Cowboy Actor Tim Holt's military career

[The Inspector]

After watching the original 'STAGECOACH' this morning, I went on line to find out what ever became of one of my all time favorite Westerns actors, Tim Holt. During the search I discovered he was a decorated B-29 Bombardier during WW2. Does anyone know what group and/or what particular airplane he was associated with?

[Holedigger]

Looks like the 39th BG, also perhaps involved in the secret "Bat Bomb" project

http://39thbombgroup.org/39th/aerial/62nd/crew59a.html

Crew 59
"City of Monroe"
"Doc Jones"
B-29 # 44-70018
http://39thbombgroup.org/39th/aerial/62nd/crew59.html

[The Inspector]

HOLEDIGGER,
Thanx for the quick response! I always do get a kick out of the series of 'B' Westerns he did with Richard Martin and their trips to and from TUBA CITY-also wondered if the weird graffitti scratched or penciled on posts and supports were some sort of 'in you ear' inside jokes on the sets.

[tom d. friedman]

i thought the bat project was a navy gig!!

[bilwor]

I thought Tim Holt's best movie was "The Treasure of Sierra Madre" with Humphrey Bogart.
bill word

[Holedigger]

Different "Bat bomb"
The Navy had the radar guided "Bat" glide bomb.
The AF was working on a project to drop bombs filled with live bats, each fitted with a little incendiary device over Japanese cities. At a set altitude, the "Bomb" would open up and release it's cargo of bats, who would fly all over the city, hiding in nooks and crannies of paper/wood constructed buildings. The incendiaries would go off, thus a few bombs could wipe out huge sections of the city. IIRC, they had an accidental release of their test bats in the states and did burn down a portion of the base that they were testing at!

[tom d. friedman]

i was wondering if that was the other project!!! the bat program with the flying real furry buggers was an off the wall, but brilliantly conceived project that went awry during during an experimental release of bats attaching themselves to a building while fitted with small incendiary devices. the building on the u.s. base where they landed was toasted. the premise of the project was to release the bats by aircraft & for them to land on lightly built but highly flammable japanese wood & paper structures........ we got bit on the butt on that 1!!! if i recall the entire experiment was proposed by a doctor, specifically a dentist. upon the toasting of the building the project was cancelled.

[Glyn]

if i recall the entire experiment was proposed by a doctor, specifically a dentist. upon the toasting of the building the project was cancelled.

And I bet the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Bats was outraged!

[tom d. friedman]

not in those days!! + there was a world war on!!

[Glyn]

not in those days!! + there was a world war on!!

So you say! I bet they were BURNED UP about it!