3d PRS B - 29 at Hiroshima 8/6/45 (shooshoobaby)

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:36:42 GMT

When the A - Bomb was dropped at Hiroshima 8/6/45, all 20th AF
Groups were warned to stay out of the Area. No one thought to
warn the 8th AF.
It has recently been discovered that a B-29 from the 3d PRS ,
attached to the 8th AF with an 8th AF Crew, was on a Photo
Mission to provide Mission Photos for the 8th AF Groups that
had been transferred to the Pacific.
The B-29 , being flown by the Lt. Jack Economos Crew , was
over Hiroshima when they observed a brilliant Flash of Light
below the Plane. The photographer , John McGlohan , turned
on the Cameras and ended up taking the only Photos of the
explosion from directly overhead.
After returning from the Mission , He learned that he had
Photographed the A - Bomb exploding.
The Photos were mis - placed and never published. It was
recently discovered that a 3d PRS Lab Tech , Elmer Dixson ,
had made copies and kept them until he donated them to the
Historic Aviation Museum in Tyler , Texas. A friend of McGlohans ,
Ken Samuelson , learned about the Photos and tracked them
down. They are now being Cataloged and displayed at the Museum.
John McGlohan is still with us and resides in Asheboro , NC.
Great Story!
Mike