You may want to avoid the sprouts 😮

Thanks for the info Distiller. To me the top picture looks to be of a ‘glass nosed’ Do17, but with a collapsable seat set up for the observer. Are you saying that in the Do17z, the observer was only able to lie down, and had no seat? If the top picture showed a solid nosed Do17 I would have though the right-hand seat would have been a bit more ‘permanent’, like the pilot’s.

Does anyone else have any ideas on this?

Geoff.

also said to be Do17Z

Skipper,

This is the reply from Mike Simpson:-

‘The B-24 had fabric control surfaces (rudder, ailerons, and elevators). I was scheduled to take a ride on the Collings Foundation B-24J “Dragon and His Tail” when the plane was grouned in Dallas, Texas as a result of damage from a hail storm…it holed all of the control surfaces.

The 445th Bomb Group did not lose any aircraft on the 18th of October, 1944. 1st Lt William F. Price was a navigator with the 702nd Bomb Squadron and flew 34 missions with the group, his last on May 9th, 1944. Unless he came back to fly another tour with another bomb group (unlikely), I can not account for why he would be buried there.

I’ve put a request for info in to the 44th Bomb Group who did lose 3 aircraft on 81 Oct 44 and will forward their reply to you.

Thank you for your inquiry. Good luck in your search.

Mike Simpson
445th BG webmaster’

Geoff

Skipper,

I have emailed Mike Simpson at the address you gave, so we shall see if the link is still good.

If I don’t get a reply by Saturday am, I shall try Motor Books (an old haunt of mine), and if no joy there then I will go for the D.Certs.

Will let you know what transpires.

Geoff.

Skipper,

I think you could well be right about the writer of the info on the back possibly assuming it was a B-17, rather than KNOWING it was a B-17. It which case it could perhaps be ANY American bomber, such as a B-24. Would a B-26, A-20, A-26, or B-25 have had such fabric on them? I suppose it can’t be ruled out that it could have been ANY American aircraft, such as a P-51 etc, though this is probably a long shot.

Is is possible to search for any crew (whatever the size) that was lost on the 18th Oct 1944, rather than try to locate the aircraft through the type?

What if it was lost on a non-op flight, would it still show up in the loss records that you chaps are looking in?

I’m afraid that I can’t add any info to what I’ve already posted, but keep posting your ideas & sugestions.

Geoff.

The other side