S/Sgt. Arthur E. Claypool
S/Sgt. Arthur E Claypool was born in Kittanning,
Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. He was drafted into the US Army 23 December
1942. He went to Fort George G Meade Jan 1 to Jan 4, Miami Beach Jan 6 to Feb
6, Lincoln Air base Nebraska Feb 7 to July 2, Chanute Field Illinois July 3 to
Aug 24, then to Boeing
Aircraft Factory Seattle, Washington Aug 27 to
Nov 1, 1943. In February 1944 he was transferred to Clovis Army Airforce Base
in New Mexico. There he began training on the B-17F bomber. He later trained on
the B-29 bomber in June 1944. In August 1944 he was assigned to Army Airforce
base in Herrington, Kansas and then transferred to Morrison Field for more training
on the B-29 bomber. On September 1944 he was assigned to Left Machine Gunner on
the B-29 bomber. October 1944 he was transferred to Twentieth Air Force, 58 Bomber
Command, 40 Bomb Group, 45 Bomb Squadron APO 631 CBI Theater of War (China-Burma-India).
Combat Operations began in October 1944 from a
B-29 Air Base in Hsinching, China. Combat Operations ran from September 1944
till March 1945. On November 21, 1944, during S.Sgt Claypool's third mission, he and nine other crew members bailed out when their aircraft suffered mechanical malfunctions due to battle damage. The crew's bombardier was killed in action. Notifying by radio to a nearby base, the crew was soon rescued. The Chinese, living in the area, were helpful in the rescue. On April 1945, the 45 Bomb Squadron was transferred to Tinian
Island APO 247 in the Marianna Islands. Combat Operations continued until
August 14, 1945. Tinian Island is historically important because the 2 Atomic Bombs
were dropped on Japan from this Island. On 25 October 1945 S/Sgt Arthur E
Claypool was separated from the US Army Airforce at Wright-Patterson Field in Dayton,
Ohio.
S/Sgt Arthur Claypool married his wife Doris
Schwartz in Clovis, New Mexico 4 April, 1944. They met by reading an
interesting letter an Army buddy was reading. Letters back and forth between
Clovis, New Mexico and Detroit, Michigan resulted in their marriage. Following
his service, S/Sgt. Claypool and wife Doris moved to Helena, Ohio where he
raised a family of three sons. He worked at the National Carbon Company in
Fremont, Ohio from which he retired in 1980. Biographical information and
service record were provided by S/Sgt. Claypool’s eldest son Ron Claypool of
Helena.
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THE CREW OF THE
SNAFUPER BOMBER
1/Lt JAMES COWDEN; Leland Jones; Floyd
Steiner; Ira B. Redmon; Leonard Koenig; E.L. Austin;
William Salmon; Ray
Adamson; Michael Shebak; Edward Bronson; Glen Voris; Sgt Arthur Claypool lCC-
#275 B-29 Bomber
Bailed out after bombing OMURA, JAPAN
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S/Sgt. Arthur Claypool, performing maintenance on Snafuper Bomber #275, the aircraft which suffered mechanical malfunction due to battle damage on November 21, 1944.
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| S/Sgt Arthur Claypool and wife Doris Schwartz Claypool |
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| S.Sgt Claypool served as left machine gunner on this plane for 22 his bombing missions. |
S/Sgt Arthur E
Claypool SN 33416992 list of B-29 bombing raids against Japan WW II; 40th Bombardment
Group (VH), 45th Bombardment Squad
S/Sgt Arthur E. Claypool left the USA on
Aug. 17, 1944 and arrived in India Sept. 23, 1944 for assignment to B-29 base
(A-1) Hsingching, China.
Listed with the bombing raids are the planes he flew in by number. The first
B-29 was Snafuper Bomber # 275
which crashed in China after being damaged over Omura, Japan. The crew bailed out with one man
killed in action. In April 1945 S/Sgt Claypool's Unit was transferred to TINIAN
island.
(1944)
1. Mission-Formosa
Oct 14 B-29 # 275 1100 hours
2. Mission-Formosa
Oct 17 B-29 # 275 1040 hours
3. Mission-Omura
Japan Nov 21 B-29 # 275 1625 hours (Plane crashed in China from battle damage)
4. Mission-Omura
Japan Dec 19 B-29 # 739 1400 hours
5. Mission-Mudken
Manchuria Dec 21 B-29 # 739 1200 hours
(1945)
6. Mission-Omura
Japan Jan 6 B-29 # 739 1400 hours
7. Mission-Singapore
Malaya Jan 11 B-29 # 407 1730 hours
8. Mission-Formosa
Jan 14 B-29 # 739 1130 hours
9. Mission-Formosa
Jan 17 B-29 # 739 1030 hours
10. Mission-Singapore
Malaya Feb 24 B-29 # 739 1645 hours
11. Mission-Rangoon
Burma March 22 B-29 # 739 1225 hours
12. Mission-Singapore
Malaya (night raid) March 30 B-29 # 579 1850 hours
13. Mission-Kure
Japan May 5 B-29 # 739 1625 hours
14. Mission-Tokoyama
Japan May 10 B-29 # 739
15. Mission-Nagoya
Japan May 14 B-29 # 085
16. Mission-Tokyo
Japan (night raid) May 24 B-29 # 555
17. Mission-Kasumiguara
Seaplane Station (Japan) June 10 B-29 # 739
18. Mission-Osaka
Japan June 15 B-29 # 739
19. Mission-Toyahashi
Japan (night raid) June 20 B-29 # 739
20.
Mission-Kagamigahara Japan (Mitsubishi Aircraft Plant) June 26 B-29 # 739
21. Mission-Yokohama
Japan (night raid) June 29 B-29 # 739
22. Mission-Kure
Japan (night raid) July 2 B-29 # 739
23. Mission-Takamatsu
Japan (night raid) July 4 B-29 # 739
24. Mission-Sendai
Japan (night raid) July10 B-29 # 739
25. Mission-Osaka
Japan July 24 B-29 # 739
26. Mission-Tsu Japan
(night raid) July 29 B-29 # 739
27. Mission-Hachieji
Japan (night raid) Aug 2 B-29 # 739
28. Mission-Tokoyawa
Japan Aug 7 B-29 # 739
29. Mission-Hikari
Naval Arsenal (Honshu Island) Japan Aug 14 B-29 # 739
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| Honorable Discharge Papers of S/Sgt Arthur Claypool |
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| S'Sgt Claypool's squadron flew over the battleship Missouri on September 2, 1945 during the signing of the Japanese surrender |
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| S/Sgt. Claypool's last bombing mission on August 14, 1945 on the Hikari Naval Arsenal. This was the day the Japanese surrendered. |
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| Chinese puppy lying on a 500 pound bomb |
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| S/Sgt. Claypool bailed out of this Snafuper bomber (#275) due to malfunction caused by battle damage. Captain Coden piloted this bomber. |
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| Crew members saying farewell to Captain Cowden as he was being re-assigned. (Cowden stands second from left.) |
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| Aerial View of B-29 Air Base located in Hsinching, China |
