Frederick Lincoln "Dick" Ashworth was a United States Navy officer who served as the weaponeer on the B-29 Bockscar that dropped a Fat Man atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan on 9 August 1945 during World War II.
36 Facts About Frederick Ashworth
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Frederick Ashworth was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism while carrying out these missions.
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Frederick Ashworth then participated in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign as aviation officer on the staff of Vice Admiral Richmond K Turner's V Amphibious Force.
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Frederick Ashworth was Commandant of Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy in 1958, and served as commander of the United States Sixth Fleet from September 1966 to April 1967.
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Frederick Ashworth retired from the navy in 1968, and died in 2005.
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Frederick Lincoln "Dick" Ashworth was born in Beverly, Massachusetts on 24 January 1912, the third child of Fred Ashworth, who worked as a draughtsman and tool designer for the United Shoe Machinery Corporation, and his wife Minnie.
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Frederick Ashworth attended Center School in Wenham, and then, as Wenham had no high school of its own, Beverly High School, where he was president of the Student Council.
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Frederick Ashworth graduated in 1928, and then entered Dartmouth College.
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Frederick Ashworth decided that he wanted to go to Annapolis like his brother.
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Frederick Ashworth sat and passed the examinations for an appointment from his local Congressman, but did not secure one of the Congressman's two appointments.
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Frederick Ashworth graduated 134th in the class of 1933, and was commissioned as an ensign.
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Frederick Ashworth married Nathalie Louise Bliss from Peabody, Massachusetts in June 1935.
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Frederick Ashworth then held various positions including air photography officer for the United States Pacific Fleet.
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Frederick Ashworth became commander of Torpedo Squadron Eleven, a Grumman TBF Avenger unit based on Guadalcanal.
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Frederick Ashworth was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star Medal.
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Frederick Ashworth's plane made the longest run on each mission and despite illumination by a concentration of enemy searchlights and heavy enemy anti-aircraft fire these extremely hazardous missions were carried out effectively.
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Frederick Ashworth led two night anti-shipping missions in the same area on the nights of 15 and 28 May 1943.
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Lieutenant Commander Frederick Ashworth participated in a daylight shipping raid in the same area which was pressed home despite considerable enemy aircraft opposition.
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Frederick Ashworth led his squadron in seven successful and highly effective bombing raids against Munda, two against Rekata Bay, and one against Vila, all of which were strongly defended enemy positions.
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Frederick Ashworth's conduct was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
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In September 1943, Ashworth was posted to the staff of Vice Admiral Richmond K Turner's V Amphibious Force as aviation officer.
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In June 1944, Frederick Ashworth was rotated back to the United States, where he became senior naval aviator at the Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgren, Virginia.
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In February 1945, Frederick Ashworth was sent to Guam to deliver a letter to Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz from Fleet Admiral Ernest King ordering him to provide whatever support the Manhattan Project required.
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Parsons therefore commanded the Hiroshima mission, while Frederick Ashworth commanded the Nagasaki mission.
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Commander Frederick Ashworth was Senior Military Technical Observer on a B-29 aircraft carrying the second atomic bomb to be employed in the history of warfare.
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Little more than enough fuel remained for Superfort to reach the nearest emergency landing field but they set a course directly across the Empire, disregarding the dangers of flak and enemy fighter attacks, and under Commander Frederick Ashworth's direction released the bomb on the secondary target, the important industrial city of Nagasaki.
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Commander Frederick Ashworth distinguished himself by his high degree of skill in directing work with the atomic bomb, the great personal risk he took in placing the powder charge in the bomb during flight and attack despite unfavorable conditions.
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Frederick Ashworth's actions reflect great credit on himself and the United States Naval Service.
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Frederick Ashworth was awarded a second Legion of Merit for Operation Crossroads in 1946.
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Frederick Ashworth made major contributions to the basic planning of the operation including the selection of Bikini Atoll as the site of the tests.
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Frederick Ashworth served on the staff of the Atomic Energy Commission's Division of Military Applications from 1952 to 1954.
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Frederick Ashworth was Commandant of Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy in 1958, and headed the Atomic Energy Division for the Chief of Naval Operations from 1958 to 1960.
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Frederick Ashworth retired in September 1968 with the rank of vice admiral.
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Frederick L Ashworth lived for over three decades in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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Frederick Ashworth died on 3 December 2005 at Arizona Heart Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, while undergoing heart surgery, and was buried in the Santa Fe National Cemetery.
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Frederick Ashworth was survived by his second wife, Ercie Bell Ashworth, and his sons Frederick Jr.