Description:

THEODORE J. "DUTCH" VAN KIRK
(1921 - 2014) American Army Air Corps officer, navigator of the Enola Gay during its mission to Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Superb I.S.P., 8" x 10" b/w, a view of the atomic mushroom cloud rising over Hiroshima. Van Kirk signs at bottom left in black ink, adding his rank and the inscription "Navigator - Enola Gay Hiroshima 6 Aug. 1945". He executes a second lengthy inscription at top, in full: "We dropped the first atomic bomb at 8:15 A.M. Tinian time, on Aug. 6, 1945 from an altitude of over 30,000 feet. It detonated 43 seconds later, 1850 feet above the city of Hiroshima. We immediately made a 180 [degree] turn to the right, lost altitude to build up speed and applied full speed. On detonation we saw a bright flash in the plane, even thru our welders' goggles. And shortly thereafter we felt two shockwaves from the bomb – measured at 3.0-3.8. The plane survived both. When clear we turned to fly in the S.E. quadrant. We saw the multi-colored cloud well above our altitude but the city was covered in soot and debris making our usual visual observation impossible." In fine condition.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Shipments are sent via USPS Priority, USPS International Priority, DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option, signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

July 31, 2018 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 28% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

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 + $10,000