ENOLA GAY HIROSHIMA 509th 97th B 29 17 DUTCH VAN KIRK ATOMIC BOMB WW2 PTO SIGNED

Description

August 6,
2020
was
the
75th
Anniversary
of
the
atomic
bombing
of
Hiroshima,
which
hastened
the
end
of
WW2
!
Properly
&
securely
packaged
"Economy
Media
Mail"
USA
postage
is
still
FREE
!
Please see the pictures that show my
©
copyright
for
my
personally designed,
professionally
published
rare &
historically collectible illustrated
aviation
book
plate,
signed by Ted "Dutch" Van Kirk, navigator of the
ENOLA GAY (atomic bomb) mission to Hiroshima, August 6, 1945.
My USA Government Copyright
©
assures you of this
unique collectibles authenticity & absolute provenance.
I'll be strictly enforcing my U.S.
copyright
©
with ebay "Verified Rights Owner Program"
(
VeRO
)
, etc.
Please
see
the
picture
of
provenance
©
I
took
of
Ted
(
Dutch)
Van
Kirk w
hile
he
was
signing
the
bookplates
at
his
kitchen
table
in
Atlanta, Georgia
in
2010
!
Please be assured that your
©
copy-written
bookplate
will be properly, professionally & securely packaged.
S
ORRY, BUT NO SALES OUTSIDE OF THE USA.
FREE USA "MEDIA MAIL" (ECONOMY) POSTAGE INCLUDING ALASKA & HAWAII!
While the professional layout and illustrated artwork
that
makes up
my
©
Dutch Van Kirk
bookplate
is
always
the same,
please note
that Dutch's
original
hand-signed
signature
will of course vary slightly on every bookplate.
(above) Post
mission to Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) photograph
of (from
left to right):
Tom Ferebee (ENOLA GAY bombardier), Paul Tibbets (pilot of ENOLA GAY and commander of the 509th),
Theodore (Ted) "Dutch" Van Kirk (ENOLA GAY navigator) and Robert Lewis (ENOLA GAY co-pilot)
(above) "Silverplate" B-29 ENOLA GAY on Tinian Island within the Northern Mariana Islands (
South Pacific), August, 1945
(above) 1st person standing at the extreme left is pilot Paul Tibbets.
2nd person standing at Paul Tibbets' left (your right) is navigator Theodore (Ted) "Dutch" Van Kirk.
4th person standing (from your left to your right) is bombardier Tom Ferebee.
B-17F 124444 "the RED GREMLIN", 97th Bomb Group , 340th Squadron , England , 1942
All of the images &/or pictures on this ebay
auction/sale
page
are
for
informational purposes only.
None of the images
on
this page,
my copyright
&/or
pictures
of my
copyright
are included with this sale of this
©
bookplate.
Ted "Dutch" Van Kirk navigated 50+ missions within the
97th BG, 340th BS (many times as the lead aircraft) within the ETO and MTO,
from mid-1942 through early 1943. Dutch flew
with
Paul Tibbets (pilot)
and Tom Ferebee (bombardier)
aboard B-17F 124444,
"
the RED GREMLIN
".
Dutch also navigated the Glen L. Martin produced "Silverplate" B-29 ENOLA GAY from Tinian to Hiroshima and back to Tinian within the 509th BG (the 509th BG having been constituted on 12/9/44) on August 6th, 1945.
Dutch's navigation from Tinian to Hiroshima was SO precise, that the ENOLA GAY was over Hiroshima at its designated arrival time. An interesting side note is that
Paul Tibbets had picked this particular
Silverplate B-29 (m
odel number B-29-45-MO,
serial number 44-86292)
w
hile it was still on the Glenn L. Martin  Bellevue, Nebraska, assembly line.
"Fifty miles from the Aioi Bridge, the Enola Gay flew at 30,800 feet as Van Kirk called out tiny course corrections to Tibbets. At 8:05 a.m. Van Kirk announced:
"Ten minutes to AP."
Van Kirk called out another course change, bringing the Enola Gay onto a heading of 264 degrees, slightly south of due west.
At 31,060 feet and at an indicated airspeed of 200 miles per hour, the bomber roared on as Van Kirk called Tibbets on the intercom saying
"IP".
Exactly on time, at the pre-determined height and designated air-speed, Van Kirk had navigated the Enola Gay to the IP (initial point) over Hiroshima. It was 8:12 a.m."
You're viewing an extremely high quality (and extremely rare)
©
bookplate that was officially created by me (under my copyright) with the blessing of my good friend Ted "Dutch" Van Kirk, a few years before Dutch passed away in 2014.
This all original signed
©
bookplate was thoughtfully produced in a 4 inch x 6 inch size, so that it would fit inside any aviation or military book.
Some collectors have informed me that they've professionally framed their unique high-end bookplate and proudly displayed. One collector wrote:
"I bought the plate for my "509th" collection because it is very well designed and an attractive "stand alone" piece."
My standards
(for provenance, historically accurate information, etc.) as an avid aviation collector for 45 years have always been high, so I made sure that this bookplate (my design that was also copywritten
©
) was superbly produced with the finest computer ink processing, using non-acidic "bright-white" card stock of the highest quality. Dutch then signed each & everyone with a modern and pre-filled old 1940's style type fountain pen I'd obtained at a well known art supply store in my area.
This extremely limited, copywritten
©
, original edition, custom created bookplate was signed in this fashion because I was trying to have Dutch's signature give the appearance of an older 1940's fountain pen. Signing the bookplate in a 1940's style with a modern version of this type of 1940's writing implement also meant that there would be no chance of any leakage or "ink skipping" from using an original 1940's fountain pen. This modern version of this older pen type fountain pen would also be as easy to use for Dutch as any modern pen would be (compared to an original 1940's version), while BOLDLY showing off his signature. It's a signature that's far superior in historical appearance to a signature written with a sharpie (a sharpie signature can at times "yellow" after a few years) or a ballpoint pen, which can sometimes smear &/or fade with time.
Dutch and I had thought of using pencil, since pencil is usually used by veterans for signing extremely collectible aviation/military prints, as pencil will not yellow or fade. However, Dutch and I decided against using pencil because a print is framed and protected behind glass, while a book is free-standing & might be handled. So Dutch agreed with me that if someone was opening and closing a book, over time a signature in pencil could possibly smudge and/or possibly wear away.
I purposely did not have this rare, limited and copy-written collectible
©
bookplate made into the type that has a glued "peel-away" backing, the type of bookplate you peel the paper off of and stick into a book. I'm always afraid that any glue that's put on the back of a bookplate at the time of manufacture, might not be a fully non-acidic type of glue.
The acid within an acidic glue can eventually turn brown, in time leeching through the bookplate and onto the book. This usually happens many years later, ruining the signature and the bookplate while also staining the book.
I've seen older "sticky" bookplates (with the protective backing having never been peeled off) leech a brownish gunk from between the bookplate and its backing paper, which also ruins everything.
This is why I was so turned off to doing a bookplate that could have been "glued-in". I didn't want to chance it on such an important, historical and irreplaceable collectible.
With Dutch now gone, at least I know that all the effort Dutch and I put into these now irreplaceable bookplates will not be compromised in collectible quality as time passes. If kept within the confines of a book, or properly framed behind the highest quality UV protective glass, the "shelf-life" of your bookplate should be infinite.
Within the world of my own collecting preferences, a very big plus for me in having a rare signed
©
bookplate that remains "free standing", is that it can always be put into a different book somewhere down the road. If your rare Dutch Van Kirk signed bookplate is not permanently applied into just one single book, it will not permanent to only one book, unless you specifically want it to be. We all have our own preferences, and maybe you would choose to put your bookplate into a very special/rare military or aviation book permanently. If you'd decide to do that, please always use an "acid-free" white glue, such as "NEUTRAL pH ADHESIVE" by LINECO.
I like this particular product because it has the consistency of a normal white glue, yet it's incredibly strong & absolutely "non-acidic". Please use it VERY sparingly and apply it as thin as you can away from any writing or the signature that's on the other side. You will also want to avoid wetting/soaking the bookplate and/or the book. Too much glue will cause the area behind the bookplate (and possibly the bookplate itself) to soften and ripple.
I suggest applying the glue sparingly ONLY within a very small area of each of the 4 corners, staying at least 1/4 to 1/8th of an inch away from the edges and corners of the bookplate. Please know that a little bit of this glue goes a LONG way, as even a small amount (when gluing paper to paper) holds tenaciously.
Personally, I'd put the bookplate on the inside of an inside blank page that's closest to the front
of your chosen military or aviation book, where a book is usually "flat-signed".
Whatever adhesive you DO choose, if it doesn't say "acid-free" on the container, then it isn't "acid-free", no matter what anyone tries to tell you. Fine art supply stores in your area are your best chance of finding "acid-free" glues & other "acid-free" supplies. Please know that since I obtained these new from my printer back in 2010, that they've all been stored within a temperature (70F) & humidity controlled (50%) environment. None of them have ever been exposed to either direct or indirect sunlight.
Please
see
the
picture
I
took
of
Dutch
while
he
was
signing
my
©
bookplates
at
his
kitchen
table
!
T
he
Mid-Atlantic
Air
Museum's
WW2
Weekend
in
June
of
2010
in
Reading,
PA...
At the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum's WW2 Weekend in June of 2010 in Reading, PA, I'd arranged a get together with Richard "Dick" Cole (James Doolittle's co-pilot), myself and Dutch with the "Doolittle Raiders" organization. It was at that time that Dutch approved my final design for the bookplate. I of course t
ook many pictures for provenance of this terrific get-together.
Dutch was also kind enough to sign my finalized design (the original prototype) of the bookplate as well, which I'll always treasure. This special "one-off"
©
bookplate is not part of this or any other sale.
At a later date after Dutch had signed the bookplates,
"Dick" Cole (Jimmy Doolittle's co-pilot of the April 1942 mission to strike Tokyo) also signed about six of the "Dutch signed" bookplates for me. The Dick Cole/Dutch Van Kirk signed bookplates are not part of this or any other sale.
The meeting at the MAAM of June 2010 was truly historic! Here was Richard "Dick" Cole & David Thatcher, two of the heroes who began the air-assault on Japan! Here also was my good friend Dutch Van Kirk, who was one of the heroes who was part of the finish of the air-assault on Japan!
At a breakfast with the "Doolittle Raiders" organization that I was invited to on one of the mornings of this MAAM June 2010 WW2 weekend, I sat next to Dick Cole. He wanted to personally thank me for having helped Dutch with all I'd helped him with the past years, in getting Dutch's name out there, etc. That entire MAAM 2010 WW2 Weekend was one of the absolute highlights of my life!
At a later date in 2010 on one of several visits with Dutch at his home, I'd brought the finished bookplates along for Dutch to sign. Dutch and I did this together over 4 days, as signing a few at a time was easiest for Dutch. Having Dutch sign
the bookplates was a fun project for the both of us. Dutch and I would stop his signing of the bookplates mid-day for a LONG lunch. When we'd get back to Dutch's house, he'd sign a few more in the afternoon and then we'd go for dinner at various restaurants, as we both enjoyed eating good food. I guess you could say we were unabashed "foodies" when we'd get together.
Keeping company with Dutch throughout the many years we'd known each other was always enhanced by our talks. Dutch was always extremely candid about his pre-war (flight) training in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1940, when he attempted to become a pilot. He wasn't progressing well in pilot training, but the British still tried to recruit him as a pilot in 1940 during the height of the Battle of Britain, well before the USA entered the war on December 7th, 1941.
The RAF (Royal Air Force) was at that time looking for any aviators to help keep Hitler from advancing into Britain, since at this time Britain stood alone. So the RAF sent 'scouts' over here to look for anyone to join their fight. They got hold of Dutch and Dutch was seriously thinking about it. Luckily, Dutch's commanding officer got wind of what Dutch was considering doing. He told Dutch that since Dutch wasn't progressing well as a pilot and had no combat experience, that he (Dutch) wouldn't last more than a few flying hours in combat against the experienced German pilots, some of whom had been flying & fighting since the Spanish Civil War. Luckily Dutch listened to his commanding officer and said no to the RAF recruiter. Dutch stayed in the US Army Air Corps and a short time later was found to have the potential for excellence in aerial navigation, becoming an absolutely terrific ETO, MTO and PTO navigator.
Dutch went on to complete 58 missions in the ETO and MTO from mid-1942 through the early part of 1943 within the 97th BG, 340th BS.
With Paul Tibbets, Tom Ferebee and his other crew members many times flying lead, this crew shared the extreme difficulty and (at times) sheer terror of air combat together. This was during a VERY rough time for the then fledgling 8th Air Force (Army Air Corps), when they had only short range fighter escort available. Long range P-51's for round-trip fighter escort (especially into Germany proper) wouldn't be available for at least another year.
After his ETO & MTO tours, Dutch went back to the USA in early 1943 to teach "air navigation under combat conditions". I asked Dutch "What exactly did that mean, air navigation under combat conditions?" Dutch told me: "It means navigating an aircraft while people were trying their best to kill you!" As we all know, Dutch then went on to navigate the ENOLA GAY from Tinian to Hiroshima (and back to Tinian) on August 6, 1945.
Since the Japanese had no aircraft that could get up to the height the (Glenn L. Martin produced) "Silverplate" ENOLA GAY flew at (considering the ENOLA GAY's "Silverplate" modifications with all its advancements over the "normal" B-29s of that time), Dutch always said (and you'd know this if you'd met him) that the Hiroshima mission was (except for the A-bomb explosion) very uneventful. Dutch's description to me personally of how he and Tom Ferebee saw Hiroshima straight ahead on a clear, beautiful morning, will always remain within my minds eye.
Finding out SO much about Dutch's flying career within the US Army Air Corps (1940-1947) was terrific. Those visits with Dutch at his home, as well as being with Dutch and Paul Tibbets at various air shows, the Smithsonian (Udvar-Hazy) seminars over the years, as well as many other venues I'd been at with them both, will be greatly missed.
These very rare and extremely limited, copywritten
©
bookplate's design I created in 2010 with have already been purposely copied for use in other aviation bookplate designs by others, with full intent to defraud. The ebay VeRO section that specializes in copyright infringement (as well as the US government when you've had something officially copywritten) takes your complaint of copyright infringement very, VERY seriously! VeRO/ebay removes the copyright violated listing as soon as it's pointed out! If however, the seller chooses to re-list that copy-written item/listing again, the seller is then removed from ebay. This also gives one an edge if one is also planning on pursuing legal action pertaining to a copyright infringement.
Because concerns to the authenticity concerning the many discrepancies (fakes) specific to Dutch's signature, I respectfully suggest that you be especially wary if you see any other 'Dutch signed' items or the like that are similar to my design, signed items that purport to have been 'signed' by Dutch Van Kirk. I'd be very concerned as to the authenticity of those items purporting to be signed by Dutch that do not have proper provenance associated with them.
After Dutch passed, it absolutely amazed me to see just how many faked signatures are up on ebay and other places on the www that purport to be Dutch's but aren't.
In general, please be careful when purchasing any signature that purports to be real, yet has no provenance of any kind.
T
oday's superior printing technology can make almost any signature look real. For your own protection when it comes to a Dutch Van Kirk or any other signature, please be sure that at least the seller and signature are legit. Buying a "free standing" index card or the like with a name signed on it and no provenance is just downright silly.
The older mechanical "auto-pens", or the newer computerized signature signing devices (computerized "auto-pens") that were/are sometimes used to re-claim a signature after that person had died, can make a faked signature look authentic. What makes "auto-pen" signatures easy to spot, is that there's no natural variation of the signature, as there is with my bookplates. With any "auto-pen" signature, each & every signature with be exactly the same.
So please, ask questions concerning ANY signature's provenance before you buy. If you've already purchased it, check the signature you've obtained thoroughly. Sometimes a faked signature can be easy to discern, such as each of the letters starting and stopping (an interupted "flow") within letters within the name. These are discrepancies that can be easily seen when examined under proper magnification, such as using a "jeweler's loop" with very good lighting.
Please rest assured that your
©
Dutch Van Kirk Bookplate
will be
properly wrapped & packaged as carefully and as securely as I would want it done for me.
Your official
©
Dutch Van Kirk Bookplate
will be
secured within hard cardboard, after it's been closed-up within a clear sealed baggie for waterproofing. I first put it into a clear and sealed baggie, just in case anyone at the USPS gets careless and gets the outside of your packet wet. It's always better to be safe, rather than sorry.
My having been close friends with Dutch Van Kirk for years before he passed and having had an ongoing acquaintanceship with Paul Tibbets for years as well, I asked both Dutch and Paul which were the best books on the subject of the 509th and information surrounding the group, the people, the aircraft, the atomic bombs etc. Both Paul Tibbets and Dutch Van Kirk mentioned the following books with great enthusiasm for their well written truth & accuracy. This excellent signed bookplate would be a superb addition to any of these books!
ENOLA GAY
&
ENOLA GAY REMEMBERED
by Paul W. Tibbets
(Various publishing dates
)
- This is Paul Tibbets personal biography of his U.S. Army Air Corps and U.S. Air Force (1947+) career, as well as the story of his involvement in commanding the 97th BG (340th BS), 509th Composite BG, testing various aircraft (such as the B-29 and B-47 for Boeing), flying the
ENOLA GAY
to Hiroshima & back as commander of the 509th, etc. Paul Tibbets was always in the midst of US Army Air Corps aviation, well before WW2 and up to and (for a time) after the dawn of the modern USAF post 1947. General Tibbets came up with innovative aviation combat tactics (it was Tibbet's idea to bomb low over Japan, NOT LeMay's!), aircraft flight testing, etc.
You might think that by Paul telling me that this is a good book was self-serving, but nothing could be further from the truth. Paul (General Tibbets) could not have been more exacting in extracting the truth, or have been more meticulous with historical accuracy.
This book had been re-edited at least several times by Paul personally before his death, the last editions having been published in paperback. Any edition of this book is incredibly well written, with accurate insights into important parts of United States aviation history. All editions are full of information none of us other than Paul (or maybe Dutch Van Kirk and/or Tom Ferebee) ever knew. Paul, Dutch and other historical aviators I've met over the years endorsed it because we all knew that Paul was a "part of it all", as well as his being a stickler for historical accuracy. As historically accurate as any editions of
ENOLA GAY
are, they're all terrific "reads" that any aviation enthusiast won't be able to easily put down.
THE 509TH REMEMBERED (2005)
-
A History of the 509th Composite Group as told by the Veterans that Dropped the Atomic Bombs on Japan - edited by Robert and Amelia Krauss
-
I've known Robert (Bob) Krauss and his lovely wife Amelia for what seems like ages now. This occurred mostly because of my friendship over the years with Ted "Dutch" Van Kirk and Paul Tibbets. This was a book that Dutch Van Kirk, navigator of the ENOLA GAY (mission to Hiroshima, August 6th, 1945), highly endorsed.
I had a wonderful connection with many aviation veterans over the past years, but when I was with Dutch and Paul, THAT was very special! Rest assured that if there had been ANY problems
with either the research, the text or the pictures in
THE 509TH REMEMBERED
,
Dutch or Paul would have been all over Bob about it, but
THE 509TH REMEMBERED
is spot-on!
I
n consideration of just how much information and never before seen pictures specific to the 509th are packed into this superb piece of aviation history,
t
his book is actually a bargain! Dutch felt SO strongly about the importance of this book and its factual accuracy, that he endorsed it by being pictured on the inside of the book's dust-jacket with Bob and Amelia Krauss. This is an aviation book that should be in every WW2 aviation library.
THE SILVERPLATE BOMBERS
by Richard H. Campbell
(2005)
- Want to know everything there is/was to know about the specially built B-29's ordered by Paul Tibbets for use by the 509th? Then this s that book! Paul Tibbets helped the author with his research for this book, as Paul wanted this book to be technically and historically accurate. As it turned out, Paul was so enamored with the way this author put it all together, that Paul wrote the introduction for this book himself! A great book to own on this most unique and historically important variation of Boeing's B-29 design!
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT SOME COLORS & BRIGHTNESS MAY VARY SLIGHTLY
BETWEEN OLDER & NEWER COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEMS, MONITORS & DEVICES.
This collectible has always been properly
stored
within a temperature, humidity & dust controlled area since new.
It has never been exposed to direct or indirect sunlight.
This collectible comes from a non-smoking, non-pet home.
Please see all pictures for your best description!
Please ask your questions before you bid.
Toybum-is Fun!
P
romises You
the Following:
That your Trust Is Always Highly Respected & Appreciated.
Your Items Are Always Highly Respected & Handled With Care.
Highly Organized & Considerate Customer Care Is My Absolute Priority.
You can always assured of Careful, Secure, Proper & Professional Packing.
Please See My Ebay Feedback For Your Peace Of Mind.
So that misunderstandings do not occur, please do not assume anything before you bid.
I'm always available to email additional information and/or extra pictures to you through ebay email.
Per ebay rules, please know that once you've bid & per ebay rules,
you've entered into a contractual obligation to complete the sale.
There are many reasons beyond my control that could affect the arrival time of your
collectible(s),
such
as
weather, etc. Please check the "shipper's postmark" (date of shipment) t
o see
when your
package was shipped.
You'll see that I always ship within three days of the winner's verified payment.
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