WWI Painted Squadron patch on Naval Aviation Trunk

[KASTAUFFER]

I just scored this trunk on Ebay ( the shipping was as much as the item! ) . I am drawing a blank as to which squadron the insignia represents? The owner of the trunk Ens. John J. Shea earned his " wings of gold " in April 1919 .

 

Does anyone know what it is?

 

[KASTAUFFER]

This has got to be him!!!

 

He was KIA on the USS WASP in 1942 and earned a NAVY CROSS. The trunk would have been his when he was an Ensign in 1919 .

 

USS Shea (DM-30)

 

John Joseph Shea, born in Cambridge, Mass., on 13 January 1898, enlisted in the Naval Reserve Force on 11 June 1918. At the time of his release from active duty in 1919, he was promoted to the rank of ensign. He was honorably discharged in 1921 and reappointed in 1923. With the abolition of the Naval reserve Force in 1925, he was transferred to the Fleet Reserve. In 1941, he was transferred to the Regular Navy in the rank of lieutenant commander. Lt. Comdr. Shea was serving in Wasp (CV-7) on 15 September 1942, when she was torpedoed and sunk by the Japanese. He left the relative safety of his own station to direct the fight against the raging inferno on Wasp's flight deck. Amid frequent explosions and flying debris, he worked to save the carrier. He was leading out another hose to continue the struggle against the fires in a ready ammunition room when a shattering explosion occurred. In all probability, Lt. Comdr. Shea died in that explosion; but, lacking concrete proof of death, he was declared Missing in Action until a year and a day later when he was declared legally dead. Shea was awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart medals and was promoted to commander, all posthumously.

[KASTAUFFER]

His NAVY CROSS citation

 

*SHEA, JOHN J. (MIA)

Citation:

The Navy Cross is presented to John J. Shea, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy (Reserve), for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession while serving aboard the U.S.S. WASP (CV-7) during operations in the Solomon Islands on 15 September 1942. Lieutenant Commander Shea directed the fight against fires on the flight deck of the U.S.S. WASP, after the carrier had been crippled by the Japanese bombing attack which later caused her to sink. Lieutenant Commander Shea disregarded the danger from the fires, flying debris, and exploding ammunition to carry on his fight. When the water pressure failed, he employed chemical fire-fighting equipment in a desperate effort to extinguish a fire in a ready ammunition locker, and was leading out a fire hose to continue his efforts when a terrific explosion occurred. He was not subsequently seen by his shipmates. The conduct of Lieutenant Commander Shea throughout this action reflects great credit upon himself, and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 314 (May 1943) & 325 (April 1944)

Born: January 13, 1898 at Cambridge, Massachusetts

Home Town: Arlington, Massachusetts

[KASTAUFFER]

Any ideas on what squadron the insignia represents??

 

Kurt

[QED4]

VB-13 uses a red devil riding a bomb but he is holding a pitch fork, may be a variation. At least it is a place to start researching it.

[BEAST]

I haven't gone through all of these, but you may find a clue to the insignia at this website: http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/dictvol1.htm

 

Good Luck!

[KASTAUFFER]

Thanks for the tips guys... still trying to ID it.

 

Here is a pic of Shea I found online

 

 

The text of the letter he wrote is son is on this website:

 

http://bcm.bc.edu/issues/winter_2002/jackie_letter.html

 

He wrote it just a few weeks before he was KIA on the USS Wasp.

 

Kurt

[KASTAUFFER]

I am bringing this back to the top to see if any of the WWI Aviation ethusiasts on the forum can ID the insignia on the trunk. I have still had no luck. This trunk is definately a WWI era trunk and not the one he used in WWII.

 

Kurt

[brandon_rss18]

Hey Kurt, not to hijack your thread at all, but I also have a WW1 trunk with remnants of painted insignia on it. The colors that I can see that were used were red and yellow. His name was Lt. Carl Parker, Veterinarian, 129th FA, WW1. Does anyone know what insignia that might have been? Thanks guys, and I REALLY like that trunk Kurt, good luck on your search!

[Mike Myhal]

Kurt,

Since your trunk is of the WWI period, my guess is that the winged devil riding the bomb represents more of a personal aircraft indentification rather than a squadron design as such. Painting a personal design on one's plane in this era was very common. I cannot find any reference to a squadron insignia that matches your painted trunk. It is HIGHLY UNLIKELY to be a variation of the VB-13 squadron insignia of WWII. I take it the USNFC represents United States Navy Flying Corps.

Navyair-WW2

[KASTAUFFER]

Kurt,

Since your trunk is of the WWI period, my guess is that the winged devil riding the bomb represents more of a personal aircraft indentification rather than a squadron design as such. Painting a personal design on one's plane in this era was very common. I cannot find any reference to a squadron insignia that matches your painted trunk. It is HIGHLY UNLIKELY to be a variation of the VB-13 squadron insignia of WWII. I take it the USNFC represents United States Navy Flying Corps.

Navyair-WW2

 

Thanks! I didnt think it was VB-13 either. That is a good point about it possibly being a personal insignia.

 

Kurt

[KASTAUFFER]

Back up to the top.

[Patchcollector]

This has got to be him!!!

 

He was KIA on the USS WASP in 1942 and earned a NAVY CROSS. The trunk would have been his when he was an Ensign in 1919 .

 

USS Shea (DM-30)

 

John Joseph Shea, born in Cambridge, Mass., on 13 January 1898, enlisted in the Naval Reserve Force on 11 June 1918. At the time of his release from active duty in 1919, he was promoted to the rank of ensign. He was honorably discharged in 1921 and reappointed in 1923. With the abolition of the Naval reserve Force in 1925, he was transferred to the Fleet Reserve. In 1941, he was transferred to the Regular Navy in the rank of lieutenant commander. Lt. Comdr. Shea was serving in Wasp (CV-7) on 15 September 1942, when she was torpedoed and sunk by the Japanese. He left the relative safety of his own station to direct the fight against the raging inferno on Wasp's flight deck. Amid frequent explosions and flying debris, he worked to save the carrier. He was leading out another hose to continue the struggle against the fires in a ready ammunition room when a shattering explosion occurred. In all probability, Lt. Comdr. Shea died in that explosion; but, lacking concrete proof of death, he was declared Missing in Action until a year and a day later when he was declared legally dead. Shea was awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart medals and was promoted to commander, all posthumously.

 

 

WOW!What a story!What a hero!

[yblockhead]

Out of curiosity, What is the difference between the WWI and WWII trunks?I have one very similar to the one posted that I picked up a few years ago while I was working in San Diego. I paid $50 for it and am using it to store blacksmithing tools at the present. Was there a tray with this trunk also?

[KASTAUFFER]

Out of curiosity, What is the difference between the WWI and WWII trunks?I have one very similar to the one posted that I picked up a few years ago while I was working in San Diego. I paid $50 for it and am using it to store blacksmithing tools at the present. Was there a tray with this trunk also?

 

 

The tray is missing on this trunk. He was an officer and bought this trunk himself rather than having it issued to him.

 

 

Kurt

[Johnny Signor]

Try the USMC side with VF-3M/VMB-2/VMSB-232/VMTB-232, early , there's one where the devil is riding a torpedo but he's holding a pitchfork, but it could have been a variation.

Johnny

[VP_Association]

Geeze, if you ever want to get rid of that trunk there's a group called the ANA Patriot Squadron (I'm a member) that operates a small navy museum on the site of NAS South Weymouth, MA called the CDR Shea Naval Aviation Historical Museum that would provide a very good home for it. See the group's web site at http://www.anapatriotsquadron.org for details. Note, this group is having their next meeting in the museum spaces on Saturday January 29th starting at 11 AM. If you are in the area, come on over and bring the trunk with you. Some of the old-timers there who served at NAS Squantum back in the day would get a big kick out of seeing it.