When WW II broke out the natural thing for a King to do when a fight breaks out is to join it which they did.Mr. Edward Kingrey, nephew of Glenn King, has granted permission to share his Uncle's official photographs taken during WW II in the Battle of the South Pacific. Photographs shown are from the belly of a B24 Liberator, from Chatham Field in the State of Georgia, to the annihilation of Nagasaki and the signing of surrender by Japan on Okinawa.
When Glenn King graduated from Deer Park High School in 1932 he headed straight to California as he was sick of Washington weather. He signed up and was sent to Chatham Field in Georgia where he was assigned to Combat Aerial Photography in the Army Air Corps. That training course lasted a number of months.
Training missions involved both B 24s and 25s. with many long flights along the east coast.
The butterflies were probably fluttering as the flight began it's journey to the South Pacific in 1942.
An Aerial photo of Their camp on Angaur.
A serene scene taken somewhere in the Hawiian Island chain.
Most photos taken in the Philippines were in peacefull scenes.
Not many horse drawn carts come into view.
Glenn King with a captured Japanese Battalion flag.
It is said there were more lives lost in the battle for Okinawa than in all the other Island invasions combined. This disaster led to the decision to drop the atomic bomb in lieu of invasion of the Japan. Glenn King caught a perfect shot of the death of one of our B24s. Please note the main body of the plane lower center with wing , twin engines and props in the very upper center of this revealing photo of the horrors of war
The outside of a Japanese burial shrine.
With the terrible loss of American lives in addition to the native Okinawan's the difficult decision to drop an atom bomb on Hiroshima was made. Here are the disastrous results. War is hell.
The following events were photographed by Glenn King and forwarded to the proper military authorities but these four were retained in his possession. These photographs record the Japanese signing formal surrender papers on Okinawa.
General Joe Stilwell witnessing the Japanese signing the surrender documents.
Some three years following departure from the peaceful confines of Chatham Field in Georgia Glenn King and his United States Air Corp's comrades prepare to return home victorious. The stakes had never been higher..
Mr. Glenn King, the Gentleman. Mr Glenn King the Man. Mr Glenn King the Fighter, Mr. Glenn King the Hero.
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The B 24 Liberator was the Man of War and of the hour. Probably one of the toughest bomber in our arsenal at the time. It was so ugly and vicious looking it was beautiful.
Note: Not in Chronological order. Newport News Virginia was one destination for King and his crew.
Glenn King's Nephew Edward Kingrey gives the following sequence of Islands, Hawaiian Islands, Guam, Anguar Palau Islands, Ulithi Islands, Philippines, Okinawa ( Japan Surrender and finally stationed in Nagasaki.)
Glenn's first camp site on Anguar
Their second campsite on Anguar.
How to wash a cow Filipino style.
A very nice clean cut family gathering.
Then came Okinawa. Now the Philippines was no cake walk by any means. How ever very little input by Glenn King. Okinawa was a total disaster concerning casualties. It is highly recomended that you merely Google Okinawa or any of the other Islands for WW II information.
Barely anything is intact in this image of a destroyed Japanese landing craft.
Entrance to a Japanese burial shrine on Okinawa
The interior of a Japanese burial shrine. The unimaginable loss of life of the Japanese undoubtedly gave their commanders pause as well.
Although Glenn Kings last deployment was in Nagasaki one of the greatest event of the greatest war ever staged was about to unfold right before the camera of the photographer chosen to record this historic event. The surrender of the Pacific Japanese forces on Okinawa.
General Joe Stilwell signing the surrender documents.
Japanese saluting the American flag during the surrender cerimonies on Okinawa.
Back on U.S. soil. He doesn't seem to be having much luck training this Deer to obey orders. Now he knows how his commanding officers must have felt.
The fitting tribute. A Japanese girl born four years after World War II enjoying the company of an American who fought for his country with every fiber in his being. Here shown in the company of the wife of his loving American nephew, Edward Kingrey.
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