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WW2 Navy Pilot's Photos


Steindaddie
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Steindaddie

Here are a few photos I recently acquired. All from the estate of a WW2 navy pilot who flew with VF-15 on USS Randolph. Most of these pics are from there, though there are a few odds & ends too.

 

This photo shows CAG-15 and the F-6F Hellcat flown by Dave McCampbell, the navy's top ace. (He is seated to the right of the sign) This aircraft (BuNo 70143) was lost in December 1944.

post-1949-1302634609.jpg

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Steindaddie

Nice group of aircraft aboard USS Randolph. Notice the ship's deck angle and wake - it and the others have just executed a sharp turn to port.

post-1949-1302668885.jpg

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Cobrahistorian
Nice group of aircraft aboard USS Randolph. Notice the ship's deck angle and wake - it and the others have just executed a sharp turn to port.

 

I always loved the tail striping on Randolph's birds!

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The first photo shows the pilots of the VF-15 around David McCampbell (CAG-15 commander) in front of his plane "Minsi III" with his impressive scoreboard. This shot was taken in a hangar of the USS ESSEX at the end of the combat tour of the VF-15.

Greg

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Steindaddie

More photos from the same man. This approach doesn't look good. Note that the LSO, sensing impending disaster, has rushed out on deck to watch.

post-1949-1302798986.jpg

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Steindaddie

All too common scene with powerful prop aircraft and non-angled flight decks. I hope this guy got out of it. Anyone have info on the crash? (Note the squadron insignia on the cowling)

post-1949-1302799514.jpg

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Nice group of aircraft aboard USS Randolph. Notice the ship's deck angle and wake - it and the others have just executed a sharp turn to port.

 

That's Air Group 12 onboard USS Randolph - probably during early 1945. My dad was a Hellcat pilot in VF-12 during that same timeframe.

 

I stumbled onto this website the other day and found some awesome color footage of AG 12/Randolph flight ops. There is a lot of other cool stuff there as well:

 

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675052...ght-deck_airmen

 

I also recently found this picture of an F-18 painted up in AG-12 colors as part of the 100 anniversary of Naval Aviation (see attached)

 

post-37158-1303158699.jpg

 

Steindaddie - I'd love to get a full size version of that picture if it isn't too much trouble.

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Great pictures. The picture of the CAG-12 pilots is really nice. I believe in the pilots photo there is a movie star. In the 3 row from the bottom, standing 4th postion from the right, is the movie star Wayne Morris. He was a 5 kill ace flying Cosairs. Again, super nice photos. Nice pickup.

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  • 8 years later...

All too common scene with powerful prop aircraft and non-angled flight decks. I hope this guy got out of it. Anyone have info on the crash? (Note the squadron insignia on the cowling)

 

Pulling up a very old post, but here goes. This looks like it could be BuNo 97056 of VBF-82 piloted by Lt. Charles W. Meshier. Lt. Meshier had an accident on landing on the USS Randolph October 24 1946. If the OP is still here, any chance you can pick out the BuNo from the side view of the a/c going over the side? Also, I'm curious if with the original photos you can make out that the F4U-4 coming in high is the same as the three photos of the a/c going over the port side? It looks like it might be, but the LSO station on the high shot doesn't seem to match the background of the second photo.

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Pulling up a very old post, but here goes. This looks like it could be BuNo 97056 of VBF-82 piloted by Lt. Charles W. Meshier. Lt. Meshier had an accident on landing on the USS Randolph October 24 1946. If the OP is still here, any chance you can pick out the BuNo from the side view of the a/c going over the side? Also, I'm curious if with the original photos you can make out that the F4U-4 coming in high is the same as the three photos of the a/c going over the port side? It looks like it might be, but the LSO station on the high shot doesn't seem to match the background of the second photo.

Looks like that Corsair is a VF-42 aircraft. Green Pawn on the engine cowl.

 

Interesting fact; Future astronaut Alan Sheppard was in this squadron.

 

Chris

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Looks like that Corsair is a VF-42 aircraft. Green Pawn on the engine cowl.

 

Interesting fact; Future astronaut Alan Sheppard was in this squadron.

 

Chris

This photo is captioned as Alan Sheppard after the Green Pawns became VF-4B (briefly). On a Midway class carrier, likely the FDR.

post-178309-0-06800800-1568212012_thumb.jpg

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  • 11 months later...
On 9/10/2019 at 5:17 PM, T308 said:

 

Pulling up a very old post, but here goes. This looks like it could be BuNo 97056 of VBF-82 piloted by Lt. Charles W. Meshier. Lt. Meshier had an accident on landing on the USS Randolph October 24 1946. If the OP is still here, any chance you can pick out the BuNo from the side view of the a/c going over the side? Also, I'm curious if with the original photos you can make out that the F4U-4 coming in high is the same as the three photos of the a/c going over the port side? It looks like it might be, but the LSO station on the high shot doesn't seem to match the background of the second photo.

I posted the originals but, alas: No matter how much I tweak the picture, the BuNo is completely illegible - it's just a blur. And yes, it is the same aircraft in all the photos. There are other photos which are almost exact duplicates of the mishap, but the photo angle is just slightly different leading me to believe these photos came from two photographers. 

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