Hiroshima

1976 · Best.-Nr. 12564 — 1976. Jeppson Morris signed photograph of Hiroshima after the August 6 1945 atomic bombing linking the physical destruction of the city to a member of the Enola Gay mission crew. Jeppson served as assistant weaponeer aboard the B 29 and had responsibility for weapons testing and arming procedures associated with the "Little Boy" atomic bomb; shortly before the aircraft reached Hiroshima he removed its safety devices and inserted the arming plugs. The photograph therefore combines a post bombing view of Hiroshima with the autograph and mission identification of a participant directly involved in preparing the weapon for use. Black and white photograph 11 x 8 1/2 inches showing the devastated Hiroshima landscape after the atomic bombing. Few structures remain visible beyond foundations and other remnants while burned tree trunks stand amid the cleared terrain. Jeppson has signed and inscribed the image "Morris Jeppson - Weapons Test Officer - Enola Gay Mission- Hiroshima-6 Aug 1945" explicitly identifying his role aircraft target and mission date. The Enola Gay dropped the first atomic weapon used in combat over Hiroshima on August 6 1945. Jeppson's inscription gives the image direct association with the mission and preserves his own description of his position as "Weapons Test Officer" while contemporary institutional histories also identify him as assistant weaponeer to Captain William S. Parsons. The visible destruction provides a stark record of the consequences of the bombing while Jeppson's signed identification connects that aftermath to the personnel responsible for carrying and arming the weapon. Condition not stated. unknown books