VMB-423 | Marine Bombing Squadron 423 | Sea Horse Marines

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VMB-423 | Marine Bombing Squadron 423 | Sea Horse Marines

 

Commissioned: 9.15.43
Deactivated: 11.30.45
Nickname: Sea Horse Marines

 

Insignia Artist:
Type 1: Sheep Riding Bomb insignia - unknown.

Type 2: Seahorse insignia - Cpl. Willie T. Phillips

 

Date of Insignia:

Type 1: Sheep Riding Bomb insignia - 1943 | Authorization: local
Type 2: Seahorse insignia- 1943 | Authorization: HQMC

Aircraft Employed: PB-J-ID, PBJ-1J

 

Remarks: "The first insignia was a Black Sheep riding a bomb. It was later learned that there already was a Black Sheep Squadron (VMF-214) and a contest was held for a new insignia. The winning artist was Corporal Willie T. Phillips and the prize was a case of warm beer. Corporal Phillips was a tail gunner and was killed by ack ack fire on December 23,1944." From a letter by James F. Lisi, dated October 19, 1987.

VMB-423 was commissioned on 15 September 1943 at Cherry Point, NC. In October 1943 squadron was transferred to Edenton, NC, and upon completion of training departed for El Centro, California in December 1943, arriving on 3 January 1944. The ground echelon embarked and sailed aboard the USS Hammondsport, arriving at Espiritu Santo 11 March 1944. Sailing with their aircraft aboard the USS Prince William, the flight echelon arrived and rejoined the ground echelon one month later. By the middle of May 1944, the flight echelon was operating from Sterling Island but was transferred on 21 June 1944 for Green Island, to rejoin the ground echelon which had arrived from Espiritu Santo. Over the next year, VMB-423 carried out both daylight and nighttime attacks against targets on New Britain and New Ireland and provided close air support strikes for Australian troops on Bougainville. By the middle of June 1945 the squadron redeployed northward and was operating from Emirau. On 10 August 1945, the squadron was once again reassigned northward to Malabang in the Philippines, arriving on 16 August 1945, just as the war ended. VMB-423 was decommissioned at Miramar, California on 30 November 1945 following the squadron's return to the United States.

 

Type I | Sheep Riding Bomb insignia - artist unknown.

This was the squadron's first insignia, depicting a sheep/ram holding onto a dropping red bomb. This original design was discontinued within a few months in 1943 after it was discovered that another USMC squadron (VMF 214) had the same mascot. Hence, the rarity of this leather patch!

 

Decal on leather | This patch was formerly in the Millstein Collection and shown in his book.

 

 

 

Type 2 | Sea Horse | Design by Corporal Willie T. Phillips. | This patch was formerly in the Millstein Collection and shown in his book.

 

 

 

Type 3 | Australian embroidery on wool. | This patch was formerly in the Millstein Collection and shown in his book.

 

 

Reference

Millstein, Jeff. U. S. Marine Corps Aviation Unit Insignia 1941-1946. p 85.