Finds from 2nd Air Division airfield dump site

[gremlin]

Simon,
Not all the mess tins only the ones you find

Ho ho ho ...

[gremlin]

The first picture below shows the perspex panel that I found last weekend ... after cleaning ... I think (but am not sure) that this is one of the canopy panels from a P-51B ...

The second picture shows a P-51B from the 354th Fighter Group ... I think my panel may just be the front panel just forward of the open sliding panel ...

Feel free to pour scorn on this idea ...

Best wishes,
Gremlin

[381st digger]

Hi Simon,
Yep looks right to me just a tad melted. Now go get the rest of it.
Andy

[Steve T]

Gremlin

Looks good to me, except your picture shows it upside down.....but that's just me being picky

Steve T

[Bird Dog]

Found the other part......

[gremlin]

Hi BirdDog ... the rumours are obviously true ... you have the entire 8th Air Force hidden in your garage ...

Without divulging too much info ... was this a dump site / crash-site recovery or a purchase ... ?

Yours, in awe,
Gremlin

[Bird Dog]

That would be some garage wouldn't it.........perhaps like the Tardis ?

I aquired it about ten years ago, it was from a crash or so I am led to believe.

I would post more pictures of other Plexiglass thingys but this would only add credence to those rumours & perhaps support the 'Simon's Tardis Garage' theory.

[ssg keay]

Rum Runner did not crash at Groesbeek, but rather Kessel, Germany. Also, Brian, the top turret gunner is still missing.

[cgottschalk2004]

Gremlin, Bird dog and ssg keay,
My Uncle was Sgt Glenn Gommels of 42-94900. I came across your site while researching for photos of his plane, "Rum Runner". Love seeing these items found and the connections to our family and his remaining sisters, from a family of 9. We have a family reunion coming up in early June and plan to provide some of these insights to all attending.
Thank you so much for your committed search and posting of items found.

Craig

[ssg keay]

Good day Craig and sorry for not replying earlier.

I visited the site two years ago and I believe Brian, who is listed as MIA, will never be located, if, then only by plain chance.

I am also not convinced that Brian is the one really missing. There is evidence (I talked to an eye-witness in the early 80's) that the aircraft attempted an emergency landing, just like her sister ship, "Heaven can Wait", which crashed less than 1 1/2 kilometers away, also with one MIA. Rum Runner slid over a field and crashed into a barn, killing a horse and a foreign laborer. According to the eye-witness, there was one survivor, who had crawled out the tail turret and had both legs broken. He gave the witness chocolate when a German soldier walked up to the tail gunner, took his 45 Colt from him and then shot him in front of the witness (a young girl at the time and daughter of the farm owner). The soldier then just left the scene.
I believe the true MIA here is the tail gunner as I think the Germans would not have buried the victim of a war crime, knowing that the Allies at that time were only a few miles away.

Danny