Bomber Crewman

Published May 12, 2015

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Staff Sgt. James Fleming, a B-29 tail gunner who flew 56 missions in Korea (front row, first on right), in 1951 wearing the same B-11 flight jacket and unofficial flight cap now on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo)

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Sgt. Don Beck standing in front of "Townswick’s Terrors," wearing the jacket now on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo)

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B-29 Bomber Crewmen artifacts used during the Korean War. (U.S. Air Force photo).

Communist anti-aircraft guns sometimes forced B-29 crews to altitudes above 20,000 feet. At this height, the temperature dropped to well below zero degrees Fahrenheit and crews needed warm clothing for protection. Many wore the same flight clothing that their counterparts did in World War II. Some also added their own unofficial flight caps, like this crewman.

Exhibit Case:
Sgt. Don Beck, a B-29 tail gunner, wore this A-2 jacket and silk scarf while serving in the 325th Bomb Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group from July to October 1950. The jacket has US and UN flags on the back, while the scarf illustrates his B-29, Townswick's Terrors, along with all the targets he flew against.

Staff Sergeant Norman Fix, a B-29 radio operator in the 345th Bomb Squadron, 98th Bomb Wing, wore this decorative, off-duty jacket.

These World War II-era sheep shearling trousers helped keep B-29 crewman warm in the frigid air at high altitude.

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Bomber Crewman

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