Lot 380

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Description:

(HIROSHIMA) 509TH COMPOSITE GROUP HISTORY SIGNED BY TIBBETS AND VON KIRK
509th Composite Group unit history given to members of the famous 509th Composite Air Group, a unit of the Army Air Forces created during World War II and tasked with the operational deployment of nuclear weapons. It conducted the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in August 1945. The group was headed by Gen. Paul Tibbets, pilot of the B-29 Enola Gay which delivered the atomic bomb to Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. The title page bears the signatures of Enola Gay pilot PAUL TIBBETS (1915-2007) and his navigator, THEODORE J. VAN KIRK (1921-2014). Tibbets signs a second time, four pages further on, beneath his wartime portrait and adding his rank and the place and date he has signed. The descriptive text is heavily illustrated with photos and illustrations, including facilities on Tinian, fliers at work and play, features on the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ('Atomic Blitz'), photos of all air crews, including Enola Gay and Bocks Car, headquarters staff, ground and ordnance crews, etc. In very good condition overall. Rare.

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January 25, 2023 10:00 AM EST
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000