William Sterling Parsons
American Naval officer (1901-1953) · United States · Died at 52
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Something wrong?William Sterling "Deak" Parsons was an American naval officer who worked as an ordnance expert on the Manhattan Project during World War II. He is best known for being the weaponeer on the Enola Gay, the aircraft which dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945.
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Photos 11
Parsons as a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy (1922)
Naval Research Laboratory complex on the Potomac River in Washington, DC
Cut away diagram of the proximity fuze Mark 53
Captain Parsons on Tinian in 1945
"Thin Man" plutonium gun test casings at Muroc Army Airfield. In the background, casing designs for "Fat Man" bombs can be seen as well.
Parsons (right) supervises loading of Little Boy into the bomb bay of Enola Gay.
Enola Gay after Hiroshima mission, entering hardstandAwards
About this person
William Sterling "Deak" Parsons was an American naval officer who worked as an ordnance expert on the Manhattan Project during World War II. He is best known for being the weaponeer on the Enola Gay, the aircraft which dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. To avoid the possibility of a nuclear explosion if the aircraft crashed and burned on takeoff, he decided to arm the bomb in flight. While the aircraft was en route to Hiroshima, Parsons climbed into the cramped and dark bomb bay, and inserted the powder charge and detonator. He was awarded the Silver Star for his part in the mission.
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