Not for the squeamish: Kingman AAF photo essay from LIFE

lmritger · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:58 am

Just found this today; it seems Google has added a whole bunch of new photos to their LIFE archive, including five pages that I *PROMISE* you will make your stomach turn. Some of the most famous bombers of WWII are photographed here, waiting for death to be delivered at the sharp end of a massive steel blade- and that process is shown as well.

For those of us who devote so much time and effort to researching and working on these majestic old warhorses, it's literally like a punch in the gut to see these high resolution photos... it ain't pretty, folks, I'm warning you now.

http://images.google.com/images?q=guillotine+kingman+source%3Alife&btnG=Search&hl=en&sa=2&start=0

I think the one that really hit me the most was "5 Grand".

Lynn

Django · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2010 11:09 am

Whoa! I clicked on the link and hit the first page and literally gasped! :shock:

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

whhhhaaaaaa..., wahhhhhhh happpened.., i clicked the link.., i must have fainted????????
maybe it was just a bad dream..., ahhhhh.., yah, a dream...... ok.., good, let me try it again.....,

click

OMFG

O M F G

ARRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh

Django · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2010 11:55 am

Check out the B-32 Atomic Blonde. I like how they modified the emergency instructions to read "CUT HER FOR EMERGENCY RESCUE". Neat details like that are tough to see in the Nose Art books.

The strategically placed hatchet mark on the Red Headed Rebel is funny too. :lol:

Interesting that they carved "GAS DRAINED" into the nose art on some of the B-24s.

And I almost flipped out when I saw the port side of Dragon and it's Tail with the duplicated nose art! But of course it was just a different angle, flipped.

Now that was just plain mean. :lol:

The Inspector · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2010 12:34 pm

Some Seattle folks tried after the war to buy '5 GRAND' or get it donated and bring her back as a war memorial but the city of Seattle government showed next to zero interest in 'that old bomber'.

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

garsh, if these were in color.., i would need a week to snap out of it!

B-17 Duke Spook is one of my favorites.., I love the grafted on 'camo' nose!!!!!

K5DH · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2010 3:31 pm

Sad. Sure makes me appreciate what we still have left even more than before.

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2010 4:21 pm

Everyone that b@#$hes about remaining airframes being static only should look at this thread. We are lucky to have so many historic aircraft with us static and flyable.

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2010 5:49 pm

All that history just chopped up! What happened to all the engines? Since they were not aluminum, were they melted down somewhere else? There has to be quite alot of small pieces still out there at Kingman I would think. Anyone been there?

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2010 5:49 pm

mustangdriver wrote:

Everyone that b@#$hes about remaining airframes being static only should look at this thread. We are lucky to have so many historic aircraft with us static and flyable.

Well said Chris!

TAdan · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2010 7:45 pm

Here is a link to a website about the scraps left at Kingman... http://www.depot41.com/

I'll be out there in April for a day, but wont have enough time to go wandering through the desert looking for scraps. I visited the airfield once, the WWII era tower is still standing along with a few plaques.

Django · **Posted:** Fri Jan 22, 2010 11:41 am

I'd love to kick through the dirt out there someday.

Dan Newcomb · **Posted:** Fri Jan 22, 2010 4:05 pm

If you do a little homework you will more than likely arrive at the same conclusion I did. Scrapping was the right thing to do. The aircraft were obsolete, and storing and guarding this force would cost a lot of money. Also people were sick and tired of the war. Soldiers were coming home and needed jobs. The aviation industry needed to survive and projects concentrating on new jet-powered airplanes and improved civilian transports would keep the industry viable.

A few war birds were sold, Paul Mantz comes to mind, but there was little interest. A few aircraft went to foreign governments but providing others with an obsolete but still very lethal air force was not in our countries best interest so the majority was doomed. If it wasn’t for Mantz, the CAF, fire bombers and some agricultural applications most of what is flying today would have disappeared long ago.

With 20/20 hindsight I suppose more aircraft should have been saved but after years of disgusting war few cared.

Django · **Posted:** Fri Jan 22, 2010 4:40 pm

100% true Dan, but a boy can dream can't he... :lol:

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

all we are asking for is a time machine and a large underground bunker to store.., just a few!!!!!!!

Warbird Information Exchange

Not for the squeamish: Kingman AAF photo essay from LIFE

Who is online