42-3030 confusion ?

[Stig Jarlevik]

Alex

The USAAF cards can be quite tricky to read.
My interpretation of the card is this

Built under order number W535-ac-20291
received by USAAF at manufacturer's plant 23.12.1942
flown into Douglas Long Beach Modification Plant 23.12.1942
flown to Cheyenne, WY 18.1.1943
flown to Salina, KS 2.2.1943
flown to Memphis TN 19.2.1943
flown to Nashville, TN 21.2.1943 (It seems the transfer from Cheyenne to Nashville was handled by Mobile Air Depot Ferry Group)
assigned to 12th AF (MTO) 25.2.1943 with an expected delivery to point of receipt in North Africa 4.4.1943

After that the card (including the scribe) gets really confusing
line 1: GLEN 3 443 (possible meaning departed USA 4.3.1943 to North Africa)
line 2: GLEN 41743 41743 (possible meaning arrived North Africa 17.4.1943 and the data entered by the scribe the same day)
line 3: CON AFMSC GLEN 30304 844 (possible meaning Condemned 3.3 and the data entered 8.4.1944)
line 4: CON INVM GLEN 3030 7844 (possible meaning Condemned again - for different reasons 3.3 and data entered 8.7.1944)
under all this is written by hand 4.9.1944

It is very, very clear the scribe has NOT entered this data correctly, ie according to the rules stipulated

GLEN: Codeword for 12th AF
AFMSC: usually used when no details of what has happened causing aircraft to be condemned has reached the scribe
INVM: No idea

Cheers
Stig