Frederick C. Bock
Doctor Frederick C. Bock | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 18, 1918 Greenville, Michigan |
| Died | August 25, 2000 (aged 82) Scottsdale, Arizona |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service | Army Air Force |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | 509th Composite Group |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Lossman Bock |
| Other work | Research Scientist |
Frederick C. Bock (January 18, 1918 – August 25, 2000) was a World War II pilot who took part in the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945. He flew the B-29 bomber The Great Artiste, which was used for scientific measurements and photography of the effects caused by the nuclear weapon.[1]
A civilian observer was aboard The Great Artiste named William L. Laurence who was a science writer with the New York Times. His account of the mission was to be awarded the 1946 Pulitzer Prize.
In his subsequent book Dawn Over Zero (Knopf 1946), Laurence describes the scene aboard the B-29 -
I watched Capt. Frederick C. Bock, the pilot of our ship, go through the intricate motions of lifting a B-29 off the ground and marveled at the quiet efficiency of this Michigan boy who had majored in philosophy at Chicago University... I talked to him on the ground and I was amazed at the transformation that had taken place. Man and machine had become one, a modern centaur.
— William L. Laurence, Dawn Over Zero (1946)
The bomber which actually dropped Fat Man was called Bockscar[2] as it was usually flown by Frederick Bock. The staff was swapped just before the raid and Major Charles Sweeney piloted Bockscar, which flew with The Great Artiste and another aircraft. A native of Greenville, Michigan, Bock died at his Arizona home in 2000, of cancer.[3]
References
- ^ Saxon, Wolfgang (2000-08-29). "F. C. Bock, 82, Monitor of Nagasaki Bombing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
- ^ USAF Museum - Bockscar Story Archived 2007-11-17 at the Wayback Machine Fact Sheet
- ^ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-08-30/news/0008300191_1_mr-bock-great-artiste-nagasaki
 | This article about a notable individual during World War II is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
  | This biographical article related to World War II United States Army personnel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |