Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. Few artifacts from the Second World War can claim a direct connection to the dawn of the Atomic Age. This remarkable B-29 "Silverplate" bombardier’s window panel is not merely a relic of the legendary 509th Composite Group, it is a reunion of the men who changed history. Covered with more than 70 signatures of pilots, navigators, bombardiers, flight engineers, crew chiefs, and support personnel, the panel includes veterans associated with the famed B-29s Enola Gay, Bockscar, The Great Artiste, Big Stink, Necessary Evil, and other aircraft that participated in the historic Hiroshima and Nagasaki missions. Among the signatures are some of the most celebrated figures of the atomic bomb operations, including Paul W. Tibbets, commander and pilot of Enola Gay; Charles W. Sweeney, commander of the Nagasaki mission; and Frederick J. Olivi, co-pilot of Bockscar. The concentration of historically significant names represented on a single surviving artifact is extraordinary, making this one of the most desirable and important 509th Composite Group collectibles we have encountered. Combining unquestionable historical significance, exceptional visual display appeal, and direct associations with one of the most consequential events in human history, this panel represents a museum-worthy centerpiece for even the most advanced collection of World War II aviation or atomic-era artifacts.

This is not a random collection of B-29 signatures. It containd personnel associated with several of the most historically significant aircraft and missions of the 509th Composite Group, including:

Fred J. Olivi – Co-pilot of the Nagasaki aircraft Frederick J. Olivi
Charles W. Sweeney – Commander, Nagasaki mission
Paul W. Tibbets  – Pilot of Enola Gay
Donald L. Reed – Pilot, "Lloyd Raider"

Personnel identifying themselves as crew from:

"Bockscar"
"Enola Gay"
"Top Secret"
"Big Stink"
"Next Objective"
"Straight Flush"

From the portions we can read with fairly high confidence:

UPPER SECTION

Lt. Fred J. Olivi
Co-pilot, Bockscar

Sgt. Ray Gallagher
Asst. Flight Engineer

Charles J. Baker
Crew Chief

John S. Chudy
Straight Flush
Mechanic

Bill Barney
Radar #77

Ray Denny
Radio #77

R. J. Stark
Tail Gunner #77

Fred Breniger (spelling uncertain)
Pilot 320th

Jack Wydrowski (spelling uncertain)
Navigator
"Top Secret"

J. Carter
#84 Bombardier

UPPER RIGHT

Richard Emelio (uncertain)
Fuel House Scanner

George Braden
Flight Engineer
#91

William F. Oren
"Top Secret"

Fred Bock
Airplane Commander
#77 Bockscar

Stan J. Krenich (uncertain)
#83 Full House
A&E Mechanic

Cullen Ryan
Squadron Navigator
320th

Center
George H. Cohen
Flight Engineer #72

Jack Weatherly
Pilot 85

Cecil N. King
Maintenance Officer
393rd

Robert O. Denham
393rd Pilot #90

Herman S. Janes Jr.
393rd Aircraft Commander #90

Dutch Van Kirk
Navigator, Enola Gay #82

Boo Wagg (or Waggs)
Bombardier, 320th

Charles W. Sweeney
Commander
Nagasaki
9 August 1945

LOWER RIGHT

Paul Tibbets
Pilot, Enola Gay
Hiroshima
6 Aug 1945

Donald L. Reed
Pilot #123
Lloyd Raider

Richard C. Serrano
393rd
Big Stink
Engineering Mechanic

Ward Ferguson
Pilot #77

James N. Dinsmore
Aircraft Commander
Some Punkins
Navigation Officer
Next Objective

Quin Barrett
393rd Operations

Joe Roe
393rd Radar Countermeasures

Lt. Earl J. Sanders
1027th Ordnance
Crew Chief #95

LEFT SIDE

Dick Cannon
Radar Operator
Necessary Evil #91

John Dulin
Navigator

Christopher Terrell
Bombardier
Crew 123

Carl Garner
Engineer

Fred J. Kohn
1027th AAF

Morris R. Jeppson
Weapons Test Officer
Enola Gay
Engineering Project A

This last signature is particularly significant because Morris R. Jeppson was one of the ordnance officers directly involved in preparation of the Hiroshima mission.

This panel is an extraordinary concentration of 509th Composite Group veterans and atomic mission personnel. Having Olivi, Sweeney, Tibbets, Van Kirk, Jeppson, and numerous Bockscar / Enola Gay crewmen together on one display makde it far more important than a typical reunion autograph piece.

On 6 and 9 August 1945, the United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively. Japan surrendered to the Allies on 15 August, six days after the bombing of Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan and invasion of Japanese-occupied Manchuria. The Japanese government signed the instrument of surrender on 2 September, effectively ending the war.

This is a truly unique centerpiece that will claim the envy of any who gaze upon it in your collection! This Bombardier’s left side window panel was removed from a B-29 Superfortress “Silverplate” which served with the 393rd Bombardment Squadron (VH) and 320th Troop Carrier Squadron. The window has been signed by over 70 men, all members of the flying personnel of the 509th Composite Group, who carried out the missions that delivered the atomic bombs on Japan on August 6 and 9, 1945, bringing World War II to an end.

Silverplate was the code reference for the United States Army Air Forces' participation in the Manhattan Project during World War II. Originally the name for the aircraft modification project which enabled a B-29 Superfortress bomber to drop an atomic weapon, "Silverplate" eventually came to identify the training and operational aspects of the program as well. The original directive for the project had as its subject line "Silver Plated Project," but continued usage of the term shortened it to "Silverplate".

Seventeen production Silverplate aircraft were ordered in August 1944 to allow the 509th Composite Group to train with the type of aircraft they would fly in combat, and for the 216th Army Air Forces Base Unit to test bomb configurations. These were followed by 28 more aircraft that were ordered in February 1945 for operational use by the 509th Composite Group. This batch included the aircraft which were used in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Including the Pullman B-29, 46 Silverplate B-29s were produced during and after World War II. An additional 19 Silverplate B-29s were ordered in July 1945, which were delivered between the end of the war and the end of 1947. Thus, 65 Silverplate B-29s were made. The use of the Silverplate codename was discontinued after the war, but modifications continued under a new codename, Saddletree.

The panel is professionally housed within an acrylic and wood display case which measures 26 ½ x 32 ½ x 5”. There are roughly 70+ names on the panel, but due to their organization we cannot accurately count them. On the right side of the frame is a photo signed by Paul W. Gruning, Bombardier of the B-29 Jabit III on the Hiroshima mission, and below that is a photo signed by John L. Downey, Bombardier aboard the B-29 Laggin’ Dragon. 

There is an exorbitant amount of research to be done on each individual signature, and the display is already set up professionally. This will easily become the centerpiece of any World War II or aviation collection. 

Ready for further research and display!