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+--- Thread: Rare WWII bomber being restored at Pearl Harbor (/showthread.php?tid=16505)
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Rare WWII bomber being restored at Pearl Harbor - Rob Tucker - 10-14-2015
from the L.A. Times...
Pearl Harbor welcomes the Swamp Ghost, a WWII bomber that has a chilling story to tell
"Here’s a ghost story that’s more than 70 years in the making: Visitors to Oahu’s Pearl Harbor can now visit a rare World War II bomber called the Swamp Ghost that was lost for decades but is now being restored.
The Swamp Ghost, a B-17E bomber, is among the newest acquisitions of the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island just west of the final resting place of the USS Arizona, sunk in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The B17E was returning from a bombing raid in February 1942 and went after an enemy freighter. It was hit in an ensuing dogfight and although it was leaking fuel, it managed to land in a remote swamp on New Guinea.
None of the crew members was hurt and after walking for six weeks, they were reunited with friendly forces. But with pitched battles raging, the plane was written off and forgotten."
http://www.latimes.com/travel/hawaii/la-trb-hawaii-swamp-ghost-pearl-harbor-20151013-story.html
RE: Rare WWII bomber being restored at Pearl Harbor - PunaMauka2 - 10-14-2015
Have long found the B-17 to have been a particularly attractive airplane. Would love to hear it's engines roaring.
That 6 weeks must have made quite a story.
RE: Rare WWII bomber being restored at Pearl Harbor - Royall - 10-14-2015
I paid 300 bucks to fly in a B-17 about 13-14 years back.... Thrill of a lifetime!! When all four engines came into sync sitting on the tarmac, I got a grin on my face that stayed for the whole flight in that bird! We flew formation with another old war bird.. a restored B-24 Liberator... Magical day. We flew out of the Crescent City, California.
RE: Rare WWII bomber being restored at Pearl Harbor - Tink - 10-14-2015
Be nice to watch the progress of the restoration. My Dad flew on a B17G out of Deenethorpe England making daily "milk" runs to Germany and back. While he was alive we were able to see the ConfederateAirforce restoration a few times, but Pop would not go up, and it was rough enough for him to pay respects with it on the ground. The sound of those four Pratt and Whitneys at cruise speed is unmistakable and would pull me out of my chair inside whenever I would hear them as a young child knowing an air show was nearby.
Community begins with Aloha
RE: Rare WWII bomber being restored at Pearl Harbor - Rob Tucker - 10-14-2015
My step father was a navigator/ bombardier in one over Germany. 25th Air Force. He didn't want to talk about it.
RE: Rare WWII bomber being restored at Pearl Harbor - dmbwest - 10-14-2015
Torn on restoration ... Wonder what stage they will bring it to.
Right now I think its pretty as is. IMO, clean it and leave it.
Edit to add, there is just something about seeing ( and smelling ) things just as the were rather than perfect and 'shiny'.
aloha,
pog
RE: Rare WWII bomber being restored at Pearl Harbor - TomK - 10-14-2015
Rob,
"My step father was a navigator/ bombardier in one over Germany. 25th Air Force. He didn't want to talk about it."
My father may well have helped coordinate those flights. It's unlikely, but makes you realize it's a much smaller world these days. He was an RDF (radar) operator who mostly vectored night fighters but was also involved in trying to keep the enormous number of planes colliding during the larger raids on Germany. He also flew in Mosquito night fighters when they were developing in-flight radar.
These people helped make us able to live life as we do now. They should always be remembered.
RE: Rare WWII bomber being restored at Pearl Harbor - dmbwest - 10-14-2015
Got dam right Rob and Tom ... I ( think I ) know and understand why these gentlemen and women did not really want to talk about everything, but I sure wish they would.
History of the most awesome generation lost. IMO.
aloha,
pog
RE: Rare WWII bomber being restored at Pearl Harbor - TomK - 10-14-2015
My father certainly talked to me about his experiences in WWII, but I was also very young at the time and couldn't ask the questions I'd want to ask now. So much stuff I'll never learn (he passed away in 1989). From developing radar to going across on D-day and advancing through Northern Europe and being close enough to see V2 rockets being launched toward London. It's just something lost to us.
Rob's step-father would have gone through a much rougher experience. I'm not surprised he didn't want to talk about it. Each sortie was a battle on its own. The loss rate of those taking the war to Nazi Germany was tremendous. The RAF did night raids and the US day raids. Both let their crews retire after 25 to 30 raids although some volunteered to do more.
A lost generation.
RE: Rare WWII bomber being restored at Pearl Harbor - VancouverIslander - 10-14-2015
My great uncle was in bombers in the war, but Lancasters. He got shot down three times, twice ditching in the Channel as wireless operator and top turret gunner. Once time he was in combat and reloading. He dropped an ammo belt, jumped down to retrieve it and by the time he got back up his turret had been taken out by the 20mm cannons of a FW 190. He was one of the kindest easy going men you could have met. I was blessed that he had no problems at all talking about his time during the war.
Just call me Mike