Theodore J Van Kirk

Military
media-30954.jpeg UPL 30954 Front fuselage of the B17 41-24444, The Red Gremlin Red Gremlin Collection, George Huber

Personal collection of Bethany S. Huber, daughter of Herman S. Haag

Object Number - UPL 30954 - Front fuselage of the B17 41-24444, The Red Gremlin

Flew many missions with Paul Tibbets in 'The Red Gremlin' and was picked by him to navigate the atom bomb drop on Hiroshima

Connections

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Units served with

Ground personnel of the 97th Bomb Group reservice a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-9023) nicknamed "Yankee Doodle", following the raid on Rouen. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 18 Aug 1942.' [stamp], 'Air=SER (Boeing).' [written annotation] and '216112.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'U.S FLYING FORTRESSES RAID ROUEN IN DAYLIGHT. Associated Press Photo Shows: No sooner had one of the huge Fortresses landed after the raid than ground crew im

97th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Paul Warfield Tibbets

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 340th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-361713
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

41-24444

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Red Gremlin, Superman
  • Unit: 340th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date
Contributordecwriter
ChangesChanges to service number, highest rank and awards
Sources

NARA files verified Silver Star for 6 August 1945 mission to Hiroshima and Air Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters for combat flights in the 12th Air Force and the NW African Strategic Air Force in 1942 and 1943.

Date
ContributorVideogoat60
ChangesChanges to surname, middlename, firstname and nickname
Sources

Personal collection of Bethany S. Huber, daughter of Herman S. Haag (top turret gunner and engineer of B-17 41-24444, the Red Gremlin)

Date
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

97th Bomb Group Association, Inc., Roster - June 1, 2000. Flew on the Enola Gay as part of Paul Tibbets crew. / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

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