The Aviation Museum was privileged to recently receive an extensive collection of World War II artifacts from the son of a decorated U.S. Army Air Corps B-24 co-pilot.
Henniker resident Tim Beebe’s father, Flight Officer Edward Beebe, successfully crash-landed his damaged aircraft “Pinup Girl” in a Dutch farmer’s field on April 5, 1945. In so doing, Beebe saved not only his life, but those of two other crewmen, one of whom had been seriously injured during the mission.
All three were taken prisoner by the Germans, treated for their injuries, and subsequently repatriated after VE Day. For his heroic actions, Beebe was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
To learn more, check out our Recent Acquisitions page.
I am writing an article about Edward Beebe and his crew. Is there any way I can see this collection?
Sure! Just visit the Aviation Museum of N.H. We’re open Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
Judy – I’m just following up on your original request. Is there anything we can do to assist you? We have catalogued many of the items in Ed Beebe’s collection and you can find them here:
https://hub.catalogit.app/12323/folder/fc8d56b0-d1e2-11ef-9ee2-bdf574faf424
I am researching my father’s history/training as an USAAF Aviation Cadet in WWWII in your area. What I have to go on at present is his log book from 23 Dec 43 to 13 Jan 44, being trained in a J-3 Cub at Nashua, and an “official” photo taken by the Beverly Studio, 24 Hanover St, Manchester NH. The cadets were mostly attending classroom studies to get their school knowledge up to speed, but also took part in the Civilian Flight Training Program/War Training Program that was spread over the entire nation. My father went from Nahua/Manchester to Chino CA, Gardner Field CA, and Luke Field, AZ after Nashua, completing follow on basic and advanced flight training, graduating in March 1944. Though he didn’t see combat, he went on to serve 33 years in the USAAF and USAF as a fighter pilot and commander, retiring in 1976. He was from a farm in Pamlico Co, NC, and quit NC State at 17 1/2 years old, in his freshman year, to join the aviation cadet program.
I am looking for any information specific to the activities in and around Nashua/Manchester that might relate to his time here, even just general orientation of whatever your local history of the Aviation Cadet program might “fill in the blanks” related to his. There are plenty of records available at Chino, Gardner, and Luke/Phoenix to flesh out the records I have for him in those phases….but beyond the photo and the 1 page of logbook entries for the J-3 program, I have little or no information. Initial training and education for the cadets was widely dispersed and loosely documented.
I’m betting it was pretty chilly flying a J3 Cub in NH in January…..I am also a retired USAF pilot, working on family geneology and personal interest angles.
thanks in advance