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Post by emron on Jul 7, 2019 19:58:13 GMT 12
The photos are fantastic, but finding answers is proving elusive! 1. Tail insignia - A denotes 497th Bomb Group, 73rd Bomb Wing. Circle E denotes 504th BG, 313th BW. 2. Commanding Officer of 313 BW was Brigadier General John/James Hubert Davies DSC, who held that command Apr 1944 to Aug 1945 and had been based at Saipan since late 1944. 3. Photo 2 is that of 42-24623 (A 21) of 497 BG, taken probably in early Feb 1945. 4. Photos 1 & 4 are of the same aircraft, understood to be 42-63536 (Circle E 5). Photo 3 seems to be an earlier photo of the same aircraft. Problem is, according to various records, 42-63536 was lost over the Pacific while on a bombing mission to Japan, night of 25/26 May 1945. Clearly it could not have been in NZ in July 1945...so perhaps someone got their dates wrong? Further more, it had changed squadron (now 792 BS) and group (now 468 BG), and had been renamed Mammy Yokum. Further research required... Like you I’ve had no luck in finding the serial number for this B-29 with tail code Circle E 5. As well as the 11 members on Cornwell’s crew lost on 44-69970 over Yokohama was observer Col J.T. Connally. From the 504th Bomb Group Assn: “Col James T. (Jungle Jim) Connally; Father of the 504th BG of B-29s. created and commanded the group and was killed flying with them out of Tinian, over Japan in 1945. He flew B-17s with, and commanded the celebrated 19th BG in Indonesia after Pearl Harbor and the 9th BG in Florida doing R&D on bombers and bombing. He was a member of Gen. Lemay's staff at the time of his death.” So more than one reason for the nose art to be retained by Brigadier General Davies as a tribute to those recently lost. Jim Connally Jr can be contacted at the 504th Bomb Group Association and I’m sure could provide more answers and perhaps have details about the purpose and significance of Davies flight to NZ. |
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Post by angelsonefive on Jul 8, 2019 4:12:52 GMT 12
I notice the star emblem painted on the nose of the "Whenuapai B-29" (as I have come to think of it) and presume it denotes the Brig.General's personal aircraft, that of a one-star general.
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Post by McFly on Feb 25, 2021 11:00:54 GMT 12
Negative Number: PR6922 Caption: Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Thumper" at Royal New Zealand Air Force Station, Whenuapai. Further Information: Nose art 'Thumper' and 26 mission markings. WP G.3868 Year of Image: 1945 Image Date Information: 15 July 1945.  Photo Air Force Museum of New Zealand Another view of B-29 'Thumper' taken from the other side has just popped up on the Air Force Museum photo collection. It would suggest this B-29 sported two different sets of 'Thumper' artwork on each side?
"USAAF B-29 'Thumper' on the tarmac at Royal New Zealand Air Force Station Whenuapai - 15 July 1945.(WhG3871-45)" (Air Force Museum Collection) |
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Post by davidd on Feb 27, 2021 9:50:39 GMT 12
The wisdom of the day often stated that USAAF combat aircraft with "nose art", and most particularly in case of the B-29s, was that one side of the aircraft be reserved for the "real thing" (often naked or semi-naked females, but not always), while other side could be adorned with a modest or non-controversial piece of art. Idea was that the crews got what they wanted, whilst photographers (including official ones) could "choose" to photograph the chaste, or innocent version, which could then be used back in the USA without "shame". It still astonishes me that the deeply religious (or those of an astonishingly puritanical nature) in the US of A can still manage to censor out all naked nipples showing on TV; in their view the most dangerous, shocking and corrupting parts of the human anatomy, despite fact that during their own tender years they all gained majority of their nourishment from these vital pieces of natural apparatus. Fortunately "Thumper" has nothing to hide, although the bombs do seem to me to be rather dangerous items to be entrusted to a furry rabbit.
David D
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Post by denysjones on Feb 28, 2021 9:02:12 GMT 12
If you do a google on "B29 named Thumper" and look at the images it trawls up you'll see several of the well known a/c (the one Dave Homewood's photo shows) which belongs to the 497th BG and is 42-24623 but another appears that is called out as 504th BG and the stbd nose art matches the NZ visitor and the E in a circle on the tail of the a/c here in NZ confirms it to be from the 504th.
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