B-25C up for sale.

I shot this bomber coming up out of Lake Greenwood

BlueNoser352 here:

I photographed this B-25 coming up out of Lake Greenwood in South Carolina USA ..in the year of 1984, on a story I was working on for my tv sation where I work as a photojournalist. The B-25 went down on all days…June 6th 1944. All the crew were safe and brought to shore. The pilot finished out his tour of duty in the CBI flying the B-25 gunship model ! Years ago I put some photos here on the web of the B-25 being pulled up on the land ! The restored B-25 was talken to the capitol city of Columbia SC and was the center peace of a 1994 Doolittle Raid reunion. Someone in need a B-25 will get a good one !

BlueNoser352!

B-25 In Columbia SC for sale

B25 Bomber Pulled From Lake Greenwood Up For Sale

Credit: Christine Scarpelli
“Skunkie” the B-25C Mitchell bomber is up for sale by the Celebrate
Freedom Foundation in Columbia. The plane is painted like the bombers that
fought in WWII but cannot afford to be restored and it sitting at a damaged
hanger at Jim Hamilton – L.B. Owens Airport. It is selling for $650,000 online.
By _Kris Hummer_ (http://www2.wsav.com/staff/14435/) | Christine Scarpelli
Published: September 23, 2010
Updated: September 23, 2010 – 8:38 PM
The Celebrate Freedom Foundation wants to sell the bomber found at the
bottom of Lake Greenwood in 1983. The plane had been sitting there for almost
40 years when it was pulled up by a navy research boat said Larry Russell,
Executive Director of the Celebrate Freedom Foundation.
“The Navy used these aircrafts for training. In the summer a lot of the
Navy reserve units will bring their boats to the lakes and use sonar and
cameras to search the planes out,” said Russell.
The plane is painted like the bombers used by the Doolittle raiders who
bombed Tokyo in retaliation for Pearl Harbor in World War II.
“The Doolittle Raiders had a phenomenal mission,” said Russell.
In World War II, Lt. Col. James Doolittle led 80 men who volunteered for
the mission, knowing almost for certain they were going to die. The Raiders
gathered at the Columbia Air Base and trained to take off from an aircraft
carrier.
On April 18, 1942, 16 of the planes took off from the ship The Hornet and
bombed Tokyo in retaliation for the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. The
mission did not cause any kind of substantial destruction, but Russell said it
did affect the outcome of the war in other ways.
“It caused the military to call a lot on infantry back to Japan to save
the mother country. That in effect probably saved tens of thousands of
American lives by not having to fight all those Japanese on the other islands,”
said Russell.
“Skunkie” sank during a training accident on D-Day, June 6, 1944, when
the pilot and the instructor pilot were flying just a few feet above the
water. As Russell tells it, they noticed a few young ladies on the side of the
beach and when they were distracted, the blades hit the water and caused the
aircraft to crash.
“It’s true because we have paperwork showing the instructor pilot was
sent to the front lines as a forward air controller. That is the worst job
they can get in the air force,” said Russell.
The pilot’s survived but Skunkie sank to the bottom of the lake.
After being retrieved, the plane has been in a damaged hanger at Jim
Hamilton – L.B. Owens Airport in Columbia since 1992. The foundation cannot
afford to restore the plane and wants to sell it to a museum to be used as an
education tool.
“Kids now days are more interactive learning rather than sitting own with
books so to get something like this in front of them makes it easier to
absorb that information,” said Russell.
It was also the showpiece for the 50th Reunion of Doolittle’s Raiders and
in two other reunions since. Russell hopes to find a viable, active museum
that can get it restored to show children here in South Carolina.
“I would love to keep it in SC but there are no museums to keep this in.
Maybe down to Georgia with the 8th Air force, maybe to Charlotte they have a
nice museum. I’d love to have the museum here,” said Russell.
Many people agree that Skunkie is part of South Carolina’s history and
should be kept in the state. The plane is currently selling for $650,000
online.
WSAV ©2010 Media General Communications Holdings

I don’t think there will be any shortage of takers for a flyable Mitchell – whereas the 748 at Blackpool would have been scrapped if we hadn’t stepped in. It might not have the same broad appeal, but it’s a far more worthy recipent of a few quid from me than a working warbird – which, realistically, is a rich man’s toy. There’s a big difference between buying something that would be nice to own, but is under no threat, and saving an aircraft from the scrap man.

Saving JD was an important thing for this community to do – but really I’d only support these initiatives if we really are the last resort.

I would think a more practical proposition is the one quoted further down the article on two serviceable aircraft for sale.Not the operational one with spares for $650,000 but the flyable one requiring assembly for $175,000 I would not think thats to bad a price for a flyable Mitchell ?.And dismantled makes it even easier to ship it to the UK.

A large number of us chipped in a few quid towards saving an Airliner from Blackpool so why dont we do the same sort of thing with worth while warbirds that need saving ?. How many of us are share holders in effect in the many millions it cost for the Vulcan so why not in effect sponsor other pieces of history?. There is a lot of talk at times on the forum about why isnt this saved and why isnt that saved.Well if no one else is doing it step up to the mark and put the sun glasses on the queens head when you open your wallets !!!!!