Willow Run Gate Guardian - "Old 139"

Here's a question for Steven Puhl.  :-)
 
A while back I was  reading a 1956 book "The Story of Willow Run"  (By Marion F. Wilson, Published by the University of Michigan Press in Ann Arbor, MI). This book mentioned and showed a few pictures of a B-24 simply named "Old 139" being manoeuvered into position somewhere outside the FO WR plant immediately post-war.  I think the book said the plane was obtained by the Edsel Ford post of the American Legion in 1946.  Sadly time and neglect did for the bird, like so many others.
 
My question.  All the photos published in the book are nose-on so it's impossible to ascertain what (if any) marking were being carried.  What machine was it?
 
Memorial B-24s are my 'thing' (to coin a phrase) and I'm having one of those "inquiring minds" moments.
 
Any further information, Steven?
 
Robert Smith
42-50535 "Joplin Jalopy" Blogger
 
 

Steven, Thanks very much. You know how it is when you get curious about something. :-)

I'm sure I scanned a couple of pictures from the book for reference purposes but I'm darned if I can find them now.  If you haven't seen those pictures drop me a PM or something. I seem to remember reading it was "parked" on the site of an old orchard under an Apple tree (?!) near the Legion post.

best wishes

Robert

pieces/parts in somebody's pole barn.

Robert,  Good morning!  I've found in my "box-of-stuff" the old, grainy xeroxed pics which I have scanned, but they are horrible, and it wasn't wortth the time to try and "clean-em-up."  However,  in the process I found their origin, and will be heading to one of the the three local university/public libraries to pull up the details and get more info on the A/C's.  Now that I have a lead, I can go after the info. Looking at the pic, I can narrow down the variant, but as far a the location, no dice yet!  One step at a time, and then, who knows, someone else may  jump on with further info.

Seabee1526

I find it remarkable that there have been no leads on this.  How can it just disappear?

Robert,  Today I talked with Warren Benjamin Kidder, author of Willow Run: Colossus of American Industry, about several issues, one of which was #139.  So here is some updated info.  Do not have an ID on the exact A/C, "but it did sit for a time near an apple orchard and "in front of a school on Michigan Avenue.  It didn't last long though as it was sold for scrap."  He couldn't recall exactly when. 

Seabee1526

Bloody shame....

That it is!!!  What is more intriguing is that in "snooping around," one finds that no one knows anything.  It is hard to envision that something so large in the post WW II era just disappears.  I've located the approximate spot, but no way can imagine the bird sitting there.  Again this is speaking from a vantage point of more than 60 years.

I found another picture on two sites,  unfortunately not much help.
http://aagallery.aadl.org/gallery/ypsigleanings/Digital+History7.jpg.html
 
This second site is the Ypsilanti Historical Society.  You can download several sizes.  I wonder if they have more photos that are not on-line.   
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/y/yhsic1/x-106/*

Here’s a little more info on the disposition and where scrapped:
 
Michael Luther   Post subject: Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 3:51 am 
Location: Belleville, Michigan  B-24 #139 was scraped by a scrap Co. gust across the street from where the bomber was on display. about 10 years ago the scrappers surplus store was still open, with the owner still alive/running it.
The owner was very informative, and my dad and myself were able to find a lot of the B-24 parts still, along with other aircraft the man had scrapped.
He had his Gov bid papers still, that showed he won the bid/scrapped-
many CG-4s, B-36s and others. He still had 2 L-5s and all the B-24 turrets, that were just bought before we got there.
_________________
Michael Luther
Yankee Air Museum's
Air Show Director
THUNDER OVER MICHIGAN
Source: http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=45745
 
Scott

Hi Steve
I think that Old 139 the number 139 is not the last three of the serial number like it is in 99% of the cases with Z.I. trainers, but rather the field number for the tech school at Chanute like these B-24Ns 144 & 145:


And 141 that was air lifted out of an Tucson(?) tech school in the 1980s and which I can’t find the serial number either:  

It looks to me that the numbers are the same size and location as 139.
 
Ford at Willow Run just used the last two of the serial number always with the same size and location like the one in your signature photo making them easy to I.D.  
Looks like to me the number 139 is a cold lead.
All the best to you,
Tom

Steven,
Is this the Al Blue Ferrying aircraft thread you’re looking for?
http://forum.armyairforces.com/tm.aspx?m=190321&high=Al+Blue+Ferrying+aircraft
Scott