Turrets to toothbrushes.

21/05/2026

I bought this jacket today to add to my 381st BG uniform collection.

LTC Ralph Earl FREESE was born on march 29th, 1917 - passed away on april 7th, 1968 He was a member of the 533rd BS yet piloted #42-97076 DEE MARIE a 534th aircraft
pic from West Point - US Military Academy - 1941 book (from fold3 website)

Any other information much appreciated.

I love this particular area of my collection. I wonder if any of those uniforms passed each other on base all those years ago.

16/05/2026

Just incase anyone has a turret or a B29 that needs a new compressor for its bomb bay doors.

A very rare example of an original wartime Cornelius air compressor. These were used in many WWII aircraft for a variety of reasons including charging the guns in the turrets and operating bomb bay doors. Sold as an untested barn find and as such no working grantee will be given. Very rare to come a...

16/05/2026

Needs must and all that.

Up for your consideration is a rare chance to own a WWII B17 / B24 E11 waist gun mount. If you’re here looking at this then you probably don’t need me to tell you about it. This particular one is part original and part new made parts. It still needs some fine fettling to finish it off but what y...

15/05/2026

Before I put it on eBay is anyone interested in this fleet air arm flying helmet?
It’s in all round nice shape apart from one of the ear cups ( see pictures )
The receivers are not in there but the cups are.
The tag is still attached to the wiring.
Please see pictures as they give a better description than I can.

The only price reference I have is from worthpoint 10 years ago. I’m open to sensible offers.

03/05/2026

Can anyone tell me what these particular pins are from? RAF, USAAF, or are they post war?
You see them pop up for sale quite frequently but I have a feeling this particular type are post war simply because I’ve never ever found this style of pin while I’ve been digging airbase rubbish pits.

26/04/2026

Something else I came across today that had been packed away for years was this VAT69 bottle that I dug up nearly 20 years ago at Snetterton Heath home to the 96th BG
I remember being extremely pleased and taking extra care to wrap it up on the drive home.
When I first dug it up it still had some of the original label but that fell away and crumbled up within hours of being out of the damp soil.
Of corse VAT69 became most famous in Band of brothers when actor Ron Livingston who played captain Lewis Nixson depended on it to see him through the daily challenges of war.
I wonder if this bottle was drank to drown sorrows or to help celebrate in some way??

26/04/2026

I’ve been a bit sidetracked over the last couple of months so no time to write much in the way of interesting posts but I will try and find some time.
I thought I would kick off with this lovely lump of B17 that caught my eye here this morning that I don’t think I have posted before.
Clearly the surround for a B17 super charger. You can clearly make out the notch in the top left corner to allow for the control rods to connect to the turbo waste gate.

04/02/2026

Another great press photo. This time photographers gather to photograph P47 fighters. The B17 in the photo appears to be B17-25132 Royal flush.
I did manage to find another photo of this plane online that looks like it was taken the same day March 1943

HISTORY OF
B-17 42-5132 / ROYAL FLUSH!
Delivered Denver 29/9/42; New Castle 15/10/42; Assigned 303BG Molesworth 21/12/42; transferred 401BS/91BG [LL-E] Bassingbourn 18/1/43; Missing in Action 23m Huls 22/6/43 with Marcell Fountain, Co-pilot: Oscar Diedering, Navigator: Mo Herman, Bombardier: Norm Williams, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Fred Sneed, Radio Operator: Tom StephensRIP 25/7/44, Ball turret gunner: Harry Miller, Waist gunner: Alby Rukas, Waist gunner: Jim Pratt,Tail gunner: Roland Carlson (10POW-two escaped, one being killed later), several enemy aircraft attacked this ship which had brought down eight enemy before crashed North Sea. ROYAL FLUSH!

Source: The B-17 Flying Fortress Story & B17Gflyingfortress.de

04/02/2026

Stunning press photo of a P47 passing low over a B17 of the 351st Bomb Group ( I believe the SQ code is correct for that SQ )
July 1943.

24/01/2026

My good friend Bob popped in this morning and as per usual he came with a car full of his old junk and took away a car full of mine 😂
Today’s pick for me was this reasonably hard to come by .30cal flexible gunnery ammo can seen here next to its .50cal big brother.
I love trading / swapping stuff everyone walks away smiling 😊