Description:

Atomic Bomb
n.p., n.d.
"Some Punkins" Pilot & Bombardier Signed Photos- Important Training Before Atomic Bomb!
Archive
A pair of two photos, both of which have been signed by "Some Punkins" commander James N. Price, Jr., with the second also signed and annotated by bombardier Tom Costa. No visible flaws. Near fine- a rare grouping representative of the testing and training that led up to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The lot includes:

1.) 12" x 8" color photograph of the B-29 "Some Punkins", signed by its commander James N. Price. Written in blue pen at lower right as "Capt. James N. Price Jr./ aircraft commander/ 'Some Punkins'/ I flew five pumkin missions to Japan/ 509th Composite Bomb Group". Mounted and displayed to an overall size of 10" x 13.5", and shrink wrapped in protective plastic.

2.) 10" x 8" black and white photo depicting "Some Punkins" dropping a Pumpkin bomb on its mission of August 14, 1945. Signed by Price as: "James N. Price Jr./ airplane commander/ B-29 Some Punkins". Co-signed by Lt. Tom Costa, bombardier, with interesting handwritten notes: "Lt. Tom Costa, Bombardier on B-29 'Some Punkins'/ 509th Composite Group, Tinian, Marianas./ This Pumpkin Bomb was dropped by our aircraft at 1555 on August 14, 1945. The target was the Toriimatsu Factory which was part of the Nagoya Arsenal. (Nagoya, Japan)." Costa also labels the middle right of the image as a "Japanese air field".

When Col. Paul Tibbets was ordered to form the 509th Composite Group for the purpose of dropping the Atomic bomb, he acquired the 393rd Bomb Squadron and its fifteen B-29's and their crews to form its core. One of these B-29's was commanded by James N. Price, Jr. (1918-2012) who named his aircraft "Some Punkins". Price was a B-17 pilot in the 11th Bomb Group for 37 missions in the Solomon Islands, between 1942-43. He would also fly 5 "Pumpkin missions" over Japan with the 509th from the island of Tinian. These practice "Pumpkin bombs" were the same shape, size, and weight as the Atomic bomb later dropped on Nagasaki.

This lot comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 10" x 13.5"
  • Medium: Archive

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June 26, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
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