OT - Need some help regarding Tinian

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OT - Need some help regarding Tinian - Aug 1945

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OT - Need some help regarding Tinian - Aug 1945 - 8/11/2012 2:44:32 AM

scout1

Posts: 1707
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From: South Bend, In
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Dating a wonderful woman who's grandfather was stationed in Tinian in Aug 1945. She has recently shared some of the photo's he took (apparently without permission) of a couple of B-29's .... One is the "Enola Gay" and the other is "The Great Artiste" .... Really cool seeing these old photos ...... So trying to help her backtrack some info on her grandfather. Looking to find out what units were stationed on Tinian during this time ....

Can anyone help ..... Thanks in advance ....

Post #: 1

RE: OT - Need some help regarding Tinian - Aug 1945 - 8/11/2012 6:10:21 AM

CaptDave

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From: Federal Way, WA
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Just some things I ran across while looking for something else, which turned out to have nothing relating to your question. Maybe some of the links in some of the articles will help you find more.

This chapter and the next talk about the invasion and capture of Tinian:

Campaign in the Marianas, Chapter 13

Mostly photos, but 504th Bomb Group:

US Army Air Corps 504th Bomb Group, Tinian

A tiny mention within an article about one unit:

1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, "Silver Lions"

Not directly what you're asking for, but an interesting article on Darrel S. Cole, a Marine bugler who spent a lot of time manning a machine gun at Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima (where he was killed). I think we all know about the ship named for him, which was attacked off Yemen a few years back.

Wikipedia: Darrel S. Cole

Some on Sgt. Cole's unit (which didn't stick around after the island was captured):

1st Battalion, 23 Marines

(in reply to scout1)

Post #: 2

RE: OT - Need some help regarding Tinian - Aug 1945 - 8/11/2012 12:07:08 PM

tocaff

Posts: 3971
Joined: 10/12/2006
From: USA now in Brasil
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My dad flew B-29s out of Tinian. Check out the 2 sites below.

http://www.b-29.org

http://www.9thbombgrouphistory.org

_____________________________

Todd

I never thought that doing an AAR would be so time consuming and difficult.
www.matrixgames.com/forum/tm.asp?m=2080768

(in reply to CaptDave)

Post #: 3

RE: OT - Need some help regarding Tinian - Aug 1945 - 8/11/2012 10:15:24 PM

jcjordan

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Joined: 6/27/2001
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Can you tell if they're pre or post mission photos of the planes? If pre, I'd say he'd have to have been either in the 509th in some capacity or closely associated w/ the guarding or maintainence of the unit since it was off limits/on it's own from what I've read of the unit. If post mission, they'd just be soveneir type photos of a soldier taking photos of the a/c that did the missions.

(in reply to tocaff)

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RE: OT - Need some help regarding Tinian - Aug 1945 - 8/12/2012 1:06:56 AM

sanch

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quote:

ORIGINAL: tocaff
My dad flew B-29s out of Tinian...

My father maintained B-29 instrument panels on Timian. I don't recall his squadron, but he was in the 20th BG, but not the same squadron as Enola Gay.

He was drafted in '42, prepped for a year for China, and deployed to Tinian shortly after it was taken (it was still not really secure - he took his rifle everywhere he went).

I still have his dog tags ...

Check out the museum in Tucson - a big section devoted to the 20th BG - group photos and all.

(in reply to tocaff)

Post #: 5

RE: OT - Need some help regarding Tinian - Aug 1945 - 8/12/2012 1:54:01 AM

scout1

Posts: 1707
Joined: 8/24/2004
From: South Bend, In
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quote:

ORIGINAL: jcjordan

Can you tell if they're pre or post mission photos of the planes? If pre, I'd say he'd have to have been either in the 509th in some capacity or closely associated w/ the guarding or maintainence of the unit since it was off limits/on it's own from what I've read of the unit. If post mission, they'd just be soveneir type photos of a soldier taking photos of the a/c that did the missions.

photo's appear to be both prior and after (according to my google effort). Tail art of 2 photo's were arrow in circle, which was the original artwork. Changed to "R" in circle just prior to mission. other photo's show Enola Gay nose art which was apparently added just prior to the first mission, so likely post mission.
Not sure when "The Great Artiste" was added for nose art. This was the instrumentation aircraft for both bomb drops. Photo shoes the "The Great Artiste' nose art ....

Not likely part of the "airbase' direct ....His letters put him in the 184th infantry at Okinawa till June 45 .... Presumably sinus related problems bounced him to Siapan then Tinian for TDY ........

(in reply to jcjordan)

Post #: 6