Fixer Upper

[Grant]

Noticed this little beauty waiting to be restored at Planes of Fame in Chino yesterday. I believe it's an E model. You can still make out the faded yellow paint on the nose.

 

[Cobblers161]

Jesus G, you get to some great shows! If only I had the cash money marvellous. Cheers for the pics.

 

[Grant]

Haha. Guess it's a lucky fringe benefit associated with my job. The best part of the trip to Chino was attending their Living History event featuring the TBM Avenger. There were two speakers, Charlie Stroeher (VT-5 pilot) and Harvey Swearingen (VC-8 turret gunner). Hearing those guys talk about their experiences was priceless. Also, the museum's TBM then took off and flew a cool demonstration.

Here's a photo of Charlie today and a second with VT-5 (he's the one standing in back row middle). Charlie and VT-5 were aboard the USS Franklin when it was dive bombed and almost sunk with an incredible loss of life.

Harvey was only 17 when he went joined the Navy and flew night anti-submarine duty off the US. He told a now funny story of how he almost shot the tail off his Avenger when the anti-firing cams failed. Here's a photo of him speaking and a shot of his former place of employment (the museums TBM).

 

[bfrench]

Great pics and story, Grant.

It's great that these people who served during WWII are now coming forward with their "Living Histories" as to how it affected them.

I just looked up the life expectancy of an average US citizen in 1945 and it was 65.9 years. Today's life expectancy in the US is 78.24.

WWII ended 65 years ago - it doesn't leave us much time to get these historic experiences on record - it also doesn't leave us much time to show these veterans our thanks for their going into harms way.

Initially, I was going to say that we should be more aware of the US veterans' experiences but we should include an awareness from all the idealistic young people who participated in the horrors of WWII.

 

[Peter Graham]

Grant, do you know the story behind the 109 ? There looks to be several bullet holes in the fuselage.

 

[rich]

Nice photo! It does seem to be an E, the struts were moved from the tailplane with the F.

 

[Grant]

Hey Peter, No, I don't but I'll send an email to the museum and ask. Anybody else know?

 

[Swing]

Nice photo! It does seem to be an E, the struts were moved from the tailplane with the F.

Yep, and the square wingtips of the E became rounded with the F.

Is that desert camo on that thing, or faded red primer paint?

~Swing

 

[Peter Graham]

Hey Peter, No, I don't but I'll send an email to the museum and ask. Anybody else know?

Thanks Grant. I look forward to hearing it's story. It looks to completly original and unrestored in any way.

 

[bazelot]

Grant, do you know the story behind the 109 ? There looks to be several bullet holes in the fuselage.

It's probably one of the ones they recovered in Russia.

 

[Peter Graham]

I found out that the 109 is indeed an E model that fought in the battle of Britain and was later transferred to the Eastern front where it was later shot down and ditched in a lake outside Murmansk. It was recovered from the lake in 2002 and remains in the condition that it was recovered in.