Charles Donald Albury

Charles Donald Albury (October 12, 1920 - May 23, 2009) was an American aviator who co-piloted the United States Army Air Forces B-29 bomber known as the Bockscar during the mission which dropped the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.^[1] The bombing of Nagasaki killed an estimated 40,000 people instantly, and led to Japan's unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945, ending World War II.^[1]

Biography

Early life

Albury was born in 1920 at his parents' home in Miami, Florida.^[1] The Miami Police Department building currently stands on the site of Albury's birthplace, as of 2009.^[1]

World War II

Albury enrolled at the University of Miami's engineering school, but dropped out before he completed his bachelor's degree in order to enlist in the United States Army during World War II.^[1] He joined the 509th Composite Group in 1943.^[1] The 509th Composite Group also included Col. Paul Tibbets, who would later command the Enola Gay during the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.^[1] Both Albury and Tibbets trained at the Wendover Air Force Base, located in Utah.^[1] However, neither Albury nor Tibbets, or any of the other men being trained at the base, knew what exactly they were training to carry out at the time.^[1]

Atomic bombing of Hiroshima

Albury was deployed as a pilot to the Pacific theater. On August 6, 1945, Albury witnessed the first atomic bombing of Hiroshima as pilot of the instrument observation plane, The Great Artiste, which accompanied the Enola Gay commanded by Tibbets.^[1] Albury measured the levels of radioactivity and magnitude of the atomic bomb from his plane.^[1] He would later state in an interview with Time Magazine, "When Tibbets dropped the bomb, we dropped our instruments and made our left turn. Then this bright light hit us and the top of that mushroom cloud was the most terrifying, but also the most beautiful, thing you've ever seen in your life. Every color in the rainbow seemed to be coming out of it."^[1]

Atomic bombing of Nagasaki

On August 9, 1945, just three days after the bombing of Hiroshima, Albury was chosen to co-pilot the B-29 Superfortress, nicknamed the Bockscar, which would drop the atomic bomb known as the "Fat Man" on the city of Nagasaki.^[1] The Bockscar was piloted by Major Charles Sweeney (1919–2004). The attack was delayed by cloud cover until the crew located a hole in the clouds.^[1] The Bockscar dropped the 10,200-pound "Fat Man" on the city of Nagasaki, instantly killing 40,000 people.^[1] An additional 35,000 Japanese citizens would succumb from radiation sickness and other injuries in the aftermath of the bombing.^[1]

Albury stated repeatedly during his life that he did not have any remorse for the attack or his role in the attack on Nagasaki, noting that many more lives would have been lost if the United States had launched a full invasion of mainland Japan.^[1]

Life following World War II

Albury moved to Coral Gables, Florida, following the end of World War II with his wife, Roberta.^[1] He chose a career as a commercial airline pilot for the now defunct Eastern Airlines^[1], where he crossed the picket line during the 1989 strike. Albury later became the co-manager of Eastern's Airbus A300 training program.^[1]

Charles Donald Albury died on May 23, 2009, at a hospital in Orlando, Florida, at the age of 88. He had suffered from congestive heart failure for several years before his death, but lived a full and happy life.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u} "Charles Donald Albury dies at 88; copilot on the Nagasaki bomb plane". Associated Press (Los Angeles Times). 2009-06-09. http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-charles-albury9-2009jun09,0,954488.story. Retrieved 2009-06-19. 

Persondata
Name	Albury, Charles
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Date of birth	October 12, 1920
Place of birth
Date of death	May 23, 2009
Place of death