the historical find!

bangorguy · Aug 14, 2009

hi all. i think this is just about the most important find i have ever made, me and the wife went into the woods where we have found some collar disk's in the past. well i started detecting and got a broken signal so i brushed away the dirt as i could see what it was. we thought it was just an old license plate so i put it in my bag, and when we got home i cleaned it up and it read "langley field" "1161" and the date of 1941. well i did a bit of research and found that langley field is a historic air force base in Virginia. and found that the plate was from a B-18-A bomber that crashed here near Bangor, Me., Nov. 18 1941 so my wife called the local air national guard and they put her through to the commander of milatery police, and he told her that it was from a crashed plane in 1941 he also said he wanted us to bring the plate to the command post, and it will go to the commander of the wing museum. also said that the air national guard goes to the site of the crash every year to hold a memorial for the airmen that died. http://www3.gendisasters.com/maine/12909/bangor-me-near-bomber-crash-nov-1941

CRUSADER · Aug 14, 2009

Interesting & sad!

Mackaydon · Aug 14, 2009

Indeed you did make an historic find; congrats.
It was the first fatal crash of a military aircraft in Maine when this B-18 Bolo Bomber stationed at Bangor Army Airfield went down in nearby Springfield, Maine, killing all 4 crew. Between 1941 and 1971, there would be 14 additional fatal crashes of military aircraft based in Bangor, 3 within city limits and the rest in small towns or wilderness areas between the north woods and the coast.
Don.........
Source: Wikipedia

curbdiggercarl57 · Aug 14, 2009

May I be the first to say....Banner anybody?
Thought you meant a B-17, forgot about the B-18. Your find could actually make a person shed tears. Kudos, just make sure that when you donate it, it doesn't sit on some commander's deak, but is displayed the way it should be properly displayed.
Carl

Mackaydon · Aug 14, 2009

And wouldn't it be nice if the commander of the wing museum would be instumental in (perhaps) authorizing a plaque with this tag, narrative and picture of a B-18, then notify the airmens' heirs of the find and invite them to see it.

Detectingfreak · Aug 14, 2009

awesome find! Keep on hunting! :icon_thumleft:

spartacus53 · Aug 14, 2009

WTG another great find for you. You're on a roll this week; first the Lincoln bust, now this. :icon_thumleft:

detectahead · Aug 14, 2009

DANGLANGLEY · Aug 14, 2009

That is a great historical find. I really like that name on it too. :thumbsup:

DANG LANGLEY

allen · Aug 14, 2009

that is an awesome historical find !!!

midnightguy · Aug 15, 2009

Will add a great deal to the base museum... Good Job

Tank69 · Aug 15, 2009

very awsome treasure and find

BomberJohn · Aug 15, 2009

Congrats bangorguy on the historical find! Very cool.

Have you identified it as part of the B-18? It looks to be a license plate. I would guess it is a license plate off a recovery vehicle that came up from Langley immediately after the crash. I've worked on many modern AF aircraft and can't imagine that plate actually on the plane itself.

Let us know what you learn about it.

HH
John

Mackaydon · Aug 15, 2009

Awesome research Bomber John and SWR.
Amazing how continued research can sometimes quickly turn the direction of interest.

bangorguy · Aug 15, 2009

i think you are right i am going to see the commander today i wonder if they will still want the plate

hikeinmts · Aug 15, 2009

bangorguy said:
i think you are right i am going to see the commander today i wonder if they will still want the plate

I think that they will want the plate, and will be able to put a driver's name to it.
We do dig history, don't we? Great find. And please keep us posted on what the outcome of
your returning the plate is. :thumbsup: