Surviving Artifacts
from
Kingman Army Air Field:
& Sales-Storage Depot No. 41
Planes:
- THE SUPPLY HANGAR -
(currently under construction)
Three of Depot 41's five Chevrolet trucks
covered in snow; Cab-chassis on the far left was
formerly a Gunnery Trainer...
TRUCK, TURRET TRAINER
1-1/2 TON, 4 x 4, E-5
WWII roles for the 1-1/2 ton Chevrolet Army
truck included that of Cargo Hauler (similar in appearance to the deuce-and-a-half GMC, but
with a single rear axle and less-beefy drivetrain), Dumper, Fire Equipment, Bomb Service, Field
Lighting Platform, Telephone Construction/Pole
Setter and the E-5 Turret Trainer.
The latter was first delivered from the factory
simply as 'cab-chassis' to Herman Body Co.,
who in turn fabricated iron framework
to accomodate any of the
U.S. Army Air Force's
fully-operational
aircraft gun turrets:
Students at the various AAF's gunnery schools
who showed proficiency in the classroom
earned the right to squeeze into these
earthbound, lead-spewing machines, where
each student then learned the fine art of
syncronizing the turret's movement with the
electronic Gunsight, hopefully resulting in a
target riddled with his .50 caliber bullets.
Tips pre-dipped in slow-drying
printer's ink 
would leave traces
of the gunner's assigned color as it
penetrated the cloth banner.
Passing this phase, the student's excitement
was just beginning, for it was now into
air training and one step closer to combat...
The PROJECT
Early in the 80's, clearly realizing that a
flying platform (read B-17 or B-24) to wrap
around the newly-acquired
Sperry Ball Turret 
was way out
of financial reach, something a little more
down-to-earth would have to materialize...
Hey, how about a Gunnery Trainer, just like
they once used at Kingman?! It would
combine both air & ground in an
honest-to-goodness, authentic recreation...
Years rolled by restoring the Ball, gathering
the many related parts in order make it
function, plus finding, purchasing — and this
was the heavy part of the project — hauling
home, not one, but FIVE of the correct
WWII 1-1/2 Ton Chevys so at least a single
E-5 Training Truck could be built.
Also, searching through Kingman junkyards in
the 80's yielded many valuable original parts
stripped from E-5 Trainers, such as this
group of Jack Stands
and several steel traversing Rings for the
various types of USAAF Turrets:
(What appears to be
a running board at
the lower right is
actually the
Instructor's Platform
that was mounted
over the truck's cab.)
Several boxes which once housed electronic
controls for operating the turrets, along with
many other small items unique to
the Chevy E-5 were also found.
Only one of the fascinating Depot 41 Projects,
the Lower Ball is currently waiting patiently in
the Depot 41 Museum Room. However, this
is what it looked like back in 1985,
flanked by two close friends,
B-17 Ball Turret Gunners
Dick Bowman
(96th BG)
& John Hurd
(401st BG)
You may have seen them on various
television specials, relating their fascinating
War experiences. Dick passed away several
years ago, but he did have a very interesting connection with the Kingman story:
On several missions he served as Ball Turret
Gunner in the 96th Bomb Group's famous
5 GRAND, Boeing's five thousandth B-17 to
roll off their Seattle assembly line.
This bomber completed over 70 missions and
ended her days at Kingman.
The Depot 41 Museum Collection includes
the Load Adjuster removed from
5 GRAND, B-17G #43-37716
(object seen in Dick's hand above)
_______________
John's harrowing ordeal
of having to bail out of
his B-17 BATTLIN' BETTY
as it was shot down on
his 11th mission over Germany,
John L. Hurd
Stateside and shortly
after being captured
then spending nearly a year as a POW and
his eventual repatriation is a story in its own
right and he remains a close family friend.
My wife & I have recently been honored in
escorting him to several of his
American Ex-Prisoners of War meetings.
There will be more on John...
_______________
Ball Turret &
another Celebrity
Also taken in the mid-80's, here the Ball Turret is none other than the 91st Bomb Group's prolific artist
Tony Starcer
...shaking hands with yours truly
Perhaps best known for painting nose art on
the B-17F Memphis Belle,
Tony was one of the kindest, most
unassuming persons I've had the pleasure of
knowing. During the War, scores of 91st Bomb
Group Flying Fortresses were adorned with his
art and he kept his familiar brushes busy even
into retirement, honoring requests from all over....
1985
Tony displaying the
Kingman Base logo he had just applied to my
A-2 leather jacket:
Part of the Depot 41 Museum Collection, the
last paintings he ever did are these recreations
of his Wartime nose art on four 26" diameter
B-17/B-24 aluminum hubcaps:
Sadly, we lost our friend in June of 1986
There will be more on Tony... JCS
____________________
Do you know where HERMAN BODY CO.
was located or have
photos, information
or something else
that might help put
the Turret Truck
back into its original configuration?
Please contact:
photo credits, this page:
William T. Larkins,
John L. Hurd,
Don & Margaret Strait,
Depot 41 Photo Archive