1945-1955 Display
If you missed the wonderful article in the Roswell Daily Record, you will have missed the information about our new display. Check out the info and a few photos at http://www.wafbmuseum.org/display/
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1 Jerry Smith Circle
Roswell, New Mexico 88203
575-347-2464
Open 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. M-S
Roswell, New Mexico 88203
575-347-2464
Open 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. M-S
Updates
- Let’s Grow Together – You can help the Walker Aviation Museum! October 6, 2016
- Join us at our annual golf tournament! April 3, 2016
- Ride in a Helicopter Saturday! September 16, 2015
- Gen. Walker Day Press Release September 11, 2015
- Purchase your banquet tickets today!!!! September 9, 2015
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I have fond memories of living on the base. Traffic stopping and everyone standing to salute the flag at taps every evening, playing Frisbee with our Dads in the open area behind our house, the “circle” where the colonels’ kids lived, babysitting, tarantulas, a rattlesnake in the back yard – wind, sand
I arrived at Walker 4/1/51 with the 439th Field Maintenance Squadron activated at Selfridge AFB, Mt. Clemens, MI. We, along with squadrons from bases in Kansas and Massachusetts among others were assigned the mission of reactivating the 6th Bomb Wing and becoming combat ready ASAP. I was Personnel Sgt. Major in Field Maintenance though at the time just a Pfc., having just enlisted in November 1950. I was waiting for a class assignment to flight training and had to enlist to keep from being drafted. We were told that as soon as we were combat ready in B-29’s we would transition to the B-36, the first to be deployed outside of Carswell AFB, Ft. Worth. We really did well achieving combat ready status either before year end or early 1952. We had been sending our retread pilots to school at Carswell later that year (’51) and got our first B-36 in Spring 1952. I’ll never forget when the first bird arrived and buzzed the field with everything firing…I was in the mess hall at lunch and when it flew over it damn near rattled everything off the tables. My tour was only for 21-months and my class assignment didn’t come through until October. By then I was scheduled for a class at Lowry AFB in Denver so I passed on flying at that time. Went back to Walker in March and stayed in the field maintenance orderly room until separation just before Christmas 1952 as an A1c. It was a very fulfilling experience achieving the total mission in short order.
During WWII Roswell AAF was a twin-engine flight training school. THe aircraft carried a fuselage letter code of “W” displayed on the aft fuselage. Later in the war the base was also used for B-25 and B-29 Transiton Training. Can ayone tell me if the bombers also carried the “W” code on the fuselage?? I am the author of http://www.fusleagecodes.com and am filling in bits of missing information for my website.
My recollection is that from 4/1/51 when I arrived at Walker and we had B-29’s the Logo was a cap R In a circle on the tail. When we got our B-36 it was the same. This was after WWII during Korea so maybe it was all changed . I’d be curious to know because I never see pictures any 29’s or 36’s with R in a circle or triangle. And My recollection is only number on the fuselage. Maybe we aren’t talking the same “code”
Ed Baker
Ed:
Somehow you scanned photo did not come thru to me… I appreciate the info you sent to me regarding the post WWII B-29 markings. But my interest is the WWII era when Roswell was a Transition Training base for the B-25, B-17 and B-29 crews.
.
I will continue to look through our photos. The photo that I posted should show up on this post…..
Sorry, it was John who sent the photo. I got it as is shown above. Hope you can see it. Wish I could help more with WWII info but I can’t. Good luck.
Ed Baker
Ed;
Thank you so much for your follow -up note. That B-17 photo is great and with the “W” code displayed it confirms that it was a Roswell based aircraft. Would you have any objections if i were to include the photo on my website ? Of course i always give photo credit to the USAF as well as to your museum as being the contirbutor . I’m keeping my eye out for “W” marked B-25 and B-29’s and will forward info on to you as I find it..
Yes, you have our permission to use the photo. A link to our website would be greatly appreciated.
John,
Below is an image scanned in courtesy of the Historical Museum here in Roswell. The back of the photo is also included. It says “B-17’s” over Sandia. I cannot confirm they were from RAAF, but I have been told they were.
Sunday, Nov 10, 2013
Ed: Just a note to informed you that I have now loaded the Roswell B-17 photo to my website. The photo can be found under the subsection of Transition Training -4E and it looks great! I have also provided a link to your museum. Also as a point of interest I have photos of Roswell twin engine training aircraft in both the Advanced -Twin Engine (AT-17) and the Bombadier-Navigator (AT-11).
John
Hello ED:
Just a note to let you know that today, Nov 21, I formally “Uploaded” massive changes/updates to my website of http://www.fuselagecodes.com The site now reflects FOUR Roswell AAF photos of the WWII era. The B-17 is in the Transition 4-E file, BT-13 is in the Miscellaneous file, AT-11 is in the Bombadier file and finally the AT-17’s are shown in the Adv-Twin engine file. As you know dring WWII Roswell based aircraft were marked with the fuselage code letter of “W”.
I am a Canadian currently residing in Alberta, but I previously lived in a small mountain town known as Clearwater, British Columbia.
While working on a section crew for Canadian National Railways (CNR) in a remote area north of Clearwater, and accessible only by rail, I discovered an old, long abandoned wood cabin set off in the woods.
Upon investigating the site I found a “Rothco” No. 195 cigarette lighter buried in a tiny dump site near the cabin.
This lighter is engraved as follows: Walker Air Force Base – Peace is our Profession.
The lighter is in fairly good condition despite where it was found… and I believe there might be a very interesting story as to how it found its way to this remote location.
If anyone can help me with any information regarding this item I would be very grateful.
My e-mail address: grd22@shaw.ca
Thanks.
Is there a list of names of children who were born at Walker? (for research purposes)
How many Other children (besides me)
were born on the base? Are there names?
I was born in July 1952 at the base hospital. In June of 1954 we had been moved to the base in Altus OK
Three of my siblings were born while dad was station at WAFB,,, 45-55. My sister Cleanne Jo Thomas was born Dec 7, 1946 on the base. Sister #2 was born Feb 25, 1951 downtown at St Mary’s Hosipital, she had some health issued. Brother Jon Daniel Thomas was born on base Jun 13, 1955. Jon was morn about a month before we started our adventure to move to Guam.