Army Air Force use of Mk II Talker helmets

[GITom1944]

I came across this pic which shows the crew of a 7th AAF B-24 piling up their flak gear after having completed 30 missions. There are at least 3 Mk IIs in the mix. This is the only instance I've seen of the Air Force using these. Has anyone heard of other instances?

 

 

Tom

[Gruntdoc]

I'm pretty ignorant of AAF uniforms, but any chance that could be a Navy Privateer crew? Or maybe they just had access to Navy gear being in the PTO and the Talker Helmet fits over their headphones? Either way, really neat pic, thanks for sharing.

[patches]

I'm pretty ignorant of AAF uniforms, but any chance that could be a Navy Privateer crew? Or maybe they just had access to Navy gear being in the PTO and the Talker Helmet fits over their headphones? Either way, really neat pic, thanks for sharing.

Says 7th AF on photo, so I would say yes, they're USAAF, but a very good point on your last thought, Navy acquired, acquired because of their practicality.

[GITom1944]

I'm pretty ignorant of AAF uniforms, but any chance that could be a Navy Privateer crew? Or maybe they just had access to Navy gear being in the PTO and the Talker Helmet fits over their headphones? Either way, really neat pic, thanks for sharing.

 

​As patches said, its a 7th Air Force crew - specifically, the 30th Bomb Group.

 

Tom

[Gruntdoc]

I see the 7th AF note, how do you know 30th BG? Not disputing it, just curious - do you know from elsewhere that Bolivar was in the 30th? Thanks.

[patches]

I see the 7th AF note, how do you know 30th BG? Not disputing it, just curious - do you know from elsewhere that Bolivar was in the 30th? Thanks.

Hey, there was a Boliva Jr out there!

 

https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/b-24-liberator/b-24-liberator-bolivar-11th-bg-431st-bs/

 

 

But here's the original Boliva, 27th Bombardment Squadron 30th Bombardment Group, this showing the opposite side of it.

 

[Gruntdoc]

Very cool! If there was a Jr. do you think that means Bolivar 1 was no more?

[GITom1944]

Here's the original caption for the Mk II photo:

 

 

And here's a link with details about the pilot, 1st Lt. Trautner, his squadron and group. http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/19674

 

 

There is also a website that has a reasonably accurate database of "named" B-24s from WW2. http://www.b24bestweb.com/bolivar3.htm

From b24bestweb you can look up a nose art name and any matches in the database will pop up.

 

Tom

 

 

[GITom1944]

Very cool! If there was a Jr. do you think that means Bolivar 1 was no more?

 

Bolivar returned to the U.S. to make a bond tour. She was wrecked in a crash in Los Angeles in November 1944. http://www.b24bestweb.com/bolivar4.htm

 

Tom

[patches]

 

Bolivar returned to the U.S. to make a bond tour. She was wrecked in a crash in Los Angeles in November 1944. http://www.b24bestweb.com/bolivar4.htm

 

Tom

Was there some kind of link do you know between Bolviar and Bolviar Jr? Jr as was we see was in a different unit later in the war, the 11th Bomb Group 431st Bomb Squadron, could it been say the pilot from Bolivar on a second assignment?

[patches]

 

 

Wow that's something, see S/Sgt William A. Kozak, his address 5110 Van Horn Ave., Elmhurst, Long Island, New York!, Long Island, this is the old way of saying Queens (in example, as in the early to mid war next of kin dog tags, with guys from any neighborhood in Queens, this would always say Long Island rather than Queens).

 

Kozak, and know exactly where he lived, been around there quite a few times, it's a mere hop skip and a jump from where I live, I could walk there in like 30 to 40 mins if I wanted. My late Aunt, a Nun, taught at a Catholic Grammar School right there forever back in the day, 55th Ave and Van Horn, Church of the Ascension, down the block from where Kozak lived .

 

.

[GITom1944]

Was there some kind of link do you know between Bolviar and Bolviar Jr? Jr as was we see was in a different unit later in the war, the 11th Bomb Group 431st Bomb Squadron, could it been say the pilot from Bolivar on a second assignment?

 

​I did a little digging. Turns out Bolivar was fairly well publicized in the U.S. It was a PTO analog to the ETO B-17 Memphis Belle. When Bolivar crashed during its bond tour, the employees of Consolidated Aircraft bought bonds to buy a replacement which was dubbed Bolivar, Jr. I suspect the nose art was added at the factory before the plane was sent overseas. The 7th Air Force was pretty small - it only had three heavy bomb groups - the 11th, 30th and 307th. Bolivar, Jr. probably ended up with the 11th BG by chance assignment.

 

 

Tom

[patches]

 

​I did a little digging. Turns out Bolivar was fairly well publicized in the U.S. It was a PTO analog to the ETO B-17 Memphis Belle. When Bolivar crashed during its bond tour, the employees of Consolidated Aircraft bought bonds to buy a replacement which was dubbed Bolivar, Jr. I suspect the nose art was added at the factory before the plane was sent overseas. The 7th Air Force was pretty small - it only had three heavy bomb groups - the 11th, 30th and 307th. Bolivar, Jr. probably ended up with the 11th BG by chance assignment.

 

Bolivar, Jr.jpg

 

Tom

Excellent update Tom.

[Gruntdoc]

Fascinating history Tom, thanks so much for the research! What a shame, to make it through 81 missions and crack up back in the states.

[The Rooster]

Fascinating history Tom, thanks so much for the research! What a shame, to make it through 81 missions and crack up back in the states.

 

And this one is a shame too!

 

http://b-29.org/73BW/497BG/dauntless-dotty/dotty.html

 

 

there was a lot of that going around during ww2.

 

https://worldwar2database.com/gallery/wwii1017

[Gruntdoc]

Damn! that story about the PFC catching a ride to a safe assignment...just damn.

Thanks for the links though, great (if sad) reading.