Seeing David Whitworth’s splendid shot of the gun bays of Berlin Express ‘324823’ I was immediately drawn to the yellow numbers ‘823’ L1 & L2 in the port wing and the similarity in style to digits in a deactivated and certified example in my collection.
Are there any P-51 specialists out there who might confirm my example is from a P-51 and hazard a guess at the full serial provenance xxx636.?
Mark
By: Mark12 - 7th July 2017 at 07:47
Very many thanks John for going to the trouble. It is most appreciated.
I have had the ‘.5’ for about 30 years. I got it from a UK collector who had had it some time.
It would suggest it is 8th AF as it is a heavy old thing and difficult to import in to UK in those troubled times.
I was rather hoping it was from a Spitfire ‘e’ wing. 🙂
‘Mark’
By: JohnTerrell - 6th July 2017 at 00:48
Most likely candidates (all other possibilities built too late to see action):
P-51B-7-NA 43-6636 – (Named “Ill Wind”, lost in crash May 9, 1944 in Rilly Sainte Syre, France. 334th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF.)
P-51B-10-NA 42-106636 – (Lost in crash April 24, 1944. 334th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF.)
P-51C-5-NT 42-103636 – (Unlikely – served in RAF as FB147)
P-51D-5-NA 44-13636 – (Named “The Starduster”, lost in crash/structural failure on August 23, 1944 over Didington, UK. 354th FS, 355th FG, 8th AF.)
P-51D-10-NA 44-14636 – (Named “Carol III”, lost in crash on December 5, 1944. 463rd FS, 479th FG, 8th AF.)
P-51D-15-NA 44-15636 – ?
P-51D-20-NA 44-63636 – ?
P-51D-25-NA 44-72636 – ?
P-51K-5-NT 44-11636 – (Named “Chicago”. 369th FS, 359th FG, 8th AF. Ultimate fate?)
P-51K-15-NT 44-12636 – ?
Then again, I wonder if it could have come from a P-47 too, as they probably stenciled them the same way.
By: ZRX61 - 6th July 2017 at 00:19
Might be able to figure out possible full serial # from the Joe Baugher database….. but there are gonna be a bunch of possibilities..
By: Trolly Aux - 5th July 2017 at 15:07
I am sure the chute numbers were the same as the A/C as I have some which I know to be correct, the stamped numbers I think refer to the gun number also
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July 5, 2017 at 2:43 pm