Hello,
I recently started to search information about my dad on his B-29 missions and came across your posts...great information, thanks very much for all of your research and follow up!
My dad, Robert LeBreck, was also a member of the Mather crew that included your Great Uncle - he was the radar operator who was positioned in the rear of the aircraft and survived the crash. He passed away 5 years ago, but my mother is still alive and very active/alert and she has an excellent memory of this time if their lives. Shortly after they were married, my dad was sent to radar/mechanic school in Chicago and then off to Great Bend, Kansas to begin training for the B-29. My mom explains how nervous she was as they were training for an aircraft that was new and unproved.
Couple of things my mom has explained to me...I assume the crews remained together for their duration unless one became ill or was killed, if this is the case, then there was another crash that your Great Uncle was involved in. I don't have many details other than they made a water landing and were in a raft for 15+ hours at sea when a ship approached them. Based on the conversations, they thought it was a Japanese ship and that they were going to be taken POW. However, it was a British ship that had some 'friendly' natives on board that help aid in their rescue and eventual return back to their base at West Field in Tinian Islands. All of the crew survived and they resumed their duties that eventually led to the flight that crashed and killed your Great Uncle. All members of the forward portion of the B-29 were killed. My mom remembers a conversation with my dad whereby he explained that he got up from his radar seat (positioned behind the painted star on the fuselage) and told the rear gunner that he thought they were coming in very slow. Shortly afterward, the plane crashed and you explained in your post and one of the engines busted through where my dad would've been seated had he not gone to speak with the rear gunner. He suffered shrapnel wounds, but was able to return to service.
My mom has the same picture of the plane and crew that you posted. I am not certain of the chain of events regarding the aircraft they are pictured with as it relates to their water rescue...still trying to investigate, but my mom is certain that the water event occurred before the crash on Tinian.
My dad never like to speak much about his memories from the war - based on what these guys experienced at such a young age, I couldn't blame him.
If you have any interest in speaking with my mom, I will be happy to put you in touch with her.
Let's try to stay connected and share any additional information either of us come across.
Thanks,
Steve LeBreck
