Raven wrote:
Lynn Allen wrote:
Jack, the B-29 that was next to Last Resort, was the damage due to a bomb going off during loading? Plus it must have been full of fuel to burn like that and wrinkle the skin of The Last Resort.
Lynn
My guess would be that's blast effect wrinkling rather than heat, as there's no melting, the fabric is stripped from the rudder, but the light alloy frame's not melted/warped, and no soot or blackening or fire marking on the ground. However a bomb load going off would fit the visible signs.
Tragic, either way. Certainly several guys would've been killed instantly.
You guessed correctly Raven. The aircraft in the foreground was "Little Clambert",
42-24582. She was far enough from "LAST RESORT" to spare her from fire
damage, but not the concussion of the blast. A similar conclusion I made
regarding an RS.14 photo in Bastia harbor a while back. 9 men were killed,
21 wounded and "LAST RESORT" with only 9 missions under her belt, was
struck-off as well. Photos from a different angle as "Little Clambert" burns,
www.40thbombgroup.org/images/JohnA.Bailey/SBailey29.jpg
and..
www.40thbombgroup.org/images/JohnA.Bailey/SBailey28.jpg
The account of the Bomb Loading Accident, Jan. 14 1945...in pdf...
www.40thbombgroup.org/memories/Memories4.pdf
An interesting multiple contribution account of an earlier "LAST RESORT"
bombing mission to Omura and her...at one point..single-engine return
to emergency field Laohokow, China. At Laohokow, Major Roberts was
greeted by General Huston with a bottle of "Three Feathers" (whiskey?)
which they shared in a slit-trench, with the other officers in the crew, while
Japanese artillery attempted to finish off the B-29...An account worth reading...
www.40thbombgroup.org/memories/Memories15.pdf
Really a well done website with plenty of photos...Thanks for the Pics Jack!
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