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146

Enola Gay Silk Maps

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:500.00 USD
Enola Gay Silk Maps
George Caron's East China Sea ''Silk'' Maps, used in Caron's survival kit flown on the Enola Gay atomic bomb mission to Hiroshima. Accompanied by a letter of provenance and signed photograph. These AAF Cloth Charts, often referred to as a ''silk'' maps, contain two maps on opposite sides of a large piece (32.25'' x 30.5'') of thin cloth. Both maps, identified as C-52 and C-53, are detailed colored maps of the East China Sea, including Japan, with a scale of 1:4,000,000 and dated February 1945. The map legend is in the upper right corner of map No. C-52. Silk maps were issued by the Army Air Force for the Aeronautical Chart Service and were usually carried by pilots and crew in their survival kits when they flew over enemy territory. Intended to be durable, they were actually made of semi-synthetic fiber rather than silk. These maps, belonging to Technical Sergeant Caron and flown during the Hiroshima mission, have been gently pinned into a foam board backing and are in fine condition. The maps are accompanied by a one page handwritten letter of provenance signed by George Caron. The letter, with Caron's name and address stamped at the top, is dated 26 October 1982, and addressed to Paul J. Boyer of Lakewood, Colorado. This notarized letter reads, ''Please accept this letter as certification that the silk map of the Western Pacific Ocean you acquired from me came from the Tail Gunner's survival kit that was on board the B-29, Enola Gay on her three missions over Japan including the one on Aug. 6, 1945 to Hiroshima.'' Also included is a color photo (5'' x 3.5'', affixed to blue backing) of the Enola Gay signed on the backing below the photo, ''Best wishes, Paul / George R. (Bob), Tail Gunner.''
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