December 14-17, 2021 Collectible Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/15/2021
Incredible World War II 3rd Phot Recon Squadron photo album ID'D to James S. Williams, who was a B-29 navigator. Williams appears to have flown most of his missions on the B-29 "Double Exposure". The album's content is historic, as there are 193 clear, original photos that are displayed on over 130 pages. The photos start with a great aerial shot of Williams' B-29 in flight, and are followed by large, high quality crew shots in front of B-29s. There are also photos of other aircraft including TBM Avengers, P-61 Black Widows, Spitfires, and even captured Japanese aircraft. The content ranges from B-29s in flight, on the ground, to Officer's clubs, tent life, and USO shows with photos of Betty Hutton. Most of the photos were taken by Williams' camera and were all labeled in the album. Many servicemembers are identified as well as the locations and dates. There are several very clear photos of B-29 gunners in their plexiglass turrets. Even more incredible are the aerial bombing photos, many were taken from the bomb bay and show the bombs falling towards various targets in Japan including Tokyo. The highlight of the album is a large photo of the aftermath of Nagasaki that is dated August 13, 1945. This album is a great representation of what life was like for members of the Army Air Corps during their service in the Pacific Theater. The photos cover all aspects of the war and this album is a must have for the serious World War II photo collector. It would be hard to find another album this complete. CONDITION: The pages exhibit small tears and flaking around the edges and the front cover of the album is starting to separate. The binding remains strong. The photo quality reflects the training of a photo recon squadron officer. Most photos are clear and their edges remain sharp. Overall excellent. JLD
Item Dimensions: 13 - 1/2" X 11"