B17 crash site find identification.

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Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 104

Hi ALL,

Today i've been clearing out the spare room in our house and found a shoebox of parts I recovered from a Welsh B17 crash site around 17 years ago. I have no idea what these parts are, can anyone on the forum help me identify them?

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f121/lankytim/DSCI0381.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f121/lankytim/DSCI0382.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f121/lankytim/DSCI0384.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f121/lankytim/DSCI0385.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f121/lankytim/DSCI0383.jpg

I'm not sure what to do with these parts, as I now know that I shouldn't just walk off with crash site relics but I was about 15 at the time! I don't feel I should put them back, as someone else will simply walk off with them- maybe I should give them to a museum or something?

Original post

Member for

12 years 1 month

Posts: 442

A complete guess but the hooks may be bomb related?

Member for

18 years 2 months

Posts: 2,245

second photo: landing gear?
last photo: bomb shackle?

Member for

16 years 8 months

Posts: 1,323

Wales, North,Mid or South ? It would help narrow it down better. :)

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 104

I'm a bit reluctant to say exactly which crash site i is as I don't want a certain self appointed crashsite guardian sending the police (or whoever it would be) round to get me.

Member for

18 years 9 months

Posts: 4,796


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f121/lankytim/DSCI0385.jpg

Fuse/detonator for grenade/mine etc

Member for

20 years

Posts: 4,561

bomb shackle parts and electrical connectors for radio equipment.

TT

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 104

Cheers for that, i'll give them a try!

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 839

Hi ALL,

can anyone on the forum help me identify them?
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f121/lankytim/DSCI0382.jpg


Cowl gill or front cowl ring support bracket (some of the bracket is missing).

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f121/lankytim/DSCI0384.jpg

Part of a tank support strap.


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f121/lankytim/DSCI0383.jpg

I have a funny feeling, this is the hook of the bomb winch assembly (2 winches per assembly). The only thing that throws me on this is that until I am able to check, I didn't think that these hooks actually had the non slip-off catch on them, they were just a plain hook.
It does not fit the bill as a bomb shackle used by american made bombers.

Member for

13 years 9 months

Posts: 47

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f121/lankytim/DSCI0383.jpg

Bomb rack hook and latch assembly, to which the bomb shackles were attached.

All the best,
PB

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 9,819

If those pieces were for a Spitfire or Mustang, you'd have enough for a rebuild. :)

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 839

Bomb rack hook and latch assembly, to which the bomb shackles were attached.
All the best,
PB

Thanks for that.
I knew I was sure that it wasn't the shackle itself. saves me looking for it now? happy days.
Hope this all helps you lankytim?

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 839

If those pieces were for a Spitfire or Mustang, you'd have enough for a rebuild. :)

ROFPMSL :D

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 2,841

Parts i/d

The piece in the third pic could be a tank strap or maybe even the attachment bracket for an aircrewmans shoulder straps to a bulkhead or similar strongpoint.

Pic. 4 shows a microphone jack plug, which would have been fitted on the end of the lead and plugged into the aircraft panel somewhere. The little sleeve above it could be a protector for same when not plugged in?

Pic. 5 doesn't appear strong or big enough for bombs hooks. More like a crewmans parachute harness to flight suit attachment hook? I've seen very similar ones on some of the post war flight gear I have.

Anon.

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 104

Thanks for all the info guys, just what I was hoping for!

The hook is actually quite beefy, I think a pair of them could deffo handle the weight of a bomb being winched onboard.

Does anybody have an idea what the large flat piece is? I think it's made from stainless steel so I imagine it could be from the exhaust or supercharger area.

Seeing as i'm feeling brave, I'd like to say that this particular B17 is 44-6005 and crashed onto Craig Cwm Lywyd near Dolgelleau in mid Wales. To hell with the consequences!!!!!!

Member for

18 years 9 months

Posts: 4,796

Pic. 4 shows a microphone jack plug, which would have been fitted on the end of the lead and plugged into the aircraft panel somewhere.

Anon.


I withdraw my earlier comment, I now see the pointy end is a bit different to the thingie I have sat here. Mine has the kind of pointy bit that you ABSOLUTELY DO NOT want to poke.. altho it's inert now... but leads to me think that shenanigans with what I have & one of those jackplugs could be used for nefarious purposes. Possible use for militant music criticism etc..

Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 819

Just looked at my photo of part of the bomb assembly from 43-37667 I took about 12 years ago, the hooks are identical, though on that a/c they did not have the anti-slip catches (though there are the remains of something on some of the hooks which could be rusted off catches). However the design of the hooks is the same, even the bolt through the lower section.

p.s. you'll never be found with 44-5005, the a/c which crashed near Barmouth was 44-8639.

Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 819

The accident report is where the correct serial came from.

We didn't publish 6005, neither did Dave Smith in HGWs or Edward Doylerush in No Landing Place Vol.2 (though he did mention the incorrect serial as a note, saying it was incorrect), the spurious serial was published in the appendix of Legend of Llandwrog and No Landing Place Vol.1, and Terence Hill published it in Down in Wales, as did Dave Earl in Hell on High Ground. Those books were all published within a couple of years of each other and it was shortly after that the correct serial was found. Unfortunately once someone publishes an incorrect serial (or other information for that matter) it is very hard to correct the mistake as it can be re-published numerous times and be accepted as true, then you have an up hill battle.

Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 819

Should also have mentioned that 44-6005 was written off as the result of a fire while on the ground at Chelveston on the 11th August 1944.