Memories

Here are some interesting events and narratives in the history of the 346th.


Long Island to Okinawa and back

The following memoir was written longhand by my father, Jerome Harold “Jerry” Goldwyn in 2002 at age 82 from his home in Pompano Beach, FL. Dad ended the war as a Staff Sargeant with the 461st Squadron. My Mom, Norma Goldwyn, typed and edited this memoir and I have abridged it slightly for this website. Born March 1, 1920, Dad died July 14, 2005 at age 85. This website is dedicated to his memory.
– Craig Goldwyn, Webmaster, 2006.

The ditching of B-29 Number 42-65287

Operational Training Wing, 246th Army Air Force Base Unit, which was home-based at Pratt, Kansas, but all personnel aboard at the time of the loss were assigned to the Second Air Force, 346th Bomb Group (Very Heavy), 461st Bomb Squadron (Very Heavy).

The unsung plains of Kansas

Superfortresses. Thinly scattered volleys of anti-aircraft shells burst around the Saipan based group that was unloading what was to be their last tonnage of destruction in the war with Japan.

The Torrid Tolly burns

The appropriately named B-29 “Torrid Tolly” SN 44-84016 (Pilot: Bill “Wild Bill” Elliott) burned on ground on hardstand at Kadena. Apparently the ground crew washed down a hot engine with gasoline. The plane was gone in 30 minutes.

Typhoon

On 10/9/45 a massive typhoon struck Okinawa. These photos ran in stateside newspapers.

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