Finds from 2nd Air Division airfield dump site

[gremlin]

Below are some pictures of some finds made yesterday at an 8th Air Force B-24 base dump site that 381st Digger and I discovered a month or so back ... First up is whats left of a flack-jacket ... the steel plates have all rusted away leaving only the heavy canvas ...! The second item is some sort of engine / exhaust component ... On one side is stencilled 'Caution Remove the generator blast tube before disassembling this duct' and on the top in black is 'Ship No. 294900 Eng. No. 2'
Can anybody (Paul Bellamy / BirdDog) identify the part? Can anybody (Paul Bellamy / BirdDog) provide more information on Ship 294900 ... ?

Last item is an electric suit rheostat ... not in the best of condition ... but still nice All I need now is the electric suit to plug into it ...

All the best,
Gremlin

ps. Andy, I think this site needs further investigation

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Hi Gremlin,
What wonderful finds and well cleaned, amazing the canvas survived so well a real link with the people that served.
Thanks for posting.
LUCKYSTRIKE

[gremlin]

Thanks Lucky,

They didn't actually require that much cleaning .... the 'soil' at the site is mostly a mixture of sandy, rubbly (probably not a real word) concretey bits .... metal seems to survive there quite well ... unlike another site that I frequent which produces dozens of GI mess tins ... all of which are in terminal condition!

Best,
Gremlin

[381st digger]

unlike another site that I frequent which produces dozens of GI mess tins ... all of which are in terminal condition!

Best,
Gremlin

Simon,
Not all the mess tins only the ones you find
Great finds the flack jacket is something abit different.
Andy

[Steve T]

Hey Gremlin

Well I had a look here.....

USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to Present

....but couldn't find anything corresponding to that number. However, 29490 seems to match up with a B-24H-15-CF possibly from the 485th BG.

Does that correspond to your site ?

Cheers

Steve T

PS I know Birdog and PB are good, but some of us can help as well

[Paul B]

B-24H-20-FO 42-94900 S4-J "Rum Runner" 845th Bomb Squadron, 489th Bomb Group, AAF Station 365.

Shot down by Flak, crashed Groesbeek, NL, 18 Sept 1944.
Capt Robert J. White (P) KIA
2Lt Donald A. Waldie (CP) KIA
2Lt William A. Dalton Jr (N) KIA
2Lt Ralph E. Hoover (B) KIA
T/Sgt Donald C. Brian (TT) KIA
S/Sgt Adam T. Gawlik (RO) POW
Sgt Glenn E. Gommels (BT) KIA
Sgt Frank S. Guiz Jr (WG) KIA
Sgt Samuel H. Miller Jr (TG) KIA
S/Sgt Allan D. Black (ATT) KIA

MACR No.9425

All the best,
PB

[Steve T]

B-24H-20-FO 42-94900 S4-J "Rum Runner" 845th Bomb Squadron, 489th Bomb Group, AAF Station 365.

Shot down by Flak, crashed Groesbeek, NL, 18 Sept 1944.

Dammit !!

<-----makes a mental note to use more lateral thinking next time.

PB........you're a sod. At least I was on the right lines

Steve T

[Paul B]

C'mon Steve, fair's fair.
I did wait a couple of hours before posting in case anyone else chimed in.

Sadly, I don't yet have a copy of the B-24 parts book, so will have to leave the parts IDs to someone else for the time being.

All the best,
PB

[gremlin]

Steve / Paul,

Thanks for helping to id the aircraft from which this airduct originated ... all I need to do now is obtain a photo of 94900 and it should form the basis for quite a nice display ....
I also have another nice relic from the weekend ... which I think (hope) is a perspex panel from a P-51B .... currently being cleaned ... will post pictures soon.

Thanks,
Gremlin

ps. Steve ... I have nothing but admiration for your relic finding / identification abilities ....

[Steve T]

Gremlin - Oh.....now you've made me feel all humble......

PB - LOL. Thanks for that I am always learning from your posts

Steve T