I ‘found’ the starboard wing of a B24 submerged in shallow water upside down in Peleliu. The rest of the plane is submerged under a Japanese owned hotel. And behind my hotel was a battery of .75mm flak guns still pointing up. So, I found the guns that brought down the plane that I found.
Wow!!!! I would love to be able to tour the Pacific one day and visit those places. Incredible work to find that B-24 and then to locate the guns too! Sounds like an incredible trip!
Thanks Steve. I’m passionate about all things USAAF having grown up around the airfields they fought their war from in the UK so it was a privilege to document this site. Thanks for watching!
@@WW2Wayfinder I had yet another uncle stationed on one of those old 8th Army Air Force, air fields back in the early 60’s. He was an Air Police and was part of the team that protected JFK when he went to Berlin.
My father was a career US naval aviator who flew from 42-64. Of the four officers who were present at my parent's wedding (the day before he soloed), only one, my father, survived a career as a naval aviator. One of his best men (Hugh Wood) would die test flying the Douglas A2D Skyshark sometime in the early 50s. Another officer (whose name I sadly can't recall) died when he flew into a mountain in California during a terrible storm. And the last and other best man, Ted Heckler, was killed (according to what I was told) on the last day of the war in the Pacific. Ted, Hugh and my father had all been classmates at Annapolis together and upon graduation all three had been assigned to the same cruiser, the USS Phoenix, which as then assigned to the Asiatic fleet out of Manila. However, on the morning of December 7th, she and they would be moored over at C-5, in Pearl Harbor's East Loch. All three went to flight school in June of 42 and all three qualified as naval aviators at the same time. So sad that they went through all that for three of them to die...and Ted on the last day of the war, no less.
My fathers (waist gunner) plane with the Wygonic Crew was directly behind this A/C on this mission. They had a flak burst shattered the top turret injuring the gunner. Because of the injured crewman and damage they landed in an allied field in Belgium and by the time they werw ferried back to England Germany had surrendered.
Oh wow! That's incredible and I hope the Top turret Gunner wasn't too badly injured. I hope it helped give you some idea of the area your Father was operating over on that days. Thanks again!
What is really sad not only there is 1B-24 still airworthy but the assembly plant where the B-24Libetators where built was just tore down last couple of years at Willow Run airport in Ypsilanti Michigan
It’s a shame as it’s a beautiful aircraft and flown by incredibly brave men. I wasn’t aware that part of Willow Run was torn down. That’s sad to think it’s not there anymore given it’s huge contribution to helping free the world from tyranny.
once again outstanding sir....thank you......i have to say your delivery in these historical pieces is exemplary. in my opinion you are every bit as good ( if not better ) than dr mark felton
How wonderful that the crew is remembered! I’ve always liked how big, military ugly, utilitarian the B- 24 was. When I was a kid the museum in Tucson received a B-24 from the Indian Air Force- it was originally an RAF.
@@WW2Wayfinder “Exercise” I think you might be RAF now🤔 Next time come to Mesa and have a visit. Falcon Field is here where we trained British pilots how to fly! …and where Gene Tierney made a movie about it!
By the way, all of the enlisted crew members of USAAF bombers in Europe were made NCO's as it was believed they would receive better treatment if captured by the Germans..
Similar to the Royal Air Force although all aircrew could be either SNCO’s or Officers but the rank was largely for administrative purposes as it wasn’t relevant when on Ops as the plane captain was the boss regardless of his rank.
It was heart warming to see that the local community had taken the time to remember the young men who died there that day and that it’s still maintained now so their memory isn’t forgotten. Thank you for watching!
Same here! I love iL2 GB but wish they had some AI 4 engine bombers to escort/attack. I think a 3rd Party dev is doing the Lanc for DCS but while great, it won’t be quiet the same somehow.
Yes, I’m an Air Force Brat/ Army veteran- so I’m very interested in the Army Air Corps and the Army Air Force. It was the last time those Air Force frat boys had any discipline (when we had them under Army control)!🤣🤣🤣🤣🫡🫡🫡❤️
I tried to get the E.D.P Norfolk newspaper to put an article out about the THREE little girls from Hockering who (in a razor sharp picture), were invited to the 466th's "100 Mission" party AND were photo'd on the perimeter track to what initially appeared to be an anonymous B.24 - Me being an 8th AF "nut" I went researching & to my utter amazement it turned out to be "Black Cat" which I knew of, as I had 2 decal sheets for this actual B.24 plus one more local to me known as "Wham Bam" (etc), which was THE B.24 involved in the infamous "Russelheim Massacre" - Two infamous B.24's on one 1/48th B.24 decal sheet - Those three girls from Hockering (next village to Attlebridge) were & are ALL younger than my Ex-RAF Dad, who is now 93 y/o & still drives - I wanted to trace to see "if" those three girls were still alive or not - EDP showed interest & even two of their staff, including their chief editor got back to me, saying they wanted to run the story & they asked me about 'copyright' to which I laughably told them "The guy who took the Aug'1944 photo' is long since dead !" - But they delayed. It's a VERY poignant photograph, razor sharp & full of history, taken on the very perimeter track of the 466th's home airfield A terrible "missed opportunity" that not only lost out on the 75th Anniversary, but, also.... May have lost the chance to see "if" ANY if those 3 girls were still alive & living in the Norwich area ? I know the names of the three girls (two were sisters) & the photo' IS on the AAM & Fold.3 websites... They are actually filmed playing right next to & besides "Black Cat" (Tail-fins) during the 466th's base party...
Oh wow! Incredible research and what a shame the newspaper never ran the story. I’ll have a look on the Fold 3 website this afternoon for that. Thank you!
Many thanks for remembering them and informing us.
My pleasure. Their story is a sad but important one. I need to track down the last B-17 shot down and document that site at some point.
Love the memorial for the crew. Great find.
@@TribeTaz thank you!
I ‘found’ the starboard wing of a B24 submerged in shallow water upside down in Peleliu. The rest of the plane is submerged under a Japanese owned hotel. And behind my hotel was a battery of .75mm flak guns still pointing up. So, I found the guns that brought down the plane that I found.
Wow!!!! I would love to be able to tour the Pacific one day and visit those places. Incredible work to find that B-24 and then to locate the guns too! Sounds like an incredible trip!
@@WW2Wayfinder I can be your tour guide. I posted videos of my trips to Peleliu on my channel. Check them out!
Thanks! I’ll take a look😃
Another great video & giving time to remember the crew members who were lost.
Thanks Steve. I’m passionate about all things USAAF having grown up around the airfields they fought their war from in the UK so it was a privilege to document this site. Thanks for watching!
@WW2 Wayfinder It shows! I would love to visit some of the airfields that the USAAF & Royal airforce used. Thanks!
I plan to do some episodes on that late next year. But in the mean time I do have a few episodes about the P-51 lined up!
@@WW2Wayfinder
I had yet another uncle stationed on one of those old 8th Army Air Force, air fields back in the early 60’s.
He was an Air Police and was part of the team that protected JFK when he went to Berlin.
My great uncle was a B- 24 pilot in WW2. Flew his required missions and came home after the war.
Do you know what Bomb Group he flew with?
My father was a career US naval aviator who flew from 42-64. Of the four officers who were present at my parent's wedding (the day before he soloed), only one, my father, survived a career as a naval aviator. One of his best men (Hugh Wood) would die test flying the Douglas A2D Skyshark sometime in the early 50s. Another officer (whose name I sadly can't recall) died when he flew into a mountain in California during a terrible storm. And the last and other best man, Ted Heckler, was killed (according to what I was told) on the last day of the war in the Pacific. Ted, Hugh and my father had all been classmates at Annapolis together and upon graduation all three had been assigned to the same cruiser, the USS Phoenix, which as then assigned to the Asiatic fleet out of Manila. However, on the morning of December 7th, she and they would be moored over at C-5, in Pearl Harbor's East Loch. All three went to flight school in June of 42 and all three qualified as naval aviators at the same time. So sad that they went through all that for three of them to die...and Ted on the last day of the war, no less.
That is so sad.
@@WW2Wayfinder As I tell my nephews and nieces.....sometimes there is no happy ending.
This was my grandfather's old crew
My fathers (waist gunner) plane with the Wygonic Crew was directly behind this A/C on this mission. They had a flak burst shattered the top turret injuring the gunner. Because of the injured crewman and damage they landed in an allied field in Belgium and by the time they werw ferried back to England Germany had surrendered.
Oh wow! That's incredible and I hope the Top turret Gunner wasn't too badly injured. I hope it helped give you some idea of the area your Father was operating over on that days. Thanks again!
What is really sad not only there is 1B-24 still airworthy but the assembly plant where the B-24Libetators where built was just tore down last couple of years at Willow Run airport in Ypsilanti Michigan
It’s a shame as it’s a beautiful aircraft and flown by incredibly brave men.
I wasn’t aware that part of Willow Run was torn down. That’s sad to think it’s not there anymore given it’s huge contribution to helping free the world from tyranny.
Diamond lil is still operational with the Confederate (commemorative) Air Force
once again outstanding sir....thank you......i have to say your delivery in these historical pieces is exemplary. in my opinion you are every bit as good ( if not better ) than dr mark felton
Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say so! Hopefully it serves as a reminder of the crew and what they sacrificed for future generations.
How wonderful that the crew is remembered!
I’ve always liked how big, military ugly, utilitarian the B- 24 was.
When I was a kid the museum in Tucson received a B-24 from the Indian Air Force- it was originally an RAF.
I know that museum! Spent a lazy Sunday there back in 2005 after a few weeks on exercise at Davis-Montham. Great location.
@@WW2Wayfinder
“Exercise”
I think you might be RAF now🤔
Next time come to Mesa and have a visit.
Falcon Field is here where we trained British pilots how to fly!
…and where Gene Tierney made a movie about it!
Once upon a time!
I’d love to see more bases in the US, and Arizona is a great place, Tucson was a lot of fun!
@@WW2Wayfinder
I thought so!
You look, talk too military🤣
@@richardmardis2492 fully indoctrinated sadly😂
By the way, all of the enlisted crew members of USAAF bombers in Europe were made NCO's as it was believed they would receive better treatment if captured by the Germans..
Similar to the Royal Air Force although all aircrew could be either SNCO’s or Officers but the rank was largely for administrative purposes as it wasn’t relevant when on Ops as the plane captain was the boss regardless of his rank.
Such a sad story. Only three survivors..
Made even sadder when you consider when it happened so close to the end of the war. Thank you for watching!
I thought it was 2. My grandfather didn't go on that mission that day
His name was Harry Gregorian
Another amazing job, thank you!
Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it!
Very sad indeed, at least people still remember them.
It was heart warming to see that the local community had taken the time to remember the young men who died there that day and that it’s still maintained now so their memory isn’t forgotten.
Thank you for watching!
Its a shame they don't give us flyable heavy bombers in Il-2 Great Battles. I'm dying to recreate events like this with custom missions
Same here! I love iL2 GB but wish they had some AI 4 engine bombers to escort/attack.
I think a 3rd Party dev is doing the Lanc for DCS but while great, it won’t be quiet the same somehow.
@@WW2Wayfinder My only comfort is that I'll get to crawl around a b-17 in VR when the mighty 8th remake is out
@@ThunderBatSims that’s definitely on my list as soon as it’s released!
Yes, I’m an Air Force Brat/ Army veteran- so I’m very interested in the Army Air Corps and the Army Air Force.
It was the last time those Air Force frat boys had any discipline (when we had them under Army control)!🤣🤣🤣🤣🫡🫡🫡❤️
🤣
I tried to get the E.D.P Norfolk newspaper to put an article out about the THREE little girls from Hockering who (in a razor sharp picture), were invited to the 466th's "100 Mission" party AND were photo'd on the perimeter track to what initially appeared to be an anonymous B.24 - Me being an 8th AF "nut" I went researching & to my utter amazement it turned out to be "Black Cat" which I knew of, as I had 2 decal sheets for this actual B.24 plus one more local to me known as "Wham Bam" (etc), which was THE B.24 involved in the infamous "Russelheim Massacre" - Two infamous B.24's on one 1/48th B.24 decal sheet - Those three girls from Hockering (next village to Attlebridge) were & are ALL younger than my Ex-RAF Dad, who is now 93 y/o & still drives - I wanted to trace to see "if" those three girls were still alive or not - EDP showed interest & even two of their staff, including their chief editor got back to me, saying they wanted to run the story & they asked me about 'copyright' to which I laughably told them "The guy who took the Aug'1944 photo' is long since dead !" - But they delayed.
It's a VERY poignant photograph, razor sharp & full of history, taken on the very perimeter track of the 466th's home airfield
A terrible "missed opportunity" that not only lost out on the 75th Anniversary, but, also....
May have lost the chance to see "if" ANY if those 3 girls were still alive & living in the Norwich area ?
I know the names of the three girls (two were sisters) & the photo' IS on the AAM & Fold.3 websites...
They are actually filmed playing right next to & besides "Black Cat" (Tail-fins) during the 466th's base party...
Oh wow! Incredible research and what a shame the newspaper never ran the story.
I’ll have a look on the Fold 3 website this afternoon for that. Thank you!