WWII Bomber Wooden Tail Turret Ammo Chest

[Garandomatic]

I just picked this up from ebay. I'm the type of guy that will pretty much jump all over anything related to WWII aviation if the price is right, so I'm pretty tickled. I just wondered if anyone had any more of a specific idea about it than myself and the seller. It was listed as a tail turret chest for a B-24, just wondered if that was right, and if so, is it early war, late war, etc. I searched to very little effect, and the only other ones I saw had a very different labeling scheme.

 

I also wondered if the side needs replaced or not, and if the top is supposed to be fastened like it is.

 

Lastly, I usually tend to leave things alone, and I know the mantra of leaving things as original as possible, but would it be out of line to hit it with some clear, possibly with a little amber coloring to it? The plywood is pretty dry and flimsy at this point.

[Garandomatic]

Any idea of the plane type and what it might look like in perfect condition?

[JDK]

I think the B-24 description was accurate. A guy was selling these same ammo cases at a gun show I was at for $50 a piece. I bought 2 of them for $80.

I thought they were cool. I ended up giving one to a friend, and my other one ended up taking off with one of my kids when it was sitting in the garage! Not pleased about that.

 

Since then I have been after a nice marked, labeled fighter plane wing ammo case for display, so if anyone has one, let me know!

 

JD

[Garandomatic]

Did the ammunition feed through the side on these? The bombers apparently don't make enough money around these parts anymore for me to look and see!

[ram957]

This is from the B-17 Sally B

[Lee Ragan]

Did the ammunition feed through the side on these? The bombers apparently don't make enough money around these parts anymore for me to look and see!

The holes in the side allow the gunner to estimate how many rounds he has remaining in the box. Or, allow the armorer to count how many rounds were loaded in the box. The ammo would feed out of the bottom as per the photo above.

[Fort Susquehanna]

Nice piece. To conserve it, I would scrub it real good with dishwashing soap and let it dry for a few days in the sun. After that, get some antique furniture oil- I think Minwax has this but it's been a while. Rub it into the wood using it sparingly- don't put it on like shoe polish. This will darken the wood, but it will preserve it well. If you have glue/nail joints that need attention/repair, do the repairs first and then use the oil. Ammo crates come out real nice with this, although they look darker for a while until they get some sun. You can repeat the process and it will soak in the wood and give it a nice clean look. Good luck. FYI, it would be for later B-24 tail turrets as the earlier ones had ammo boxes built into the turret cockpit.