Life on Tinian. . .

Cleaning the tail of "Look Homeward Angel"
prior to painting on the Circle R.

George Schmidt many,many years ago
on Tinian doing laundry!

 


Bill Santavicca (LG), Jerry Benesh (RG), and Ed Alderson (Radio)
39th Bomb Squadron

 

"Pop" Priester and Art Simpson doing more laundry!

Raymond Radomski and Bill Santavicca
celebrating VJ Day !!!!

 

42-24825-14 -24th Sqdr. 1-1845 Capt Clark Preston and crew were the first Aircraft of the Sixth Bomb Group to land on Tinian.

42-24901-34-3-11-45 Nagoya Mission - Capt. J D Ralph and crew 3905 landed on Iwo Jima and marked the first use of that Island as an emergency field by the Sixth. Picked up 600 gallons of gas to get back to Tinian.The field was closed in . . .had to divert to Guam. Back to Tinian. . . Total time of this mission 19:15.

42-63553 - 40th Sqdn. 3-1345 Was lost on takeoff. Lt Steel and his crew escaped from the burning plane with minor burns. All on aircraft survived. 40th Sqdn. 3-28-45 This same crew failed to return from a mining mission over Shimonoeseki Straits.All were listed as missing in action.

42-6351-37 39th Sqdn. Anne Garry 111... 5/25/1945 ... Roughest Mission ...A/C Capt Clay .. Lt. Harry George ... Co-Pilot and Crew 3902 ran into trouble over Tokyo ... Damaged by flak and fighters . . 3 Gunners wounded ... rudder controls knocked out ... No.s 2 & 3 engines were hit and had to be feathered ... Capt Clay and the Crew brought the ship back to Iwo ... The field was closed in. After three unsuccessful passes at the field Capt Clay bailed out his Crew over the Island ... Most seriously wounded Sgt Richard Neel was bailed out within one hundred yards of a Hospital.... Capt Clay, last to leave, bailed out over the water ... a Mine Sweeper picked him up. The Anne Garry 111 flew itself into the Pacific.

4 4-69736-29 39th Sqdn. On the night of July 15, 1945, Major John Layson was air Group Commander on a Rashin Mining Mission. He took off in Look Homeward Angel. After Mining he had problems. One engine began to backfire violently and another cut out. He headed for Okinawa - He was the first to land a B-29 on the Bolo Fighter Strip. LHA was repaired and flown back to Tinian. Capt. J D Ralph and crew flew LHA 7-22-45- Shimonoseki Mission and 7-26 45 - Tokoyama Mission.