Looking for Bomb Sight Repairmen.  I am finding in my research of the B-29 Training Airbases in Kansas some interesting info on the maintenance of the Bombsights.  Recently a local Jeweler's shop was sold and in the Jewelers shop, many Norden Bombsight items and paperwork were found. Folk that new him stated he was a civilian bombsight repairman for the local B-29 airbase. This is the second situation I have come across where Civilians worked on these bombsights in this area.  I am wondering if the relationship between a jeweler who worked on precision watches in those days would have been an asset to the Army Airforces repair of the sights.  Maybe someone out there can add to the maintenance history of these Bombsights.  Phillip

I am sure that just like today, there is a huge civilian component to the military.  Some of us even deploy alongside the active duty folks.  I spent the first four and a half months this year in Iraq.

I am curious, what became of all the Norden related materials in the jewelry shop when it was sold?  I sure hope you, or someone else with an interest, got it.

Doug Beckstead
Historian
Anchorage, Alaska

Doug,  We are in the process of listing the local Bombsight Vaults on the National and State historic site registry.  These are located on the Pratt Army Airfield and will be restored to near original configuration.  We are starting our airfield museum in the Parachute Shop building. This building is in very good origianal condition. There will be a display dedicated to the Operations centered around the Norden Bombsight.  The former service manuals and parts will be a part of the display. This will be located on the Pratt Industrial Airport at Pratt, Kansas.  This was one of the B-29 training fields in the area.  We are looking for history and stories related to the 40th Bomb Group that left here and went to the CBI operations. The First of the 14 Service Test B-29s came here in the fall of 1943. Our pictures of the field show only this B-29 on the big ramp along with 3 B-17s and 3 B-26s. Thanks for you interest, Phillip

Interesting. The watch repair man (now deceased) who had a shop in my little town in rural PA was a Norden specialist in WW2, stationed at Lowrey AFB. Apparently he took the reverse course, becoming a jewler AFTER he was a bombsight repair man. At one time I had a Norden and he was delighted when given the opportunity to take it all apart and clean it up for me.

Al Blue