Hello all, first post so be gentle... I have a Piper L4H that I am rebuilding to flying condition and am trying to research its wartime history to make its restoration as authentic as possible. However I am stuck on a few issues and need some help!!! Its records show that it Piper L4H Cub s/n 11883 rolled off the production line at Lock Haven on the 13th May 1944, was assigned the USAAF serial 44-79587, and made its way to Norfolk VA. It departed Norfolk on the 8th June 1944 destined for BLOT. BLOT I understand to be the codename for French Morocco and when it reached there it was assigned to NAF. NAF I have no idea as to what that means - any ideas? I know that the 5th and 7th US Armies used L4Hs as Liason and Artillery spotters however, if anyone has particular info regarding their use in French Morocco and later through Sicily and Italy, I'd love to talk to you. I realise that 5th and 7th Army cubs were devoid of serials on their tails, instead using a two letter code on the fuselage side, however if anyone has any pictures of these cubs, please get in touch also. So in summary: US codeword NAF? 5th + 7th Army historians? Cub pictures? Piper L4H 44-79587 referance material Any info on any of the above would be most useful, plus if anyone out there has any cub parts they wish to dispose of, please get in touch. Rgds FB
It probably doesn't help much but isn't NAF "North Africa Force" ? The joint force formed in Northern Africa and from where the invasion of Sicily / Italy was launched.
If you are refering to the North West African Air Forces used in the Sicily Campaign, the AFHSO research department at the Pentagon have already told me that assignments to them stopped after the fall of Sicily in August 1943. My Cub would not have arrived for at least another year by which time the 7th US and British Armies were on the push up north from Rome and the 5th US Army had begun landings in southern France. It has been suggested elsewhere that NAF stands for Navel Air Facility and i know that the landings in Southern France were conducted from LST ships, the trials of which had taken place in Italy at the end of July 1944. I have photos, but doubt that mine is amongst them as to leave Norfolk VA on 8th June and get to Italy via French Morocco (assuming it had been re-assigned) by july 31st is pushing it a bit! Somehow - and as yet I've no idea how, this cub ended up unloved in the roof of a hangar in france from where it was rescued in 1980. Facts are facts - if it did indeed go to Morocco, and ended up in France - it must have had an eventful life. Someone must have some documents somewhere. FB
Hello all, first post so be gentle... Gentle? How can we be gentle when we are all seething with envy? :elkgrin: Good work, do keep us posted! How about some photos?
Ah interesting, I didn't think the transit could be that quick by sea I guess it must have gone to the NAF at Port Lyautey and then been assigned from there. The pictures I have were taken at Gaetta in Italy on 31st July 1944 so it may be possible that it was used for LST deck trials. I've got to go to work tonight for a few evenings so research might slow down for a while til i get into the flow of things again next week. As for some pictures I have a couple, will attach them when i work out how!. I've got a website too which is undergoing a bit of tweaking at the moment but keep an eye on it as the rebuild blossoms over the next year or two. My cub is an original L4 but from the photos you will see that I'm currently busy trying to convert back a recent attempted modification back to J3 standard (hence the yellow colour). I'm also trying to collect together some missing parts - if anyone out there happens to have some cub bits looking for a home, get in touch..... Plane Heritage
Off the subject--- Reading about the J3 brings back fond memories. I won a flight scholarship enabling me to get 35+hours during the summer of 1941. I remember that the plane didn't have brakes, also several times getting out and lifting the tail 180 degrees into the wind. The thrill of flying was never exceeded,up through the B17.
I believe the expert on L4H and their various designations could be Ken Wakefield, perhaps an email to Flypast mag office asking if they couldassist in forwarding it onmay be an idea?