USAAF CCKW SCHOOL BUS

joel gopan · Post by **joel gopan** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 2:59 am

From 46-49, DOW AFB in Bangor hauled their 1st thru 6th graders to Fairmount School in the rear of a CCKW LWB Cargo Truck with Canvas Tarp on it. There was a set of steel steps constructed out of tubing and angle iron on the rear and the tail gate was modified so that thes steps were left permanently in place. The children rode in this in all seasons. It was about a 1 mile trip. The 14th Fighter Group was the primary unit at Dow at the time. They were the first USAAF/USAF unit to receive the new F-84B Thunder Jet. The CCKWs and Jeeps were frequent sites at the Coffee Shops just outside the Main Gate, which was across from our family business. The Ammo Dump was about a mile from the base, CCKW, Federal and Autocar COE Tractor traffic was steady, and the occasional GTB and Cletrac would also go by on the way to and from the Ammo dump. The Cletrac was fairly quiet being on rubber track.There was even a Cadillac staff Car. The Base Supply Warehouse was located on the way to the ammo dump. I still have a WWII Army Parker that Sgt Joe Strang, former Army Boxing Champ, and Supply Sgt, gave to my Uncle Joe in 1948, he gave all 3 of my uncles one, it had a pile Liner and I wore it as a Surveyor in cold weather. The Maine central RR Tracks to the base were 100 feet up the road from us. The Track is just about all removed now, I recovered a few '41 dated nails from the ties. Dow closed in 68, these tracks have a hidden story to tell, as they go right by the old Hanger #1. During WWII Dow was a jumping off point for Aircraft headed to the ETO, I have a book "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story" by Roger Freeman, it lists the complete production Data, units assigned, and disposal history of every WWII B-17, it records over a Thousand Tail Numbers that passed thru Dow from 42-45. Memphis Belle was one of them. Houlton and Presque Isle Army Air Fields, also in Maine, are also listed along with the history of each B-17 that passed thru them on the way to war. (Col Jimmy Stewart led 100 returning Bombers thru Dow in June 45, this was a bit of history that was left out of the recent Jimmy Stewart book.)
Joel

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 3:55 am

Hi Joel,

I can fill in the story at "the other end". many of those bombers with their crews which passed through Dow on their war to the ETO made their first landing at RAF Valley in Wales which is on the island of Anglesey(Anglesey is an old Norse name meaning "Isle of English"). from Valley they went on to one of the USAAF Air Depots in East Anglia to be assigned to a group. in June and July 1945 the flow was reversed as the heavy bombers of the Eighth passed through on their way home.

Matt.