Return of the Enola Gay to Tinian · Strangelove Collection

s-3043 to
s-3053

Group of Photos

August 6, 1945

Hiroshima/Nagasaki (1945)

Informal crew portrait beside the B-29 on Tinian. A group of airmen and ground personnel pose by the propeller and engine nacelle on the airstrip. Several men are shirtless—an indicator of the heat on the tarmac—while others wear tropical uniforms and caps. Shadows suggest bright midday light. The aircraft structure (propeller, spinner, and nacelle) fills the background, anchoring the scene at the edge of the wing.

Context. This photograph is part of a small, unofficial set taken on Tinian by a Seabee (U.S. Navy Construction Battalion) amateur photographer with access to his own darkroom. The set documents the return of the B-29 Enola Gay after the Hiroshima mission and includes both candid and more posed moments around the aircraft.

<h4>Group context</h4>

<ul>
<li>Key image (this item): Crew and personnel posing informally beside the aircraft, several shirtless, likely made immediately after landing and before formal official photographs.</li>
<li>Related image (attached as media): Hand-colored crowd scene at the airstrip showing personnel and press around the aircraft during the return to Tinian.</li>
<li>Additional related views: Ground crew and candid airfield scenes included for reference.</li>
</ul>

<h4>Provenance</h4>

Acquired from the granddaughter of the photographer (New Mexico, USA, 2024). The lot included two loose negatives (none identical to this print). Photographer identified as a Seabee amateur active on Tinian in 1945.

<h4>Notes</h4>

<ul>
<li>Location: Tinian, Mariana Islands; Date: circa 6 August 1945.</li>
<li>Medium: gelatin silver print (unofficial/private print; not a Signal Corps release).</li>
<li>Observable details: propeller and engine nacelle at left; mixed attire (shirtless/tropical uniforms); strong sunlight and short shadows. 
 
 
 
</li>
</ul>

<h4>Additional Photographs in the Tinian / Enola Gay Return Group</h4>

<ul>
<li>S-43 — Informal crew portrait beside the B-29 on Tinian. Several men are shirtless, posing in front of the aircraft’s propeller immediately after landing.</li>
<li>S-44 — Hand-colored print showing the Enola Gay surrounded by officers, enlisted personnel, and press on the airstrip. A jeep marked “W-20181374” stands in the foreground beneath a three-star flag.</li>
<li>S-45 — Two servicemen sitting shirtless in a jeep marked “USN 21693 CB 16,” smiling toward the camera. Likely the photographer (driver’s seat) with a friend during off-duty time.</li>
<li>S-46 — Group of Seabees and airmen relaxing outdoors, some shirtless, eating or drinking in the shade near camp facilities. Informal camaraderie portrait.</li>
<li>S-47 — Coastal landscape on Tinian showing low trees and ships anchored offshore under a wide sky. Possibly viewed from near the Seabee compound.</li>
<li>S-48 — Dirt road lined with tall grass and sugar-cane-like plants leading toward the horizon. Believed to be one of the approach roads to the airfield area on Tinian.</li>
<li>S-49 — Group of servicemen gathered inside a mess tent, sharing food and drinks. The man at center (with glasses) resembles the photographer seen in later images.</li>
<li>S-50 — The photographer sitting on the steps of a wooden gate structure, likely a small Japanese shrine on Tinian. Relaxed pose in uniform, bright midday light.</li>
<li>S-51 — The photographer in his makeshift darkroom inside a Quonset-hut space, standing shirtless beside trays and enlarging equipment. Two nearly identical prints document his improvised workspace.</li>
<li>S-52 — Three small prints on one sheet: a chapel with Quonset huts; fenced barracks area; panoramic view of base buildings. These likely show sections of the Seabee compound.</li>
<li>S-53 — Humorous posed portrait of an airman seated on three large bombs with the handwritten caption “Three Bombs and a Bom / These Are 2 Ton Jobs.” B-29s visible in background on the airstrip.</li>
</ul>

Note. Images S-45 & S-46 and S-49 & S-50 & S-51 & S-53 feature the photographer himself, either alone or with fellow servicemen. Images S-47 and S-48 record the island landscape and access roads toward the airfield. All photographs originate from the same personal lot purchased from the photographer’s granddaughter (New Mexico, 2024).