B-24D 41-11596 - interned in Turkey - replaced by other?

[Leendert]

B-24 41-11596 Brooklyn Rambler was one of the Liberators interned in Turkey after a raid to Ploesti. The US aircrew was able to get the ship out of Turkey again at a later date. It ended up at the Gura Air Depot (Eritrea) for repairs, due to be returned to Turkey under a lend-lease contract.

According this recent story on http://rdrnews.com/wordpress/blog/2016/07/03/143712/ by then Capt. Morgan Nelson the original 41-11596 was secretly replaced by another B-24 which got the fake serial 596 instead.

Any idea what B-24 became the "new" 41-11596?

Thanks for all info.

Regards,

Leendert

[RSwank]

This is a "WAG" but might be a possiblity.

41-11601 "Hellsapoppin".

The plane apparently crashed at Lydda Palestine on on Aug 1, 1942.

http://www.armyaircorps-376bg.com/b24s_lost.html

This shows that plane was condemned on Aug 14, 1943 (over a year later).
http://cgibin.rcn.com/jeremy.k/cgi-b...11596&content=

Was it possibly one of the 7 planes planes still awaiting repair at Gura in March 43, when the substitution was made?

There are some photos of the Brooklyn Rambler here (look at the series of photos 9, 9a, 9b, etc :

http://b-24.weebly.com/beforeafter9.html

[Leendert]

Thanks, Yes, I had noticed the (damaged) B-24 pics.

Story tells that serial and identification plates were changed. I gathered that the original 596 already had Turkish national symbols when flying out to Cyprus and Egypt by the US crew, so the "new" 596 had to be quickly painted like that too.

I wonder what the aircraft record card says of the real 41-11596....

Regards,

Leendert

[RSwank]

The wings (top and bottom) had a red square with a white outline. The rudders (both sides) of each had a white crescent moon and a star on a red background. At the bottom of this link are a couple of photos of a Turkish B-24.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/47898...24D+and+others..

[Leendert]

One of the mentioned websites above says that more (all?) Turkish B-24s were refurbished at Gura Air Depot.
It may then also be that another Turkish B-24 that had undergone works was secretly changed into "596". Repair crew at Gura had then more time to finish the original "596".
But then, the real "596" had to get the serial of the fake "596" later on with more people knowing about it...

Since no other references seem to be apparent, a mysterious story.

Regards,

Leendert

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Have read of this some years ago. Who were the crew on the "return to Turkey" flight ?
In Scramble's "Turkish Military Aircraft" special edition , page 106
After 596's flight to Nicosia she was fitted out as a VIP Transport before her return to Turkey. Turkish serial number was "4003" and was withdrawn from use in 1946.
Alex