USAF guys help out

Floating Cloud

Space Marshal
Apr 8, 2016
565
1,720
2,510
RSI Handle
Floating_Cloud
I think that the aeroplane in the lower picture may be an A-26C Invader (designated B-26 between 1948 and 1965), serial number 44-34582, which was lost on December 9th 1952.

The nose design matches this image on the a-26 Wikipedia page (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Invader_MONIE_&_Crew.jpg) and the name close enough matches a reference in the document quoted below to make me think that it is the same plane (Miss Nancy "J"/Miss Nancy Jo)

http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id576.html said:
44-34582 728th Miss Nancy Jo Transferred to 3rd BW. Lost on December 9, 1952.
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=86122

The A-26 Invader first flew in July 1942, so that gives you a ten year window. Actually, I'm pretty sure from the Wiki page that this nose design was introduced in late 1944, so make that 8 years.
 
Last edited:

maynard

Space Marshal
May 20, 2014
5,124
20,290
2,995
RSI Handle
mgk
my father was a B-26 pilot in WWII with over 50 missions

of the handful of pilots in his class that survived to the end, he was the only one to fly home in the same plane he flew to Europe

there were 475 patched bullet holes in the fuselage by the end of the war
 
Last edited:

BUTUZ

Space Marshal
Donor
Apr 8, 2016
3,448
11,565
2,850
RSI Handle
BUTUZ
In the UK that type of hat/cap was worn by flight engineers.

Unsure if it is the same in US? Looks same type of hat!
 

Rear_Intruder

Space Marshal
Donor
Jun 9, 2017
737
2,625
2,650
RSI Handle
Rear_Intruder
I appreciate the work you guys have done and the humour.
I think the guy in the picture is a member(descendant) of a branch of my family that went to the USA in the 1920's
I will work on the info you have provided to assist my cousin who is doing a family tree thing.
Any further info would be great/
 

Tealwraith

Heresy detector
Donor
May 31, 2017
1,056
4,822
2,650
RSI Handle
Tealwraith
The Air Force was stood up 09/18/1947. Prior to that it was the Army Air Corps. That is an Air Force uniform, the chevrons give it away, so it would need to be after that date. 1948 to 1952 fits. I agree that a piss cutter would be better than a beret, but I'd still prefer a dixie cup.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zookajoe

Rear_Intruder

Space Marshal
Donor
Jun 9, 2017
737
2,625
2,650
RSI Handle
Rear_Intruder
Guys via family connections the guy in the picture and Nancy are still with is he is 85yrs old, It was at Kusan (K8) in 1953. He was a flight chief in charge of several aircraft.
My plane expert says that it is an A26 but as Floating Cloud says they were designated B26 at the time.
So it looks unlikely that it is 44-34582.
I have asked them to double check the dates.
Now to arrange a visit to the US!

It looks like two members of the family are looking at these pictures so between us we should get the correct details.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Floating Cloud

Rear_Intruder

Space Marshal
Donor
Jun 9, 2017
737
2,625
2,650
RSI Handle
Rear_Intruder
I have got an update from the guy in the photo which is fantastic as he is 85 and still going well. He calls them B26's. I have edited a bit of politics out of it as this is a public forum. I will tell you about it in chat or PM you if you want. other than that here it is.

Our aircraft were from wwII. They had a jet bomber I think it was a B45 not sure of the number though. Well flying in the mountains did not work with the jet so they called up the B26's. Many of them had been converted for special uses after the war and as they needed more than were available at the time they recalled many of them and reworked them back to combat ready. But because of the rework they were not all really alike. Some had the flap handle and the gear handle swapped around and we had problems when people confused them pulling the handle they thought was for flaps and it was for gears as they went along on the ground and up went the nose gear and the plane nosed over stopping the props in the concrete or dirt. Like wise problems when they wanted gears and got flaps. Also start switches were located in different position, over head, on the side and down on center console. we did rewire and change things at times to improve things but not much time for that in combat so crews just had to remember to check every plane to see what was where. We always used to say they were "some, certain, other planes" Some things here, certain things there, still other somewhere else. We did do a lot of damage to trains, bridges and roads starting as the first bombers in the conflict and the last at 10:59 the last day. xxx(edit)xxx I never was sure if we really did anything over there until just last year when I received a book about Korea from the South Korean government and there was a letter form their President thanking us on behalf of the Korean people for saving their democracy. The artwork on the plane was there from when I got the plane so I just changed the name as the girl was long legged like Nancy. I lost some photos that I had with numbers close up so never could really trace the plane after I got home. We did get hit by small arms fire taking off at our base by goriallas as we went to Japan for heavy maintenance but they missed all the essentials and all we had where holes in the skin and marks on the armor plate. I have not thought about this stuff for quite a while.
 
Forgot your password?