WW2 B-29 bomber with flight crew taken at Walker AFF in Kansas in 1944 during training before leaving to Guam to join the 459th Bombardment Squadron. The 459th BS was part of the 330th Bomber Group which was part of the 314th Bombardment Wing. This crew served 16 missions over Tokyo.

On the 16th mission on June 11, 1945 a Japanese fighter fired an automatic cannon and the explosive shell blew a four foot diameter hole in the outboard section of the left wing. Pilot Massopust regained control of the disabled aircraft when additional attacks from Japanese fighters disabled the both forward turrets and injured Bombardier Nowicki. Aircraft Commander Duty pulled Nowicki from the bombardier position and administered life saving assistance. Massopust kept the aircraft stable throughout the return flight back to the base in Guam for which he won the Distinguished Flying Cross.

I got this story from the son of a friend of Massopust who served with him in Guam. Please look at his website and you can learn a lot about those who served on Guam during the war. I own this photograph as part of my WW2 collection of our war heroes, and the back side has the signatures of the crew shown on the front. I am happy to share it with anyone. View full size.