WIX Archives
B-24 Combat History
Posted by Ryan Keough on Mon Jan 19, 2004 04:43:50 PM
In reply top Collings Machines posted by Ryan Harris on Mon Jan 19, 2004 04:30:02 PM
Yes, the B-24 does have combat history. It was transferred to RAF as lend-lease in 1944 where it flew as KH191 in the South Pacific and flew coastal patrol and light bombing duty. It was transferred to the IAF after being abandoned by the RAF after the war.
And it did fly with the IAF as a bomber too... only near the end of the B-24 service life in the IAF did the aircraft become a parts aircraft to keep the few remaining flyable. Interestingly enough we had a co-pilot wheo flew for 3 months with us in 2002 who brought his fathers IAF logbook out and had actual logged time in the aircraft...
That's the quick and dirty... more detail would require me to dig into our paperwork :-)
Ryan Keough
: The Collings Foundation has several combat veterans in the
: collection.
:
: First is our Huey with documented missions in Vietnam with
: VMO-2 and may have been flown by a Medal of Honor winner.
:
:
: Second is the Corsair with a tour in Korea aboard the Esse
: x with VC-3. We think at one point she was sent home for r
: epairs because she was damaged by ground fire or some mish
: ap on deck. Not sure exactly. Her BuNo. is 124692
:
: The third isn't going to fly ever again but she was still
: in our collection and I don't know of her status anymore b
: ut she is our A-26C 44-35696 with over 100 documented miss
: ions in Korea. Her name was "My Mary Lou" and flew with th
: e 95th BS, 17th BG. Her crew chief found her again at an a
: irshow in Cortland, AL and instantly remembered her serial
: number. It was through him that we were able to document
: her markings and her patches. He was also able to fly on h
: er again and see her back in her combat markings. Unfortun
: ately she crashed in the summer of '93 and will never fly
: again due to her airframe being twisted. We have another a
: irframe that will go in her markings but she is in no shap
: e, form, or fashion the real and stock 44-35696.
:
: On another note I don't believe our B-24 has any combat. S
: he was the parts airplane for the Indian Air Force. I coul
: d be wrong though.
Follow Ups:
- Re: B-24 Combat History - Ryan Harris Mon Jan 19, 2004 05:57:51 PM