National Air and Space Museum Archives

George Caron Family Photographs

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.2008.0037
Dates:
1945
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.05 Cubic feet
1 folder
3 photographs
Repository:
This collection consists of three photographs of his wife and infant daughter carried by Staff Sergeant George Robert "Bob" Caron aboard the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay during the bomber's mission to Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of three photographs carried aboard the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay by Staff Sergeant George Robert "Bob" Caron during the bomber's mission to Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945; Caron carried the photographs tucked inside the clear plastic sleeve of his pressurized oxygen duration chart [Oxygen Placard, Enola Gay, A20200329000]. Two black and white photographs are of Caron's wife, Katherine Marie "Kay" (Younger) Caron (1924-2001). A third hand-colored photograph is of Kay Caron holding their baby daughter, Judy Kay Caron; inscribed on the reverse: "Sept. 5, 1945 / Judy Kay 3 mo. / To Daddy Love Kay & Judy Kay."

Arrangement

Arrangement
No arrangement.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Boeing's B-29 Superfortress was the most sophisticated propeller-driven bomber of World War II, and the first bomber to house its crew in pressurized compartments. Although designed to fight in the European theater, the B-29 found its niche on the other side of the globe. In the Pacific, B-29s delivered a variety of aerial weapons: conventional bombs, incendiary bombs, mines, and two nuclear weapons. On August 6, 1945, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped the first atomic weapon used in combat on Hiroshima, Japan.
US Army Air Forces Staff Sergeant George Robert "Bob" Caron (1919-1995) was the tail gunner aboard the Enola Gay during its mission to Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. His rear-facing position in the aircraft enabled him to take what became the official USAAF photograph of a mushroom cloud rising from the city following the detonation of the atomic bomb nicknamed Little Boy.

Administration

Author
Melissa A. N. Keiser
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Randall M. Holder, gift, 2008, NASM.2008.0037
Processing Information
Arranged, described and encoded by Melissa A. N. Keiser, 2022.

Digital Content


Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Preferred Citation
George Caron Family Photographs, Acc. NASM.2008.0037, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Aeronautics, Military Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Silverplate "Enola Gay" Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
World War, 1939-1945 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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