The US Army Air Forces 6th Aircraft Repair Unit, Floating, based on the US Army aircraft repair ship USS Brig. Gen. Alfred J. Lyon was one of six ARU(F) helicopter units which operated in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. This collection consists of photographs relating to the 6th ARU(F) as well as some accompanying documents.
The US Army Air Forces 6th Aircraft Repair Unit, Floating, based on the US Army aircraft repair ship USS Brig. Gen. Alfred J. Lyon, utilized Sikorsky R-4 and R-6 helicopters during the end of World War II. The 6th ARU(F) was one of six ARU(F) helicopter units which operated in the Pacific Theatre under the code name "Ivory Soap." The 6th ARU(F) was based in the Philippines circa early 1945, with the USS Brig. Gen. Alfred J. Lyon docked at Yokohama, Japan, later that year, following the Japanese surrender.
Identifier
NASM.2000.0053
Date
1945-1946; Circa 1990s
Provenance
William E. Blockley, Transferred to Archives from NASM Aeronautics Department, 2000, NASM.2000.0053.
Extent
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder)
Archival Repository
National Air and Space Museum Archives
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of forty 8 x 10 inch black and white copy photographs, predominantly of 6th ARU(F) personnel, facilities (including the ship) and aircraft in the Philippines and Japan from 1945 through very early 1946; notable is a view of the 6th ARU(F) Sikorsky R-6 Quick Match with personal art. Also included are close-up views of nose art on several North American B-25 bombers and F-10 reconnaissance aircraft from other USAAF units, including Joy Rider, Glamouras', "Well, Bust Ma' Britches", Photo Fanny, Tarfu, Long Island Belle and Umbriago, and an unnamed Northop P-61 Black Widow. Several images are of 7th Air Service Area Command (7th ASAC) facilities at Haneda Air Base, Japan. Accompanying textual material includes photocopies of documents, including a short history of the formation of the US Army Air Forces Helicopter School (1944-1945) with a personnel list, an accident survey report regarding the loss of Sikorsky R-4B s/n 43-46584, a vessel status card for the USS Brig. Gen. Alfred J. Lyon, and several circa 1990s newspaper clippings relating to the history of the 5th ARU(P) based onboard the USS Brig. Gen. Clinton W. Russell. Also included are photocopies of the photographs with added notes from 6th ARU(F) veterans.
Arrangement note
Collection is arranged by type of material.
Rights
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Restrictions
No restrictions on access
Citation
6th Aircraft Repair Unit, Floating [6th ARU(F)] Collection, NASM.2000.0053, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Topics
Sikorsky (USA) R-4 (H-4) Family Sikorsky (USA) R-6 (H-6) Family Airplanes, Military -- Decoration North American B-25 Mitchell Family Aeronautics Aeronautics, Military World War, 1939-1945
