Hi all, I acquired this last weekend from a Guy that was throwing a stack of stuff out to the dump. Happened to be in the right place at the right time and collected a nice stash of Goodies
Anyway, this Ammo box was in with the trailer load he was throwing out…..and has me stumped. 😮
I’ve posted a few pics to help aid the ID. The Guy who I acquired it from thought it was a B-24 or B-17 ammo box…it does have an aircraft serial no. and some info painted on the side which is almost all gone (the serial not the side )
So over to you the knowledgeable people to ID the type of aircraft it may have been fitted to , I will post the other side of the Box to show the serial no..etc….
Which will hopefully confirm that indeed I did save a unique piece of history I’m hoping my good feeling bubble doesn;t burst 😎
Cheers,
Chris
By: ausflyboy - 16th September 2010 at 19:17
funny enough I have posted on the WIX
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=37776
but had almost no reply on it
Cheers,
Chris
By: Whitley_Project - 16th September 2010 at 17:49
Have you posted over on WIX Chris? I’m sure someone there can help….
Brilliant find!
By: ausflyboy - 16th September 2010 at 07:36
Awesome news 🙂 I was trying not to get my hopes up about this box….but it seems my instinct is right 😮
if you do find that photo please let me know
Cheers,
Chris
By: DC Page - 14th September 2010 at 19:28
That’s a nice find. It appears to be an ammo box for a Sperry top turret like you would find in an early B-17, and is slightly different from the ones used for the waist guns. You may very well have a piece of an aircraft that was destroyed at Pearl Harbor in the Japanese attack.
In the book “The B-17 Flying Fortress Story” by Roger A. Freeman on page 73 there is this info:
40-3083 Ass 50BS/11BG Hawaii, dest Hickam Fd
7/12/41; sal (a/c No. 81)
On page 72 there is a picture of sister ship No. 41 (40-3092) that was at Hickam but survived the war. I think I have seen a picture of your aircraft and I’m trying to figure out which book it is in.
So it looks like a Sperry top turret ammo box that may have been in a B-17D that was assigned to Hickam, destroyed at Hickam, and salvaged at Hickam after the Pearl Harbor attack. That could account for the deformation and missing pieces. I’m glad you were there to rescue this piece from the junk pile.
By: Pure Lightning - 14th September 2010 at 18:02
I can make out the words ‘top gun’ on it ………and poss ‘Right hand feed’ underneth the numbers,
all the best Matt
By: ausflyboy - 14th September 2010 at 12:12
Ok, heres the rest of the information
Serial is 40-3083
Which according to a quick Google search places it as a Pearl Harbour B-17D destroyed Dec 7 1941.
Now how it got to Australia is lost…i’m just happy that I saved it from the rubbish dump 🙂
Still looking for a photo of the plane to print out to put with it though if anyone might have one.
Cheers,
Chris
By: ausflyboy - 13th September 2010 at 09:21
Hi all, today I found some stamped part numbers on it.
One side has what appears to be 6-6569
and the other side has 15-6999-8
I’m starting to excite my good feeling vibes again as those numbers are in the range on a B-17G armament area but if my info is correct it may be B-17 C or D
By: Arabella-Cox - 12th September 2010 at 19:07
Ammo box?
This reminds me of the containers attached to the sides of pintle-mounted waist guns etc. to collect the cases and/or links after firing to prevent them rolling around all over the floor inside the aircraft.
Anon.
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September 12, 2010 at 8:55 am