what they are from.
Last up for now is the plexi-glass piece from the nose.

Andy

**381st digger** · 07-10-2011, 10:22 AM

I think iv found the hatch.

But i dont acually know whats behind it.
Andy

**381st digger** · 07-10-2011, 10:52 AM

The water bottle has taken longer to clean than all the rest put together. Anyway its done now. Its the first compleat one iv found so im quite happy

**davejb** · 07-10-2011, 12:29 PM

Andy, great clean up and great finds, as for the small hatch, its got to be some form of inspection plate,, but i dont think its the one your showing, the one in the picture is very similar except there is a locking hole which i assume is where the ground crew insert a key of sorts, judging by its location it could be to service the locking mechanism for the crew hatch

**381st digger** · 07-10-2011, 12:45 PM

Well spotted Dave. The only thing is the photo is of a B17-G and most of the finds from yesterday are from B17-F so maybe there is some slight variation?? To be honest i really dont know it just looked right and is the right size. Hopefully someone will know from the part number on it.
Andy

**davejb** · 07-10-2011, 01:01 PM

I would think that if these are inspection ports there should be others dotted around the aircraft , some designed to be opened by key, others by unscrewing, depending on how easy access is required, but it would be interesting to find out, its niggling me now, so near yet so far damn it