Wednesday, April 8, 2015

(Not-So-) Wordless Wednesday: Squadron Headquarters, 1952

Here are more photos from my dad Fred Pape's military scrapbook:

On the back of the photo below, Dad wrote, "Taken in front of 37th HQ just after being approved by flying board.  Shadows around our necks are our black scarfs.  L[eft] to R[ight] Me [Second Lieutenant Frederick H. Pape, navigator-bombardier], Pep [Airman Second Class William R. "Pep" Peppers, gunner], and Milt [First Lieutenant Milton C. "Milt" Royles, pilot]."  Also known as Night Intruder Crew #12.


On the back of the photo below, Dad wrote:  "The three [bomb] squadron headquarter buildings at K-1.  L[eft] to R[ight]. 34th HQ, 37th HQ, and 95th HQ.  Korean laundry outside fence in background."



On the back of this next one, Dad wrote, "Another picture in front of 37th HQ after meeting flying board."


At left is a close-up of the sign for the 37th Bomb Squadron (L[ight]) Headquarters, the "Home of the Royal Bengals."  Another photo of the sign from the same era shows that the background (outside of the shield) was painted orange, not surprisingly.


© Amanda Pape - 2015 - click here to e-mail me.

2 comments:

  1. It's funny seeing these, since there are a couple on (I think) Flower Ave., Torrance, Ca. People were living in them and had them decorated to their taste as I was growing up, and even when my kids were. I wonder why they had them in Torrance.

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    1. Hi craftytrudy, thanks for commenting! The headquarters buildings pictured above are called quonset huts. A lot were surplus at the end of World War II, and it appears the City of Torrance allowed people to use them for housing (due to the shortage) as well as "shops, barns, garages, and other agricultural and industrial uses," according to articles from the September 5, 1946, and November 14, 1946, Torrance Herald.

      http://www.torranceca.gov/archivednewspapers/Herald/1946%20Jan%203%20-%201947%20Feb%2027/PDF/00000763.pdf

      http://www.torranceca.gov/archivednewspapers/Herald/1946%20Jan%203%20-%201947%20Feb%2027/PDF/00001000.pdf

      Here's some more info on the history of quonset huts and their postwar use in Santa Monica:
      http://www.santamonicapropertyblog.com/quonset-huts-wwii-in-santa-monica/

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