B-17G bomber in my hands

karel · Oct 30, 2017

Near from the city Zaluzi u Mostu in Czech Republic is a petrochemical factory.
21.VII. 1944 a group of 362 B-17 bombers aimed to Czech with a plan to destroy that factory. Part of the group had to change the plan due a bad weather over the Alps so only rest of them, 143 bombers continued to finish that mission. When over the target they had been welcomed with heavy fire of Flak 88 artillery. Total 4 bombers had been shot down. As regard 'my' hitted bomber crew - 8 members overlived, 2 perished ( commander Lt. Cunningham and navigator F/O Milburn) in the dropped bomber. After the crash 2 of eights had been murdered by local Germans and one later died in a hospital. Today so 1km from the place where B-17 crashed is a little memorial to remember that incident.
I visited a place in Krusne mountain so just couple of kilometres from the factory this summer. There should be a spot as had been told me by one of my friends where rests, debris of the B-17G 42-97531 I decided to find. After two hours of walking with detector to and fro I had to contact my friend calling a cell phone for close a more precise info to help me to find the spot. Finally the right a long expected signal stroke the F75's coil.
I visited that spot twice and hunted full bucket of B-17G artefacts. For someone just debris for me a rare war relicts. I'd appreciate a close info (a factory marking) at the parts I've found.

Laxsaltman · Oct 30, 2017

Those two motors are cool. And the 11th picture down looks like a piece of either navigation or bombsight equipment. Hard to believe most of those guys were 18-22 years old. The Greatest Generation indeed.

CJ319 · Oct 30, 2017

Isn’t it awesome to be so close to history? To touch something that held such significance? Although it’s not that old, the lives lost in and from that plane are far reaching.

TommyJay · Oct 31, 2017

Wow, thats a lot of history right there. Thanks for posting this.

Scooterjim · Oct 31, 2017

Thank You for treating what some would consider trash with respect.

I had the opportunity to tour a B-17 last summer. I took a video of it taxiing up and turning around from less than a 100 foot away. You could feel the power. They flew around Springfield all weekend. I'm 5 miles from the airport and got to watch it fly over a dozen times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cbtIjT9LCU&feature=share

Mud-puppy · Oct 31, 2017

Well done Karel! Great finds and display and backstory on the plane!

TriadHunter · Oct 31, 2017

One of the most interesting posts I've read in a long time. Thank you for taking the time to find, preserve and share these items.

Planedoc · Oct 31, 2017

An amazing find!! I recently retired from Boeing and can tell you that these are definitely aircraft parts! I wish I could access B17 drawings. Several parts have part numbers visible. I doubt most of the drawings have survived. Otherwise you could look up the part numbers and see exactly what you have.

Picture 24 and 33 show the female part of a Camloc or 1/4 turn receptacle. These are used to attach removable panels on various locations on the aircraft. You can see a more modern version here: http://www.gen-aircraft-hardware.com/images/jpg/camlocs.jpg

Image 37 looks like an electrical conduit with braided insulation. This could be from one of the engines or a high vibration / high heat area.

Image 40 is either hydraulic or fuel lines.

The Rebel · Oct 31, 2017

A very humbling hunt especially knowing what happened. It looks like you found an incendiary round.

The Rebel · Oct 31, 2017

This was used as a fastener on canvas.

Vermonster · Oct 31, 2017

Wow, great historical finds!

karel · Oct 31, 2017

Thank MD-comrades very much fo your kind comments. Especially to The Rebel and Planedoc for the threads

The Rebel · Oct 31, 2017

You're quite welcome my friend. Please be safe with any possible live ammo & keep all of your finds in this post. :good:

karel said:
Thank MD-comrades very much fo your kind comments. Especially to The Rebel and Planedoc for the threads

mudwhale · Oct 31, 2017

Be very careful that you are not disturbing a historic war grave... Just sayin...

GeneralQuarters · Oct 31, 2017

Great pictures and relics! I don't have any idea what those parts are. Nice that the Czechs put a memorial up for The airmans sacrifice...

Animal1979 · Aug 13, 2018

Tail number 42-97531

Before this bomber was shot down in July of 1944, it was the bomber my grandfather was assigned to until May of 1944. Prior to July 21st it was known as the Victory Bound.

Ron 71 · Aug 14, 2018

Animal1979 said:
Before this bomber was shot down in July of 1944, it was the bomber my grandfather was assigned to until May of 1944. Prior to July 21st it was known as the Victory Bound.

Wow! That's pretty cool, is that how you found this forum by researching your grandfathers bomber?
My grandfather and his 3 brothers served in ETO in WW11, I sure wish I knew their stories.
I have the utmost respect for their generation, not many can say that their generation saved the world but they sure can.
Welcome to the forum Animal!

Animal1979 · Aug 14, 2018

Thanks for having me. I'm curious as to what happened to the rest of the plane itself though. Scrap perhaps?

StratTone · Aug 14, 2018

What an amazing find. Had to be so cool finding pieces knowing ahead of time the back story. Thank you for posting this.

pick · Aug 15, 2018

pretty neat history

B-17G bomber in my hands

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