COLLAPSIBLE SUSIE (PIC 3)

NAME	TP	-	M#	SER	-	BLK	-	MF	SERIAL #	AF	BG	BS	SC	RCL/#	V#-P	PHOTO CREDITS
COLLAPSIBLE SUSIE	B	-	24	H	-	20	-	FO	42-94879	15	449	719	~	3	00-3	ELMER HOVAR

Port (Left) Side

Contributor - Virgil L. Hovar
My Father, Elmer Hovar (AF17 071 204 Technical Sergeant), was a mechanic at the Grottaglie Air Base in Italy with the 449th BG / 719th BS from Dec 43 through May 45.

Info Contributor - Tom Brittan
Assignments were 34th BG, 18th BS with RCL D, then 7th BS with RCL X and returned to 18th BS with RCL M. It was transferred to the MTO on 5 Dec 44 where it was assigned to 449th BG, 719th BS as # 3. While taxiing across the field at Grottaglie, the left main landing gear fell through the top of an abandoned latrine. The left main landing gear, wing and propellers were damaged. The aircraft was salvaged on 9 Feb 45.