14 replies
  1. Roxanne Herman says:

    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

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  2. Ed Baker says:

    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.

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  3. John Voss says:

    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.

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    • Ed Baker says:

      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

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      • John D Voss says:

        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.
        .

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          • Ed Baker says:

            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

          • John D Voss says:

            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..

    • boss says:

      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.
      B-17's over Sandia

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      • John D Voss says:

        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

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  4. John Voss says:

    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”.

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  5. Gerry Draper says:

    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.

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