Visiting and searching a B-17 Fortress crashsite

[Auldfella]

I love these threads

That 'fan' in the wall looks a bit like a supercharger.

[Theodor]

Yes, you are right, may be a supercharger, too! so many holes, for so many bolts - seems made to bear high pressure...

I have only a handful of small debris, so did not hope to find markings. But a manufacturer meblem appeared on one piece! The name /or abbreviation/ ALCOA and 25... maybe more numbers, but that's what's left

BTW, I just searched the name in google - they are still in busyness! A big US aluminum manufacturing company, involved in makine B-17 and B-24 parts in the WW2!

[KenMc]

Excellent, well presented and most interesting.Good job Theodor, success on future investigation.



KenMc

[DJT]

Nice story Theo, thanks for bringing us along

[Marc Garlasco]

Great story! Your friend is lucky - kids are the same in every war. In Iraq I saw kids popping the top off shells to get the propellant out for a fun time. One boy was in a hospital burned over 80% of his body...very sad.
Marc

[Theodor]

ok, one more story from him They found also a bigger round, bigger than the others which they were usually exploding So, noone dared to explode it. Noone, but uncle Asen! He put the head of the round in the ground, half-closed his pocket knife and put its tip on the back side of the casing, to be a firing pin. And hit the knife with a stone...

Not a surprise that the round proved to be a nasty one and exploded very badly Made a hole with 30-40 cm diameter in the ground and threw the kid 1 meter aside on his back... The stone and the knife flew in unknown direction. He said he was just a bit shocked and got only scratches. But I noticed one of his index fingers was missing in the last part, I would not be surprised if that was the hand with the stone... /the other hand was on the handle of the knife, much more safe aside/

[Adrian Stevenson]

Great thread Theo

Cheers, Ade.

[Chet Sowersby]

Theo,
I truly enjoy these type of threads. Thanks!

Chet

[Hank C.]

Great thread! Keep up the good work!

[Ostmark]

Wow nice finds and a very interresting story behind

[David S]

Thanks for the trip.

[Bob Hunter*]

Great story! ALCOA is Aluminum Company of America.

[Gary Cain]

Very Cool Theo!


Gary

[Theodor]

PART TWO

As you can guess, at first opportunity I started the car and went back there And it was worth the time, found interesting clues about the story!

Friday morning, after an hour driving, I reached the village and again met the man who witnessed the crash. He has not yet had a chance to meet the owners /who live elsewhere/ and ask for permission, so the supercharger is still in the wall.

But, I got two very important clues from him! First, he did his best to remember and said, that the crash was probably late July 1944. Not an exact date, but still gives an idea. Second, he told me that after our previous meeting, he remembered something and wanted to give it to me... Went to the backyard and soon returned with a... cylinder from one of the aircraft's engines!!! Used for some time ontop of the chimney of his bbq , he no longer needed it and was glad to handle it to me.

[Theodor]

Not just a part of the aircraft - in my opinion this cylinder is a very important clue!

The machine is either B-17, or B-24. At first I though, that the bomber was B-17 - the witness remembered a single tail. However he maybe saw it crushed on the ground...

I searched in Google. The diameter of the B-17 Wright Cyclone engines cylinders is over 6". The diameter of the B-24 Pratt-Whitney engines cylinders is 5.5" And the diameter of the cylinder foumd is exactly 5.5"!!! And it matches the B-24 cylinders seen on pictures in the internet.

So, correct me if I am wrong, but based on the cylinder diameter, I think the aircraft was B-24 Liberator.