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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Aircraft More Aircraft Initials N to S  Superfortress |
[UP] - Nakajima - Nate - Nick - P-11c - Pete - Petlyakov Pe-2 - Piaggio P.108 - Sally - Sea Otter - Seafire - Shiden-Kai - Skua - Skytrain - SM79 - SM81 - Stearman - Stirling - Sturmovik - Sunderland - Superfortress - Swordfish |
| Superfortress Aviation Prints |
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Threatening Skies by Richard Taylor. Richard Taylors painting recreates an encounter on 19th February 1945. As dawn breaks over the Pacific, a determined force of Japanese Ki-44s launch a surprise attack on a large formation of USAAF B-29 Superfortresses as they approach the Japanese mainland. B-29 gunners let rip as one fighter flashes past, with a second fighter closing at high speed. Chunks of the B-29s port wing and aileron have been taken out in the initial attack, and with another Japanese fighter fast on its tail, the outcome of this particular encounter hangs in the balance. A total of ten Superfortresses fell victim that day. |
Superfortress by Nicolas Trudgian. Part of a small print series of six American WW2 aircraft, signed by some of the great American pilots, some no longer with us. Cranston Fine Arts have purchased the last remaining stocks of this aviation series. |
Turning Point by David Pentland. 6th August 1945, Col. Paul Tibbets puts his aircraft, Enola Gay, into a violent turn to evade the blast of the atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This marked a turning point in the war and history. |
Pacific Dolls by Stan Stokes. The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was undoubtedly the best all-around strategic bomber of WW 11. Because of its fairly late deployment in the War, fewer (3,970) Superfortesses were built than any other U.S. strategic bomber. Because of its large payload, and incredible range, a decision was made to utilize the B-29 exclusively in the Pacific and production models began to arrive in India and China in the spring of 1944. By mid 1945 the B-29 was being operated from bases established in the Mariana Islands, and devastating bombing raids were being flown against Japan on a regular basis. The Texas Doll was a Saipan-based B29 of the 497th Bomb Group, which was under the command of Col. Edward Cutler in 1944 & 1945. In a soon to be published book entitled Flying the Red Carpet, Lt. Col. Don Julin, Cutlers navigator, chronicles in both words and photographs his experiences flying out of Saipan in 1945. The Texas Doll participated in the massive fire bombing raid on Tokyo on March 10, 1945. General Lemay insisted on an all-out low level attack and the Doll was stripped of armor plate and left two of its gunners at home for that mission. Follow-up raids on Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe followed within days, and it was clear from that point on that Imperial Japans days were numbered. These missions were not without risk. On his first mission with the Doll, Julin recounts how the bomb bay was hit with a 20mm round from a Japanese twin-engine fighter. The concussion from this shell distorted the shape of one of the Dolls fuel tanks, leading to some harrowing fuel shortages on future flights. On Julins first mission from Saipan his B-29 depressurized over Japan. One of the crew members flak jacket, oxygen mask, and shirt were stripped from him, and the pilot was forced to make a emergency dive to 10,000 feet. Returning to Saipan on another mission Cutler and his crewmates watched a B-29 ditch 100 miles short of making it back. In June of 1945 the Dolls crew witnessed two B-29s collide at only 1000 feet in altitude. On April 1, 1945 Cutlers crew watched in terror as the aircraft just ahead of them crashed into the Pacific and exploded upon takeoff. On March 25, 1945 Cutler and his crew flew their final mission with the Doll painted on the nose of their aircraft. It appears that a number of people back at the Pentagon were giving in to pressure, and all the voluptuous nose art which was so inspirational to the crews which risked their lives on each mission, was now deemed inappropriate. In his nostalgic painting entitled Pacific Dolls, award-winning aviation artist Stan Stokes depicts the Texas Doll at Salpan following a mission in March of 1945. This painting is dedicated to all the courageous crews which both flew and serviced all those Pacific Dolls during the War, and is a tribute to this great aircraft which explicitly helped America win the War in the Pacific. |
Iwo Jima - A Hard Won Haven by John D Shaw. Only 660 miles from Tokyo, the small volcanic island of Iwo Jima was recognized as early as 1943 as being a vital location to secure an airbase for allied aircraft, in order to achieve victory in the Pacific. Forseeing this goal, the Japanese began extensive fortifications early, preparing for the eventual onslaught. Within Iwo Jimas myriad tunnels, both underground and within the extinct volcano known as mt Suribachi, enemy forces were able to remain virtually unscathed during the 72 day heavy bombardment in late 1944, which preceded the American landings. In mid Ferbuary 1945, the invasion landing forces arrived, and so began one of the bloodiest and most bitter battles of World War II. Over the course of the next 36 days, the United States Marine Corps would experience many of its most horrific hours, but certainly their finest as well. Marine photographer Joe Rosenthals shot of Old Glory being hoisted aloft atop Suribachi came to be recognized as possibly the most famous photo in history. During the first week of March, the first B-29 to make an emergency landing at Iwo touched down. With its nose art bearing the name Dinah Might, this Superfortress and its crew were hastily repaired, aided and again took to the air within half an hour. Many others soon would follow. Shown here, a B-29 of 34th Bomb Group limps in to Iwos runway number one as emergency crews prepare for more incoming planes, some of which would inevitably have to ditch in the water offshore to avoid an explosive pileup. It is estimated that nearly 25,000 airmen lives would ultimately be spared as a result of being able to make emergency landings there. Nearly 7000 Marines died taking Iwo, with many thousands awarded, the largest number during any single campaign. Of the 23000 Japanese troops defending Iwo, only 1083 were taken prisoner. By the beginning of April, Iwo Jima was secure enough to base P-51 Mustangs to escort the B-29s to Japan, as allies prepared for the frightful prospect of a land invasion on Japans mainland, which historians speculate would likely have cost potentially millions more lives. At this time, more than 60 years after the battle, only a small remnant remains of those who participated first hand in this epic battle. Forever a sympbol of freedom, Iwo Jima remains truly sacred ground. |
New Frontiers - Enola Gay by Ivan Berryman. Assigned to the 393rd Bombardment Squadron, USAAF, Enola Gay was one of 15 Boeing B-29s with the 'Silverplate' modifications necessary to deliver the new atomic weapons. She is depicted here in company with The Great Artiste, one of the other two B-29s that took part in the first nuclear bombing mission against the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6th August 1945. The three ship mission consisted of Enola Gay (victor number 82), piloted by Colonel Paul W Tibbets, The Great Artiste (89), piloted by Major Charles W Sweeney and number 91, later named Necessary Evil, piloted by Captain George W Marquardt. Tibbets' aircraft was assigned for weapons delivery, whilst Sweeney's carried blast measurement instrumentation and Marquardt's was the camera ship. This mission and that against the city of Nagasaki a short time later changed the course of history forever and remain to this day the only time that nuclear bombs have been used in anger. |
By the Dawn's Early Light by Iain Wyllie. B-29 Bockscar, 9th August 1945. Bockscar was a B-29 Super Flying Fortress that dropped the fat man nuclear bomb over Nagasaki on 9th August 1945 it was the second nuclear bomb to be dropped on Japan. |
Mission to Yokohama, Japan, June 1944 by David Pentland. Boeing B29 Superfortresses of the USAAF 40th Bomb Group come under attack from a Kawasaki Ki64 Hein (Tony) of the Japanese Army Airforces 244th Sentai. |
Final Assault by Stan Stokes. The largest and most powerful bomber of WW II, the Boeing B-29 Super Fortress, played a major role in bringing about the defeat of Japan. In addition to accelerating Japans surrender following the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic bombs, thousands of B-29 crews flew tens of thousands of bombing missions against Japan from bases in China, India, and later in the War from recaptured islands in the Pacific. B-29s entered service in 1943 following a lengthy, problem-filled, development process of three years in response to the governments request for a long range strategic bomber. Only Boeing and Douglas (the B-32 Dominator) responded to the governments requests, and the B-32 had even greater development problems than the B-29. Powered by four giant Wright R-3350-23 radial engines generating a total horsepower of 8,924, the Super Fortresses typically carried crews of ten. They were capable of a top speed of 357-MPH, and at slower cruising speeds had a range of more than 3,200 miles. The B-29 was a large aircraft for its time with a wingspan in excess of 140 feet and a length of just under 100 feet. The Super Forts also had pressurized forward and aft hulls, which made the long distance missions a bit more comfortable for the flight crews. B-29s typically carried defensive armament which included ten machine guns and a single tail-mounted canon. Because of the pressurized hull, the guns were operated by remote control. The first operational B-29 wing was the 58th which flew out of the China-Burma-India theater. On March 9, 1945 General Curtis LeMay ordered an unusual low altitude attack on Tokyo by hundreds of B-29s carrying incendiary bombs. Five such low level missions were scheduled over a ten-day period, and the combined destruction of these missions exceeded that of either of the atomic bomb missions. B-29s were also effectively used to mine Japanese ports and shipping lanes. The Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu heavy fighter, which is depicted attacking the B-29 in Stan Stokes painting, entered production in 1941 following a lengthy four year development. About 1,700 of these aircraft, code named Nick by the allies, were produced. The Ki-45 never proved effective as a long range daylight interceptor. It was, however, used effectively in ground attack and night fighter roles. It was one of only a few Japanese aircraft that had some success against the onslaught of B-29s because it was able to attain the high altitudes necessary to intercept the high-flying Super Fortresses. This print is dedicated to the thousands of B-29 officers and crewmen who hastened the end of the Pacific War. |
Valor in the Pacific by Robert Taylor. Depicted are B-29s of the 499th Bomb Group, 73rd Wing of the 20th Air Force. After a daylight raid on Tokyo, showing all the telltale signs of combat over the target, a Wing of the worlds largest and fastest-ever piston-engined bombers make their long over-water journey home, still many hours away at Saipan Island. At the extremity of their range, little friends, very-long-range P-51 Mustang escort fighters, peel off and head for home - leaving the mighty bombers to fend for themselves. |
| Superfortress Pilot and aircrew signature details |
Bill Anderson Our estimated value of this signature : £20 | Bill Anderson Crew, B-29 Superfortress The Texas Doll |
Charles N Baisden Our estimated value of this signature : £35 | Charles N Baisden Chuck Baisden was born in 1920 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1939, and by late 1940 he found himself working with aircraft such as the P-36, P-40, YP-37 and Bell Airacuda. When he joined the AVG in 1941, he had his reasons.... 'I went from making $72 a month in the Army to $350 a month with the Flying Tigers. That was a lot of money in those days.' The new job also provided him an opportunity to travel and work in his field as an ordnance expert and he was assigned to the Hells Angles squadron, to put his talents to good use. One of the youngest to join the AVG, he remembers 'I had just turned twenty-one in March before leaving for China in May of 1941.. just bought my first beer.' After the AVG, Chuck re-enlisted. He entered pilot training school and it was back to China, now part of the famed 1st Air Commando Group. He eventually flew 58 missions as Engineer / Turret gunner of a B-25 squadron, one of whose pilots was R T Smith, a close friend from his AVG days. After WWII, he flew as a B-29 gunner in the Korean War. By 1960 he had completed some 815 refuelling missions, and in 1964 he retired from the Air Force. |
Jack Bisany Our estimated value of this signature : £30 | Jack Bisany Crew, B-29 Superfortress The Texas Doll |
Ed Cutler Our estimated value of this signature : £35 Died : 2007 | Ed Cutler Pilot, B-29 Superfortress The Texas Doll. Passed away 11th July 2007. |
Stan Erickson Our estimated value of this signature : £25 | Stan Erickson Crew, B-29 Superfortress The Texas Doll |
Red Erwin Our estimated value of this signature : £30 | Red Erwin Red Erwin received the only Medal of Honor awarded to a B-29 crewman. On his 17th mission a phosphorous bomb exploded in the aircraft. He picked it up and tossed it out, saving the aircraft and crew. He has since had 43 plastic surgery operations. |
 Lt Col Marion H Havelaar Our estimated value of this signature : £35 | Lt Col Marion H Havelaar Marion Havelaar joined the service on 24 August, 1942. After training he was posted to England joining the 401 st Squadron, 91st Bomb Group - The Ragged Irregulars - based at Bassingbourne. Flying the B-17G, he made his first combat mission on 2 June, 1944, but lost his original crew to Me 410s on a mission to Berlin, 21 June, 1944. Marion flew the rest of his tour as a replacement crew member and on 20 July, 1944 he was flying as deputy lead bombardier in the B-17 The Peacemaker. Badly shot-up with one crewman wounded, they made it safely back, four others from the 401st did not. Marion later flew 29 missions in B-29s in Korea, and served in Vietnam. He retired from the USAF in 1971. |
 Harry D Hink USAAF Our estimated value of this signature : £25 | Harry D Hink USAAF Harry Hinks 28 year military career began during the height of World War Two. After completing training, in 1943 he flew his first of 28 combat missions in heavy bombers against Japan, attached to the 39th Bomb Group. He vividly recalls Iwo Jima, not only as a navigational checkpoint to and from bombing missions over the Japanese islands, but also found it to be a safe haven personally on three separate occasions, when he and his crew made emergency landings in their B29. In April 1945, he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant on Guam, and would later fly missions in both the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. He retired from the U S Air Force in 1970 as a Lieutenant Colonel, with decorations including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Seven Clusters, Distinguished Unit Citation and many others. After the military, he worked with the FAA for 17 years, holding various positions in Airport Safety. Harry resides today in the Washington DC area. |
Brigadier General Henry Huglin Our estimated value of this signature : £55 Died : 2005 | Brigadier General Henry Huglin Henry Huglin was Born in Iowa, in 1915. After being director of B-24 training, in 1944 Henry Huglin became deputy group commander of the 9th Bombardment Group at McCook, Nebraska, which in that year was organized and trained as a B-29 Group. In February 1945 he accompanied the group in its overseas deployment to Tinian in the Marianas Islands where it became part of the 20th Air Force conducting the strategic air campaign against Japan. In March 1945 he became group commander and remained as the group commander through the end of World War II six months later. During this period, he led his Group on 17 of their 75 bombing and mining missions (comprising more than 2,000 sorties of 3,000 miles each) in the war against Japan, including participating in the first low-level fire raid on Tokyo March 5, 1945. Promoted to Colonel in June 1945, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with oak leaf cluster and the Bronze Star. After the end of World War II, Colonel Huglin served as chief of the Operations Branch in the U.S. Strategic Air Force Headquarters on Guam, a month with Headquarters, Far East Air Forces in the Philippines, a year as chief of staff of the 308th Bomb Wing in Korea, and seven months as commanding officer of Nagoya Air Base, Japan. In January of 1948, Colonel Huglin reported to Air Force Headquarters in the Pentagon where he served until October of that year as chief of the Personnel Statistics Division, Office of the Comptroller, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. On the 10th of June 1959, Colonel Huglin was promoted to Brigadier Generaland became deputy U.S. representative to the NATO Military Committee and Standing Group, Nov. 1, 1959. Sadly Brigadier General Huglin died on the 10th of December 2005. A Clipped Signature is Available |
Don Julin Our estimated value of this signature : £30 | Don Julin Navigator, B-29 Superfortress The Texas Doll |
Col Edwin A Loberg Our estimated value of this signature : £35 Died : 2004 | Col Edwin A Loberg Edwin A. 'Ed' Loberg was born in Tigerton, Wisconsin on February 20,1915. Like many children in Wisconsin, Ed grew up on a dairy farm. After graduating from High School Ed attended Central State Teacher's College at Stevens Point, Wisconsin. He joined the Army prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps in the Spring of 1941. Loberg graduated with the Class 41-D from Kelly Field near San Antonio, Texas. He was assigned to the 26th Bomb Squadron of the 11th Bomb Group. Based at Hickharn Field during the Pear Harbor attack, Ed is a member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association. During the War Ed flew approximately 90 combat missions with the B-17 Flying Fortress. His bases ranged from Hawaii to Guadacanal and New Guinea. Ed had many memorable missions, and as he recalls, four of the Fortresses he returned in never flew again, having sufficient battle damage to warrant their use as spare parts. On one mission which involved bombing a Japanese task force, a 5 inch shell from one of the ships ripped through the tail and stabilizer of Ed's B-17. Fortunately, the shell didn't detonate, but it did rip away a good portion of Ed's aircraft. After dropping several thousand feet in altitude, Ed regained control of the aircraft. By using the trim tabs he was able to get the ship back to his airfield. One of Ed's most interesting missions was the one depicted in Stan Stokes' painting when he had a frantic forty-five minute dog fight with a four-engine Mavis Flying Boat. That mission became well known because a war correspondent was onboard at the time. Loberg returned to the States in 1943. He was assigned to one of the first B-29 units, the 769th Bomb Squadron of the 462nd Bomb Group, as Squadron Commander. A combat tour followed to China and India where Ed would pilot the B-29 Super Fortress for another 40 missions in 1944. Ed piloted the lead pathfinder aircraft on the first B~29 attack on Japan. Following the War, Ed remained in the new USAF and served in various staff and command positions, the last being that of Executive Officer of Headquarters Command at Bolling Air Force Base. He retired with the rank of Colonel. Ed then pursued a civilian career with Martin Marietta where he was involved with both the Apollo and Skylab programs. Ed lost his wife, June, following forty-two years of marriage. Two of their three sons are alive, and Ed enjoys his visits with his grandchildren. His oldest son, Bruce, has a private pilots license. Ed, who still retains a commercial pilots rating, flys regularly with his son, and continues to enjoy the thrills of piloting an aircraft. When asked about the B-17, Ed reflected, 'They were great airplanes - really tough!' Sadly, Edwin Loberg died on 28th February 2004. |
Lieutenant Chester Marshall Our estimated value of this signature : £40 | Lieutenant Chester Marshall Acknowledged as one of the great exponents of the B-29, Chester flew 30 missions against Japan, including the first raid on Tokyo, November 1944, and the first low-level raid on March 9th 1945. |
  First Lieutenant Ed McKay Our estimated value of this signature : £45 Died : 2009 | First Lieutenant Ed McKay Ed joined the US Marine Corps in 1937, but transferred to the Air Force in November 1941. Posted to the 350th Squadron of the 100th BG, Ed flew his first combat mission in January 1944 in the B-17, and on March 3 took part in the recalled raid to Berlin. Flymg his regular plane Alice from Dallas II, his gunners claimed three fighters en-route. On March 6, they again went to Berlin, this time successfully Ed served in both the European and Mediterranean theaters, and flew the B-29 at the end of the war. Ed McKay passed away on 17th July 2009. |
Master Sergeant Dale Moon Our estimated value of this signature : £40 | Master Sergeant Dale Moon Flying B17s with the 381st Bomb Group, Dale Moon was based at Ridgewell with the 533rd Bomb Squadron. Dale undertook his first combat mission in April 1944 during the build up to D-Day, and went on 4 big raids to Berlin during his tour - surviving two crash landings following heavy action. After the war Dale saw service in Korea, and flew the B29 and B36 Peacemaker - the largest American bomber ever produced. A Clipped Signature is Available |
Colonel Bob Morgan Our estimated value of this signature : £75 Died : 2004 | Colonel Bob Morgan The 24 year old Captain and pilot Bob Morgan skippered the Memphis Belle on every one of her 25 combat missions over the skies of occupied Europe and Nazi Germany. His renowned skill as a B-17 pilot, his courage under fire, and his leadership welded his crew into one of the best fighting units in the 8th Air Force. Bob Morgan later commanded a squadron of B-29s in the Pacific and led the first B-29 raid on Tokyo. He completed a total of 26 missions against Japan, and became the most celebrated American bomber pilot of WWII. On 21 April 2004, Morgan broke his neck when he fell at the Asheville Regional Airport. He was admitted to a hospital in Asheville, where he remained in critical condition for several weeks. On 10 May, Morgan came down with pneumonia, and that combined with a massive infection brought him face-to-face with one final combat that he lost. Robert Morgan died on Friday, 15 May 2004. He was 85. He was buried on 22 May with full military honours including an Air Force flyover at the NC State Veterans Cemetery. |
  Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel MOH Our estimated value of this signature : £60 Died : 2006 | Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel MOH Enlisting in the Army Air Corps in 1941, Michael Novosel saw combat in the Pacific flying B29s out of Tinian against Japan, and was called up to active service again during the Korean War, eventually reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Again requesting active duty during the Vietnam War, he was informed that the Air Force was over strength in senior officers, so he promptly accepted an appointment as a Warrant Officer Aviator with the US Army. Flying two tours on Hueys in Vietnam as a 'Dustoff Pilot', he was assigned first to the 283rd Medical Detachment, and for his second tour the 82nd where, on 2nd October 1969 in Kien Tuong Province, he saved the lives of 29 wounded soldiers in 15 extremely hazardous extractions under withering enemy fire. For this he was awarded the Medal of Honour. During his tours in Vietnam, he evacuated a total of 5589 wounded soldiers. When he retired in 1985 after 42 years service and 2038 hours combat flight time, he was the last active duty military aviator on flight status who had flown combat during World War II. Sadly, Michael Novosel died 2nd April 2006. A Clipped Signature is Available |
Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Nutter Our estimated value of this signature : £30 | Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Nutter Ralph Nutter was a student at Harvard Law School when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and enlisted in the Army Air corps the following day. Training as a navigator, he was posted to the 8th Air Force in Europe, joining the 366th Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group and flying his first mission in November 1942. He flew with Major General Curtis Lemay on the first bombing mission to Germany, and Lemay made him Group Navigator. After completing his tour in Europe he transferred out to the Pacific and was picked by Major General Haywood Possum Hansell as his lead navigator on B29 Superfortresses. He took part in some of the largest and most significant B29 raids on Japan, completing a total of 30 missions. |
Colonel James Pattillo Our estimated value of this signature : £25 | Colonel James Pattillo Pilot James Patillo flew as an instructor after joinin up in October 1940, and it was four years later in October 1944 that he was posted out to the China/Burma/India Theatre flying B29 Superfortresses. He fleew B29s on 26 combat missions in Burma, China and Japan; and commanded the 24th July 1945 mission to Takaruza, as well as taking part in the big daylight raid against the Yawata Imperial Iron and Steel Mill. |
M/Sig R D Pearson Our estimated value of this signature : £15 | M/Sig R D Pearson Joined the RAF in 1943 to begin training as an Air Gunner. After the usual short attachments at various training stations eventually ending up at No 2 AGS Dalcross. Air firing was carried out from an Avro Anson. There was always a mad rush to be first aboard the aircraft on every detail, not from enthusiasm, but from trying to avoid winding up the undercarriage after take off. M/Sig Pearson went from Dalcross to Kinloss to join a crew flying Whitleys and several months later ended up at 158 Sqdn Lissett to commence operations on Halifaxes. After half a tour and very happy at Lissett his crew were posted onto a PFF Sqdn, 635 Sqdn Downham Market. His first operation, and very nearly his last, was a daylight raid on Hamburg. On the bombing run, they had the misfortune to be selected by the pilot of a ME262 as his victim. He was not spotted until he was dead astern and blazing away with the four 30mm cannon in the nose. Evasive action was given and the pilot promptly stood the Lanc on its nose. Unfortunately not all the cannon shells missed and they lost quite a piece of fuselage leaving ammo belts hanging out in the slipstream. After regaining level flight, they were attacked again by another ME262, but this time they were lucky. Both ME pilots decided to push off and find some other sitting duck! Despite these attacks, they carried on and bombed, making their way home across the North Sea, not a pleasant journey. The pilot received an immediate award of the DFC. M/Sig Pearson finished the war out at Downham Market and after the war in Europe ended was posted to 83 Sqdn Conningsby for Tiger Force training and operations against the Japanese. Fortunately the war in the east ceased just as they were ready to depart. He was demobbed in May 1947, but was not happy out of uniform so was back in again at the end of 1949 as an A/G flying on Lincolns at 9 Sqdn. Binbrook. He had a short detachment with 617 Sqdn at Shallufa, Egypt and at the end of 1952 was posted onto B29 aircraft with 15 Sqdn. Coningsby. After six months he was posted to Little Rissington on a Link Trainer course and then to FTS Syerston as a Link instructor to Naval cadet pilots. In 1955, he was required to either remuster to a ground trade or take another aircrew trade. He was posted to Swanton Morley to take training as an Air Signaller and from then to St Mawgan 228 Sqdn on Shackletons. Next came a posting to Northolt in a drawing office drawing En-Route charts and Terminal Approach Procedures. Back to flying in 1961 and a posting to 224 Sqdn Gibraltar and then to Air Traffic Control School at Shawbury. On completion of this course came a posting to RAF Lyneham as Local Controller and thence to RAF Colerne as Approach Controller. He left the service in 1968. |
Johnny Quinlan Our estimated value of this signature : £45 Died : 2001 | Johnny Quinlan John P. Quinlan was the only officially wounded crew member of the 'MEMPHIS BELLE'. After the PR tour, he tried unsuccessfully to fly again with Robert Morgan in the Pacific Theatre. Quinlan was eventually assigned to the CBI Theatre and downed 3 Zeros, to become a 'gunner Ace' before his B-29 was shot down. He had already shot down 2 German fighters from the 'BELLE'. Quinlan eventually retired to Stephentown, New York. He passed away in 2001. |
Captain Ben Robertson Our estimated value of this signature : £35 | Captain Ben Robertson Ben Robertson enlisted following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, qualifying as a pilot. He was posted as an instructor on bombers until early 1945 when he transferred to combat flying in the Western Pacific. Joining the 43rd Bomb Squadron, 29th Bomb Group, he flew B29s from Guam on 35 combat missions, several of which were as lead crew. He flew on five raids to Tokyo, as well as to Kobe, Osaka and Nagoya. |
  Col. Paul Tibbets Our estimated value of this signature : £120 Died : 2007 | Col. Paul Tibbets The pilot of the Enola Gay was born in Quicy, Illinois. Ironically, his love of flying began when, at the age of 12, he dropped Baby Ruth candy bars from a plane as a Curtiss Candy Company advertising gimmick. He was graduated from the Western Military Academy in Alton, Illinois, with an interest in becoming a medical doctor. Although he studied at the universities of Florida and Cincinnati with that in mind, he became a flying cadet in the US Army Air Corps in 1936. Tibbets was commissioned as a second lieutenant and rated pilot in 1938. He was promoted to first lieutenant in April 1941 and, during wartime, quickly became a captain and squadron commander, then a major, then a lieutenant colonel. After many combat missions in Europe and Africa, and two special missions, he was assigned to recruit and train personnel to deliver atomic weapons. Tibbets himself flew the first mission that, in his words - convinced the Japanese of the futility of continuing the fight. After the war he studied at the Air Command and Staff College. He was assigned to Operations HQUSAF after graduation in 1947 and later attended the Air War College. Tibbets retired from the Air Force after almost 30 years of active service and lived in Ohio. He received the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart, Air Medal with 13 oak leaf clusters, and four Air Force Commendation Medals. Paul Tibbets died 1st November 2007. |
Morgan H Vaux Our estimated value of this signature : £40 Died : 2010 | Morgan H Vaux Morgan Vaux was born in 1918 in Waterstown, South Dakota. After entering the Army Air Corps in 1939, he spent the first phase of his military career at Selfridge Field, Michigan, where he began training in all things related to radios, an area in which he would apply his expertise throughout his life. After joining the AVG in 1941, Morgan was assigned to the Adam & Eves installing radios into P-40s, and soon found himself serving as part of the AVG s early-warning net from a pagoda-based station in remote south China, With the help of a Chinese interpreter, he would transmit updates to the main base at Kunming, knowing that within roughly 100 miles from his location, a Japanese air base was operating around the clock. On one occasion, Morgan was strafed by enemy fighters while ferrying a drum of gasoline along the Burma Road, but managed to escape disaster. There were other hazards there, however. Morgan recalled, 'One night I was awakened, being bitten by rats! I got infected, and when the AVG was disbanded, I was offered the rank of a 1st lieutenant. I was still sick then, and went home instead. The army wouldnt provide transportation, so I was able to bum a ride aboard a CNAC transport to India.' After the AVG, Morgan joined the Marines and was soon sent back into action in the Solomon Islands, attached to VMB-413, the first Marine B-25 unit, doing night-bombing at Rabaul. After the war, Morgan finished college and entered a career involving the production of radios, working 27 years with GM/Delco until his retirement in 1980. He died on 3rd August 2010. |
Robert Weiler USAAF Our estimated value of this signature : £10 | Robert Weiler USAAF Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Bob Weiler enlisted in the Army, seving in field artillery and the newly formed Tank Destroyer Forces. In September 1943 he began flight training in the Army Air Corps as an aerial gunner, first on B-17s, and eventually as an electrical specialist gunner aboard the new B-29 Superfortresses. Stationed on Guam, he flew many 3000 mile combat missions of 18 hours per flight against the Japanese home islands. On his 14th mission, to Osaka, his plane was badly shot up. His crew bailed out, narrowly escaping the complete destruction of their plane, which exploded just before hitting the water. Bob and his surviving crew were picked up by submarine. Over the course of his 19 combat missions, Bobs crew made emergency landings on Iwo Jima on a number of occasions, due either to battle damage or engine problems. He was honorably discharged as a Sergeant in December 1945. Bob is retired, living in the Sarasote, Florida area. His decorations include two Air Medals, Purple Heart, Pacific Theater Medal with Air Offensive Japan Star, and other WWII service medals. |
| Superfortress Squadron details |
307th Bomb Wing Country : US | 307th Bomb Wing |
39th Bomb Group Country : US | 39th Bomb Group |
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