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Paul Bellamy
9/10/2009 1:27:23 PM | The airfield is being ploughed at this time of year, and as usual a few items of interest have literally been turned up....
One of many split .50 shells:
Bomb transit hoop clip, with large and small fuze well plugs.
More ordnance-related debris:
Oops!
Someone pushed their bike through the wet concrete on the southern taxiway:
Maybe it was the same person who stepped in the wet tar while repairing the taxiway by the bomb dump:
Luckiest find so far, as it's a mere half-inch across. (I've been trying to find one of these for 20 years!)
Lead seal removed when arming bomb fuzes, the Ordnance "Flaming Bomb" on one side:
US on the other:
(Inert .50 round for scale)
The only things flying on a quiet thursday afternoon were a dozen Red Kites, one of which came over to see what was going on:
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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donaldbyers
9/10/2009 5:42:30 PM | Were the bombay doors open on the Red Kite!!!!!!!!
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
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Paul Bellamy
9/10/2009 6:45:11 PM | Luckily not Don. 😉
I've been cleaning the soil off the few items I brought home, mainly a couple of tidy fuze well covers, one still with it's original paint on. (Black, so must be late-war dated, as the majority were painted yellow)
In amongst the usual stuff, ordnance crate turnscrews, cotter pins, etc. was an unusual shell casing. It was larger than a .50 case, and was swollen and battered (and had been fired), so I popped it in my bag for further examination.
I've gently cleaned the corrosion of the base, and it turns out to be a cut-down 1943 dated 20mm aircraft cannon case, at first glance U.S. manufactured from the primer pocket. NOT something I ever expected to find at Deenethorpe.
I'll get some photos up in the next few days, alongside an intact case to show just how distorted this thing really is.
It's been cut down with some sort of parting tool, but for what reason I can only guess.
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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donaldbyers
9/11/2009 12:11:05 AM | Thanks for additional info. It is amazing what you can find from a plowed field. Arround Lubbock here people hunt for Indian Arrow heads.
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
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win-win
9/11/2009 11:07:16 AM | During our Oct. 2007 Deenethorpe 1-day visit, 'Air ops' included Kites, Kestrals; Egrets; Pheasant and Osprey. 'Ground ops' included Grouse and Partridge.
We don't know who was providing 'flying or ground control', but we wore hats and didn't look up.
Brave (and beautiful) Kestral shot, Paul. And cool finds, too. Thanks for passing them on and identifying what they are.
Win Bryson
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Paul Bellamy
9/11/2009 1:20:21 PM | Here's a tiny item picked up last year, a mere 1½" x ¾", which I've only just got around to working on:
During cleaning, the first markings appear from beneath the dirt and corrosion:
Lockheed-Vega inspection stamps, highlighted in yellow:
The inspection stamps are marked on top of a previous stamping "SALVAGE", highlighted in red:
And both sets together:
Components that failed quality control prior to assembly in the factories would be graded according to whether or not they were reuseable.
Items that simply required refinishing or modifying to the current specification would be stamped SALVAGE and returned to the supplier for reworking. Once resubmitted they would be inspected again and stamped if they came up to specs, as in this case.
Items that couldn't be reused were cut up and returned as raw materials.
The left-hand Vega inspection stamp is a basic "approved" mark, with the inspector's unique code numbers.
The one on the right, which is lying on it's side, has the crossed H and T to indicate the item has been heat-treated, again the V for Vega and the inspector's number are included.
There is another number on the back of the item, 3-21110-1, which would appear to be the original Boeing part number for whatever it is.
(Boeing part numbers have a single digit, a dash, then the sub-assembly number, another dash then the item within the sub-assembly.)
Finally, in case anyone was wondering exactly which Vega-built B-17 this came from, it's B-17G-35-VE "Rosie's Sweatbox".
I hope to make a frame up to contain this, along with the crew list and aircraft photo.
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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win-win
9/11/2009 5:29:08 PM | Hi Paul:
Wow, what a story.
Was this found in the 'crash-site' area? Is it steel or aluminum?
Win
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Paul Bellamy
9/11/2009 6:16:09 PM | It was found in the hedgebottom of the field between the road and the runway, where the plough had turned a few loose clumps of earth out of the field, about 50 feet from the memorial to the crash. (It was actually in the mud sticking to my boots when I saw it)
The main part is aluminium, with steel rivets.
I have a few people going through the B-17G Illustrated Parts List to see if they can find the part number to identify where on the aircraft it came from.
In other news, on the back of this I started opening the boxfulls of scrap metal I picked up as a schoolboy around the Deenethorpe Village crash site, and one item of twisted aluminium caught my eye.
I must have had this for 20 years now at least, but until today I hadn't recognised it for what it was.
It's the factory-fitted data plate from one of Zenobia el Elephante's engines, and it's from a Studebaker-made Wright Cyclone.
The plate is folded like a concertina from the blast, but I'm slowly scraping off the corrosion where I can get to things to see what details are revealed.
So far I have the prefix for the AAF-allocated engine number, AF 43-xxxx, and the contract number is just starting to emerge.
More details as they come up, I might have to start a dedicated Deenethorpe Artifacts thread to deal with the backlog of bits.
Stay tuned for a UK 401BG Museum opening date. 😉
TTFN,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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Paul Bellamy
9/12/2009 9:09:11 AM | Zenobia el Elephante engine data plate photos.
Before:
After:
Detail before:
After:
Although most of the serial numbers are hidden in the folded part, the Acceptance Date of 6-23-43 came up well.
Now... do I risk trying to straighten it out............? 😐
TTFN,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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donaldbyers
9/12/2009 9:27:02 AM | Now that was a great find of the data plate for Zenobia el Elephante. I want to roam the fields with you and find exciting history!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
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Paul Bellamy
9/12/2009 9:54:50 AM | Thanks to the guys over on WiX, the first part has now been conclusively identified.
3-21110: Latch Assembly - Door.
TTFN,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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EDanaII
9/12/2009 9:55:32 AM | Wow! Paul is starting his own version of the Broken Wings Museum, English Chapter. 🙂
Good job, Paul. 🙂
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Paul Bellamy
9/12/2009 1:21:55 PM | Another bit of Zenobia, and unlike the engines there was only ever one of these per B-17. 😉
Front corner of the pilot's sliding side window:
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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Paul Bellamy
9/18/2009 11:50:52 AM | The results of 5 minutes strolling alongside the bomb dump yesterday:
The drum-shaped thing top left is the cover that protects the fin threads during transit, the "hoops" are bomb fin locking rings.
Three fuze cavity plugs in the middle, with varying traces of the original yellow paint to identify High Explosive, the black-painted one in the centre is an oddity.
At the bottom is a few lengths of safety wire, two Fahnestock Clips which secured the arming wires to the fuzes when the bomb was shackled in the aircraft, a couple more lead safety seals and four as-yet unidentified items.
And I now have a pair of these deformed 20mm cannon shell cases.
All the best,
PB
Paul Bellamy
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donaldbyers
9/18/2009 6:52:34 PM | You will soon open the Museum in your front room!!! Way to collect these items Paul.
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
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Paul Bellamy
1/22/2010 3:55:44 PM | I found this on the base yesterday, 6" rule included for scale:
After a bit of head-scratching I worked out it's one of the racks that held the oxygen bottles to the B-17 cockpit wall, either side of the top turret.
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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Paul Bellamy
9/10/2010 3:04:13 PM | More for the armourers display, a pair of small bomb arming wire assemblies I found elsewhere the other day:
I've got some regular-size ones too, which I'm in the process of straightening and cleaning, I'll post photos of those when they are done.
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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Paul Bellamy
10/28/2010 2:23:38 PM | Something Graham asked me to identify:
Boeing part number:
Gun removal instruction decal:
Looking up the part number in the B-17G Illustrated Parts Catalog:
So it's the final type radio room gun mount. 😃
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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MaryAlice
12/7/2010 8:22:39 AM | As usual Paul, GREAT work...makes me want to hop "over the pond" and spend a few days with ya finding/looking for "items of interest" 🙂
Derrick Morris, Grandson of S/Sgt Engr/Top Turret William "Dale" Sartor, 615th BS 401st BG, "Mary Alice"
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donaldbyers
12/7/2010 3:08:16 PM | I know what you mean as I would love to make a trip over also.
Seasons Greetings!!!!!
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
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MaryAlice
12/7/2010 5:03:21 PM | "donaldbyers":
I know what you mean as I would love to make a trip over also.
Seasons Greetings!!!!!
Don
Maybe we can have Paul hop on a B-17G and fly over and pick us up, and take us back...what do ya think?? 😛
Derrick Morris, Grandson of S/Sgt Engr/Top Turret William "Dale" Sartor, 615th BS 401st BG, "Mary Alice"
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donaldbyers
12/8/2010 4:50:25 PM | That would be good if I trusted him flying a B-17, but would still go!!!!
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
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Paul Bellamy
3/28/2011 3:00:04 PM | Good News and Bad News to report.
First the bad.
More deterioration at Deenethorpe... 😞
The office roof on the first Radar Workshop, used as the Communications Section by the 401st, has just about given up the ghost:
The Crew Room next door has had all the remaining Nissen hoops gas-axed off very recently.
I have no idea whether this was done legally or by the "scrap metal fairies" visiting in the night:
Drying Room stripped bare, the far end wall has had the top section pushed over.
The original wooden connection to the corridor is still there (just), although the steel grille from the warm air vent in the bottom of the wall has also gone:
Front wing (the Briefing Room's twin) also stripped, leaving the lobby to the flight clothing locker room exposed to the elements.
All the original curved plasterboard was smashed away to get at the hoop sections:
Still, onto the good news.
More brambles and other undergrowth has been cleared from what's left of Runway No.3:
Biggin and Benefield Estates have kindly opened a series of "Permitted Access" footpaths around Benefield village.
They seem to be the landowners for most of the dispersed sites, as opposed to Brudenell Estates who own the airfield site.
One of these paths goes right across the old Base Hospital, and I do mean RIGHT across.
This is the floor of the northern wing of the hospital building:
The same wing in 1944:
And 2011:
The only original building still standing on the hospital site, the M&E plinth (electricity supply):
Closeup of the surviving (just) enamel warning sign reveals it to be Distribution Centre K:
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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Paul Bellamy
4/28/2011 7:05:37 AM | I've spent the morning getting the "401BG Portable Museum" in order ready for the first show of 2011, this weekend at Rushden Cavalcade. 🙂
Sadly, the mannequins have failed to arrive so the uniforms will probably be on hangars, but I do have a table or two to put things on this year rather than blankets on the ground.
One item I was trying to finish was a copy of the 94CBW Bombing Plaque awarded to the 401st in March 1945, but I don't see any way that will be done in time I'm afraid. (I wonder where the original went...)
Photos will be posted next week, if I remember to take my camera. 😂
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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Josie
5/5/2011 10:39:55 PM | Looking forward to the photos! 🙂
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Paul Bellamy
5/6/2011 5:32:48 AM | Here's a few shots of the display during setting up:
Flight clothing section:
Table of smaller items, larger parts below:
Armourers' section and ILS beacon generator:
Sorry there's no photos while the public were there, it was so busy there was a permanent crowd of interested people in front of the display for all three days. 🙂
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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donaldbyers
5/6/2011 12:22:02 PM | Great Display Paul, I am glad to hear there were so many interested people to view the display. Did you get a lot of questions and were there any who remembered the Air Field and the Group?
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
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Paul Bellamy
5/20/2011 6:46:32 PM | Cheers Don,
With the show site being quite a way from Deenethorpe very few visitors knew much about the base, "That's somewhere near Corby isn't it?" being the best response from most. However, many did recall the 8AF stations nearby, Chelveston, Thurleigh, Podington, etc., and from there grandparents started telling their children and grandchildren of their own memories, which was great to hear.
There were a lot of schoolchildren coming through, all asking questions for their school history projects too.
For them to be able to physically handle "the real thing" rather than just something seen in old black & white photos really seemed to open their eyes and minds to the past.
One group of a dozen or so came back two days in a row and never stopped asking new questions or reading through the books I'd brought along. When I was able to show them pictures of part of their own school being used by the 8AF as a supply depot as well they really went for it. 🙂
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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Paul Bellamy
12/22/2013 8:09:20 PM | We're aiming for a BIG display at Rushden in 2014, incorporating the 1st Air Div HQ as well as the 401BG.
Wish me luck? 😉
Paul Bellamy
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EDanaII
12/23/2013 12:43:26 PM | Well, this time I suggest you bring a photographer... or set up a camera to do time-lapse... inquiring minds wanna know! 😉
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