B-24 War Story

[30-30remchester]

My father-in-law was a ball turret gunner on a B-17 with the 15th AAC, stationed in Africa. On base were both B-17's and B-24's. There was a rivalry between the two. He often called the 24's as the crates the B-17's came in. It was so ugly that the Germans called the flying furniture van.

 

[Kinman]

I suppose most have heard about the B-24 "Lady Be Good" that crashed in the Libyan desert on its return from a bombing mission over Italy. It wasn't discovered until 1958. It was the crew's first mission and no bodies were found. Seems that everyone at the base in Libya assumed it had gone down in the Mediterranean, so they didn't look for it on land. I remember that Rod Serling made an episode of "The Twilight Zone" about it back in the early 60s.

I recently lost a friend that had been in the early OSS and later worked in the Air Force as an investigator and ultimately involved in cryptography and lastly lie detector analysis. He told the story about being stationed in Libya and being one of the first group that examined the LBG, according to him they were ignorant of correct procedures regarding traipsing all over the scene, handling stuff that could be used as evidence. He said that by the time the military had thoroughly screwed the pooch it was almost entirely rumor and speculation about what truly happened. Big surprise

 

[DWalt]

When I was at Ohio State, my graduate advisor had been a B-24 pilot, and operated mainly out of North Africa, don't remember exactly where. He was almost deaf as a post from the engine noise. Even with him wearing a hearing aid you had to speak in a loud voice to carry on a conversation. He also had a loudspeaker on his telephone. I heard lots of war stories, don't remember any of them, far too long ago.

 

[S-W4EVER]

I grew up at the south end of DFW (my Dad was a Navy Recruiter). Being a Navy brat, once I got my DL I was able to drive to NAS-Dallas & Carswell AFB.

I remember watching Navy F8's dogfighting over our house, also remember the KC-97's flying overhead. I saw my first SR71 at an airshow at Carswell (back in a hangar) about 1970.

I bought my own school clothes (mostly mowing lawns) and my dollar went a lot farther at the Navy Exchange & the AF BX.

One of my chores was to do the grocery shopping at the Commissary at Carswell (my Mom died when I was 17). My Dad would give me $200 for the month of grocery shopping. I had to cover anything over that so I learned to do the math in my head (guesstimating). Can you believe $200 in those days filled four grocery carts?

Sorry for the thread drift, it just brought up some memories…

BTW, while I never met him I believe BG Jimmy Stewart is one of the finest men that ever lived.

 

[robertrwalsh]

Not B-24, but... My mom worked for Douglas during WWII. She was a riveter. She said the first "little people" she ever saw worked in the plant. They hired them because they could get into the wing tips for the riveting.

 

[Chubbs103]

My wife's Great Uncle was part of a B-24 crew in the Pacific. He went MIA 16Apr1944 and was declared dead 25Feb1946. Our youngest is named for him. In 2002 the wreckage of his aircraft (as well as that of another B-24) was discovered in the Finisterre Mountains of Papua New Guinea. The crew was interned in Arlington National Cemetery in 2007.