Battle damaged Japanese steam engine, Tinian
Gift of Donald Schlenger
Description:
Photograph. Battle damaged Japanese steam engine abandoned on overgrown railroad tracks. There is a large hole blown in the side of the cab and the coal car. Personal caption on reverse: "For transporting rice on Tinian prewar." Tinian. No date
Image Information
Donor:
Accession Number:
Date:
1944-12-
1945-09-
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Items from the service of Donald S. Schlenger, who was an officer in the 570th Air Engineering Squadron, 359th Air Service Group, 20th Air Force in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Schlenger was born on 9 May 1921 in New Jersey and is the son of R&S Auto cofounder, Herman Schlenger and his wife, Ruth. He grew up in South Orange and left to attend the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Months before his graduation in 1943, Schlenger enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces. In 1944, he was sent to Harvard Army Airfield in Nebraska before being shipped off to Tinian. While on Tinian, Schlenger led a crew of enlisted personnel who repaired and maintained the central fire control systems on B-29 Bombers. He remained on Tinian until the end of 1945. Upon returning to the United States, Schlenger moved back to New Jersey and ran R&S Auto during the 1960s. Schlenger moved out of New Jersey and is currently enjoying retirement. The collection consists of over 70 photographs of Schlenger's time in the service as well as newspaper and periodical clippings.
Geography:
Tinian
Thesaurus for Graphic Materials:
Railroad locomotives--Japanese--Tinian
World War, 1939-1945--Destruction and pillage--Tinian