WW2 8th Airforce B-17 Base - New site ---> New FINDS !

[Steve T]

Cobra

No probs my friend......even though we've only ever spoken via this forum I still consider us as such, (don't worry....I ain't some weirdo stalker who will track you down when you get home like the people you meet on holiday and say 'if you're ever in the area pop in ! We'd love to see you !' but you always PRAY they don't).

This forum is great and I am glad it has helped you get through your time over there. As far as I am concerned, you've done your bit for Queen and country mate......don't go Afghanistan....put your feet up til it blows over !

I hope your family get your prezzies out to you and some nice personal messages. You deserve them for what you're doing out there. I've just finished making 4 litres of Sloe gin ( ) and if I thought it would make it out there without getting broken I'd send you a bottle !

Be safe !


Allan

Thanks for that mate. That sounds quite plausible. They probably threw the transport nuts into a bucket and then drove back, dumping the contents of the bucket behind the bay

[Nige H]

Regards the bomb nose plug issue, the USAAF change there bomb arming practice soon after arriving in the U.K. following a number of accidents involving live bombs, once such case happen at Deenethorpe where the bomb rolled down the runway while being load into the hold of a B-17, resulting in eight members of the base being killed. The same applied with waist guns, after a in flight accident at Grafton Underwood, when a load and cocked .50 cal broke free of its mount while being swung into the firing position the result being it proceed to shot holes in it own aircraft, luckily in that case no one was killed and the plane returned to base without any further problems.

Nige.

[Skipper]

Hi Steve,
I received the attached photo from a B17 vet a few years ago. It shows a bomb arming pin with a lead seal - I thought this looked similar to your ones. The only thing is that, as the tag shows, I thought the lead seals would remain with the bomb until they were dropped and shouldn't find themselves back in the base's bomb dump? No sure if this helps you or not...
Regards,
Graham

[Steve T]

Wow !

Thanks skipper.....they do look remarkably similar.



Steve T

[m3bobby]

I think I have some training notes for the pistols if your interested in a scan. We still used them in the 1990s and I remember some of them being 1940s dated.