Description:

Atomic Bomb
Hiroshima, Japan, August 6, 1945
Enola Gay Flown Emergency Survival Kit Hook & Signed Photo! Ex. George Caron. 1st Flown Relic We Have Offered!
Relic

Enola Gay Flown, Emergency Survival Kit Fishing Hook, carried aboard the August 6, 1945 atomic bombing mission over Hiroshima. The hook was part of the Emergency Survival Kit carried by George R. Caron, the tail gunner aboard the Enola Gay, as a component of the U.S. Army Air Forces Type C-1 Survival Vest, designed to provide basic sustenance should a crew member be forced to parachute into enemy territory or open ocean. Caron, as the plane's sole gunner and positioned at the rear of the aircraft, carried this very hook as part of his standard-issue survival gear. The hook is handsomely matted below a photograph of the Enola Gay crew members which has been boldly signed by Paul Tibbets and Thomas Ferebee. Accompanied by a provenance packet which includes a copy of a notarized letter written and signed by Caron authenticating the unique relic. Displayed in a clam shell matte which measures 10.5" x 13.25."

This is the first Enola Gay flown relic we have ever offered at University Archives. It is worth noting that in 2022 Caron's Army Air Forces cloth survival chart, also carried aboard the Enola Gay, sold at Heritage Auctions for $68,750.

Ex. George Caron - Enola Gay Tail Gunner.

The copied letter reads, in part:

"This is to certify that the Emergency Sustenance Vest Type C-1 packet was carried by me aboard the B-29, Enola Gay, on Aug. 6, 1945 when we dropped the first Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima, Japan."

The Enola Gay departed North Field, Tinian, in the early morning hours of August 6, 1945. Alongside two other B-29 bombers for instrumentation and photography, the mission took approximately six hours to reach Hiroshima. At exactly 8:15 a.m. local time, the "Little Boy" uranium bomb was released, taking 53 seconds to fall from 31,060 feet.

George R. Caron, manning the tail gunner position, not only served as the aircraft's sole armed defender, but also was the first to visually witness the atomic explosion, capturing the iconic mushroom cloud with his onboard camera. His personal testimony and the survival equipment he carried offer a rare link to this critical moment in 20th-century history.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 10.5" x 13.25."
  • Medium: Relic

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October 8, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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