Old VLJ post- Muroc 1930s Photos

Just thought I'd move this one over to the new board.

I spent the last week or so getting to know the people at our History Office here on Edwards AFB and was able to gain access to their library of photos, documents and maps. I was blown away at the amount they have. I spent two hours and only got through eight boxes of photos out of probably close to 1000 boxes. I only looked through the ones titled facilities Pre 1955. I'm going back next week to look through ones titled People. I did manage to find these great photos. All the photos I pulled out, she had scanned and on CD the next day for me. Anyway, here are some great photos of the early deployments to Muroc Bombing & Gunnery range sometime around 1934.








Here are a few more photos taken during those early deployments to Muroc Bombing and Gunnery range in the 1930s.

Overhead photo aircraft parked on eastern shore of Rogers Dry Lake on 12 Mar 1936. At the time, I believe they referred to Rogers Dry Lake as just "Rod". The original name for the lake bed was "Rodriguez", hence the shortened version to "Rod".



This photo shows the small tent city that is located in the top portion of the above photo. I'm actually trying to gain access to this area to metal detect as I'm sure it's loaded with relic from the past that I will be turning over to the museum.



This photo was taken during the first deployment to the western shore of Rogers Dry Lake on 24 Jan 1935. This are is the current location of NASA's Dryden Research Center at Edwards.



Another favorite photo since I've seen so many B&W photos of the Muroc Maru. Finally found one in color. Built during WW2 to give training on bombing sea targets. Dismantled shortly after the war in 1950. Built of wood and chicken wire. I actually have a push pin on Google Earth at the location this used to be at on the south western shore of Rogers Dry Lake.



Here is an image overlay that I did on the middle photo on Google Earth. Clicking on the link will open up Google Earth (for those that have it) with the image overlay.

http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/download.php?Number=1128572

I love these photos. Looks like a lot of A2s with buttons on the pockets (ala Security Togs models). Great job. Thanks.

Just wanted to show some zooms of these photos. Love the detail on these jackets.






Lately been thinking about a A-2 after all these years. Since my last unit I served with was the 31st TES, I thought this might be a good patch idea using one from the 31st Bomb Sq. One of the jackets pictured is an A-1 jacket.

Wow, great shots. First time I've seen a colour pic of the Muroc Maru. What's going on on the left side of the jackets in a couple of those enlargements, under the patch? They've all got a sewn rectangle, which I first thought might be something to do with some sort of internal pocket, but I reckon it might be a printed nametag? I've seen pics of nametags in that position before.

Great photos ... thanks for posting those again. Here's the sister thread from March 2008 with more.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=230

These close-up pictures are so informative. It would appear the pilots are wearing SAT and Werber A2s and at least one A1. I do like the more generous fit of most of the A2s.

Yes, I also assume they are SAT and Webers. I have always liked these photos because of the rarity of seeing these A-2 versions. I was really lucky to such high quality scans of these photos from our history office.

Weasel_Loader said:

Yes, I also assume they are SAT and Webers. I have always liked these photos because of the rarity of seeing these A-2 versions. I was really lucky to such high quality scans of these photos from our history office.

Click to expand...

If you come across any more please post them for us to enjoy.

MikeyB-17 said:

Wow, great shots. First time I've seen a colour pic of the Muroc Maru. What's going on on the left side of the jackets in a couple of those enlargements, under the patch? They've all got a sewn rectangle, which I first thought might be something to do with some sort of internal pocket, but I reckon it might be a printed nametag? I've seen pics of nametags in that position before.

Click to expand...

I'd love to know what those patches outlined above the left pockets are. Looks like name tags, but I don't see any writing on them. Interesting.

Roughwear said:

These close-up pictures are so informative. It would appear the pilots are wearing SAT and Werber A2s and at least one A1. I do like the more generous fit of most of the A2s.

Click to expand...

They look so much better than the skin tight sausage with spaghetti arms some favour. Especially for those of us with a more mature build

Does anyone have a photo of the 'name tag' on a jacket either taken years ago, or of one in someone's collection?

The stitch areas all appear to be blank, as if the lower left pocket tag was compulsory to wear, then later, to remove.
I'd hate to have such a big tag on my jacket, but perhaps stitch holes might add a little authenticity...

Milu said:

They look so much better than the skin tight sausage with spaghetti arms some favour. Especially for those of us with a more mature build

Click to expand...

Well you see, it's not "authentic" - because the standard of "authentic" has been well established as WW2 authentic!

Your first generation A-2 was only for pilots - not for enlisted crew. (Navigators were drawn from the ranks of pilots; bombardiers were usually enlisted.) Those guys were mostly WW1 veterans - few born after 1900, many still lieutenants even tho past forty. They were, by the standards of the day, middle-aged. They had to be in good shape to haul those crates around the sky of course, but they weren't the undernourished depression kids who filled the ranks of the wartime AAF. And there were no material shortages to deal with either - the problem, always and in everything, was money. We have communiqués from 1935 showing a requisition for just 500(!) A-2s which had to be approved by the Chief of the Air Corps himself!

Now common wisdom has it - correctly - that dress clothing and uniforms of the 20s-30s era were rather close-fitting. Absent any knowledge like these (previously obscure) photos, it would make sense that flight gear of the era fit similarly. But these officers - whose numbers were very few, their gear still largely handmade and handfitted - wanted to be comfortable, and they got to be.