Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

"Along with two others from the West Virginia he applied for and undertook flight training at Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida from September 1941 until 13 March 1942."

One of these was George Chamberlain Duncan, who were the other two and what were their WW2 careers?

regards

Keith

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Bearing in mind, of course, that at the time regular officers of the Ensign variety were required to complete two years of sea duty before they could be sent to flight or submarine training

From Bureau of Navigation Bulletin # 293, 1 July 1941, starting on page 14:

OFFICERS FOR AVIATION TRAINING (HEAVIER-THAN-AIR)

In accordance with Bureau of Navigation Circular Letter 9-41 of January 21, 1941, the following officers have been selected and tentatively slated for aviation training (heavier-than-air) classes as indicated:

Class scheduled to convene September 4, 1941
Rank - - Name - - Class - - Ship
Ensign - - Border, Karl F. - - 1939 - - Tennessee
“ - - Childers, Kenan C. Jr. - - 1939 - - Salt Lake City
“ - - Douglas, Walter L. Jr. - - 1939 - - Pensacola
“ - - Duncan, George C. - - 1939 - - West Virginia
“ - - Fairfax, Eugene G. Jr. - - 1939 - - Mississippi
“ - - Gary, Tom J. - - 1939 - - Arizona
“ - - Gulick, Robert A. Jr. - - 1939 - - Minneapolis
“ - - Howland, John B. - - 1939 - - Chicago
“ - - Hughes, Joseph W. - - 1939 - - New Mexico
“ - - Miller, Walter B. - - 1939 - - San Francisco
“ - - Norton, Marvin B. Jr. - - 1939 - - Wichita
“ - - Rogers, Grant H. - - 1939 - - Enterprise
“ - - Seiler, Edward H. Jr. - - 1939 - - Lexington
“ - - Smith, Robert H. - - 1939 - - Colorado
“ - - Wallace, James B. - - 1939 - - Omaha

Class scheduled to convene September 18, 1941
Ensign - - Ballinger, Carl J. - - 1939 - - Honolulu
“ - - Davis, Warren J. Jr. - - 1939 - - Lexington
“ - - Garner, Andrew J. - - 1939 - - Yorktown
“ - - Harris, Leroy E. - - 1939 - - West Virginia
“ - - Kerkering, Stanley W. - - 1939 - - Ranger
“ - - Kirkpatrick, Macgregor. - - 1939 - - Milwaukee
“ - - Lowe, Marcus L. Jr. - - 1939 - - Colorado
“ - - McConnaughhay, James W. - - 1939 - - St. Louis
“ - - Moore, Walter C. Jr. - - 1939 - - Salt Lake City
“ - - Ness, Dwight O. - - 1939 - - Tennessee
“ - - Pope, David H. - - 1939 - - Helena
“ - - Remington, Herbert B. - - 1939 - - Cincinnati
“ - - Van Meter, Karl S. - - 1939 - - New Mexico
“ - - Wadsworth, Robert F. - - 1939 - - Arizona
“ - - Walker, Thomas J. III - - 1939 - - Minneapolis

Class scheduled to convene October 2, 1941
Ensign - - Leedy, William C. - - 1938 - - ComScoFor
“ - - Anderson, Fernald P. - - 1939 - - Arkansas
“ - - Cooke, Lemuel D. - - 1939 - - Ranger
“ - - David, Edmunds - - 1939 - - Omaha
“ - - Harkleroad, Neil E. - - 1939 - - Tuscaloosa
“ - - Kuntz, William E. - - 1939 - - Boise
“ - - Mahoney, Jack A. Jr. - - 1939 - - Honolulu
“ - - Neal, Albert G. - - 1939 - - Milwaukee
“ - - Ramage, James D. - - 1939 - - Enterprise
“ - - Stultz, Ronald F. - - 1939 - - Chester
“ - - Swenson, Richard M. - - 1939 - - Savannah
“ - - Trauger, Robert J. - - 1939 - - Nevada
“ - - Wall, Lester S. Jr. - - 1939 - - Wasp
“ - - West, Joseph M. - - 1939 - - Louisville
“ - - Young, Jack C. - - 1939 - - Phoenix


So, the only other Ensign from West Virginia on the list published was Leroy Harris for whom I have:

Leroy Eugene Harris (082487) USN
ENS -- NAS Pensacola attach for HTA flight training -- 9/18/1941
LTJG -- NAS Pensacola designated NA # 10908 -- 2/13/1942
LT -- Date of rank from 1 Jul 1942 USN Register -- 6/15/1942
LT -- Date of rank from 1 Jul 1943 USN Register -- 6/15/1942
LT -- VF-10 NAS San Diego -- 8/1/1942
LT -- VF-10 MCAS Ewa Field Oahu -- 8/16/1942
LT -- VF-10 NAS Maui trnsf VF-3 on station TAD -- 8/31/1942
LT -- VF-3 NAS Maui TAD from VF-10 -- 8/31/1942
LT -- VF-10 NAS Ford Island (ret from TAD) -- 10/1/1942
LT -- VF-10 USS Enterprise (CV-6) -- 10/17/1942
LT -- VF-10 Tontouta Field New Caledonia -- 11/1/1942
LT -- VF-10 USS Enterprise (CV-6) -- 11/12/1942
LT -- VF-10 Tontouta New Caledonia -- 11/22/1942
LT -- VF-10 USS Enterprise (CV-6) -- 12/4/1942
LT -- VF-10 ashore Espiritu Santo -- 12/23/1942
LT -- VF-2 NAS Kaneohe Bay -- 10/12/1943
LT -- VF-2 USS Enterprise (CV-6) -- 11/10/1943
LCDR -- Date of rank from 1 Jul 1944 USN Register -- 3/15/1944
LCDR -- Date of rank from 1 Jul 1945 USN Register -- 3/15/1944
LCDR -- VF-2 USS Hornet (CV-12) -- 6/11/1944
LCDR -- VBF-98 (CO) NAS Los Alamitos -- 2/1/1945

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Superb. Cheers mate. Harris looks a match. Maybe the third one reconsidered.

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Duncan was an interesting fellow. He survived a horrendous flight deck crash (seen towards the end of the movie "Midway") in 1951 and after rehab went on with his career. Met him once that I remember for sure. When my fathers tour as CO of USS Ranger was up in 1962, Duncan was his relief.

Duncan and my father had briefly served together at TacTest at NAS Patuxent in the late 40's before my father went to VF-17A, but that was before I was even a gleam in anyone's eye.

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

"Wee Geordie" Duncan is indeed an interesting chap. As the descendant of Scottish people we have a connection. I don't know where his grandparents were from but was intrigued when the U.S. Census showed his grandmothers native language as "Scottish". The difference between English and Scots(not Scottish or Scotch) is not much. Scots is a regional English used by the majority of people in Scotland. Not to be confused with Gaelic which is spoken among some Highlanders and such. Why they settled in Illinois is a question I would like answered but it may relate to mining.

K

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Keith,

Name of Ens. Leroy Harris appears with many more in newspaper Pensacola News Journal of 2 November 1941.

Can't read whole story, have no subscription with newspapers.com

Pensacola points to naval aviation...

Regards,

Leendert

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Cheers Leendert.

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

How many aerial victories did Leroy Harris claim in WW2?

From his Silver Star citation he definitely was credited with one and a probable. "Flying escort for a bombing and strafing mission against enemy shipping, Lieutenant Commander Harris led a coordinated attack against intercepting enemy planes, personally shooting down one and probably a second while his flight accounted for a total of ten shot down and six more probably destroyed."

regards

Keith

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Leroy Harris was credited

VF-10 - 1 B5N on 10/26/1942
VF-10 - 0.25 H6K on 11/13/1942
VF-2 - 1 E8N on 11/19/1943
VF-2 - 1 H8K on 6/11/1944
VF-2 - 2 A6M on 6/12/1944
VF-2 - 1 A6M on 6/19/1944
VF-2 - 2 B5N on 6/24/1944
VF-2 - 1 Ki-61 on 9/21/1944

VF-10 - 1 B5N probable on 10/26/1942
VF-2 - 1 Ki-61 probable on 9/21/1944

See F Olynyk Stars & Bars

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

thanks chum

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

OK Rich. Picking your brains again after I found remarks on '39 classmates in books on VMF-214 and elsewhere. Exactly how many of USNA '39 entered flight training in WW2 or after? The classes you highlight have forty-four out of forty-five names in just three groups! No doubt a few washed out but it will be interesting to find out how many of "Duke" Duncan's classmates went on to interesting careers. Also how many played soccer with him, like Karl Border (KIFA 1942).

I assume as the war developed and Naval Aviation grew that many who'd thought it an adventure and not a game-changer pre-December 1941 looked on the successes and decided to opt for a new speciality. Needless to say I am now going through the published records to find out the careers of these forty-four... and the hundred or more I hope you are about to identify :)

Just an aside but I am reading "The Twilight Warriors" by Robert Gandt which is excellent but I was a bit astounded when he quoted (without comment) a Japanese Naval officer decrying the American fleet air assaults as following a Japanese idea brilliantly executed at Pearl Harbor. As a Brit I feel the Mers-El-Kebir, Taranto and the sinking of the Bismarck (not counting the RAF raids on Zeppelin sheds in 1918 from HMS Furious) showed how carrier aircraft could contribute to naval victories over and above just scouting for battleships. Notably the Japanese had already been appropriating British fleet carrier aircraft designs in the 1920s. Bloody cheek I call it :)

best regards

Keith

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Not a clue. The one's I listed were the easiest to find. If I can remember to do it, and find the time, I'll go through the class list & see how many and who were designated as naval aviators.

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Many thanks, both for your efforts and your patience finding answers to my questions. All I can say in gratitude is that, as a Brit, I knew very little about USN aviation before I began this journey and you've added immeasurably to my knowledge and appreciation of it.

best regards

Keith

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Well, I don't sleep well and tend to wake up at 0200 and just lie there. This might give me something to do for a couple of hours before trying to get back to sleep.

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Yep roger that. I have a pile of books next to my bed for my wake-ups. Consequently I am reading four simultaneously (bios of Byron and Noel Coward, one on Roman 1st C BCE history, another on the Egyptian War of 1882 ). A chapter here a chapter there....:)

regards

Keith

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Well, that was fun.
Out of 518 graduates of the class of 1939, I can identify 151 as being designated as naval aviators; that's 29%, about average. For comparison, the class of 1938 had 438 graduates of whom at least 115 went to aviation, a little over 26%.
Additionally, out of 220 non-graduates from the class of 1939, there were 7 that I can identify as naval aviators.
Out of the 158 total aviators from the class, I can identify 15 who were killed in action and 16 killed in non-combat aircraft crashes, all of whom were from the graduates side of the ledger..
I can post or send a list, whichever you want.

Rich

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Many thanks Rich. I have sent you a PM.

K

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Rich,


If it is not to much trouble, could you post the list here. I for one would like to see it and I'm sure there are some others who would as well.


Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. I always look forward to reading your posts.


Mac

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Thank goodness! I thought I was ploughing a lonely furrow. Rich and the others who have contributed to this topic (USN aviation) are a gift to the forum. There should be more investigation into the USN aviators and the Pacific War.

:)

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Okay. Popular demand, I guess.

So, how did I do this. First of all, the alumni register. I have several editions going back to the 1980’s, but the easiest to use are the couple I have post-1995 as they are alphabetical by class. Earlier editions are by class standing and make it easy to get lost. For this task I used the 1998 edition, though I kept a couple of the old editions at hand to check for info not mentioned in the 1998 . . . sometimes does not show final rank where the earlier editions do.

Anyway, line by line, checking each name. If noted with a 131 designator, automatically on the list. If some other designator (unrestricted line, surface warfare, submarine, whatever) and no 131, then left off the list. More than just a few had no designator noted. These were mostly men who had died prior to about 1990 or, if alive at time of publication, did not respond to the questionnaire or did not note the designator in their response. All of those, with a few exceptions, I had to look up in my lists of naval aviators. I have the names of about 50,000 USN aviators and about 11,630 USMC aviators . . . certainly not everybody, but pretty damn close. So, if buried somewhere in those lists, the individual went on this list, otherwise not. This was the really tedious part, but spreadsheets are truly a marvelous invention. And, as I said, there were a few exceptions with no designator noted I did not have to look up because I already knew someone was a naval aviator . . . one that immediately comes to mind was Lemuel Doty Cooke, no designator shown in his entry, but no need to check.

Oh, and I have discovered I can’t count. There were 150 graduates who become naval aviators, not 151.

Without further ado . . .

Name Last Rank Notes
Abbot, James Lloyd RADM
Ady, Howard Parmele CAPT
Anderson, Fernald Philip CAPT
Adams, Dudley Hale CDR KIFA NAS Memphis 1953
Ballinger, Carl Jay CDR
Barbee, Albert Ray CDR
Barnes, Robert Crozier CAPT
Bemis, Wendell Whitfield CAPT
Berg, Winfred Emil CAPT
Berns, Max Arnold Jr CAPT
Border, Robert Lee CDR
Breen, Roy Eugene Jr CAPT
Brehm, William Wesley CAPT
Brent, Robert CAPT
Catermole, George Berger CAPT
Childers, Kenan Clark Jr RADM
Cook, Franklin Eugene LCDR KIA VF-19 1944
Cooke, Byron Eberly LCDR KIA VT-9 1945
Cooke, Lemuel Doty LCDR KIFA VX-3 NAS Atlantic City 1950
Craig, Earle Frederick LCDR KIA VT-44 1944
Dailey, Robertson Currie CAPT
Dashiell. Edward L CAPT
Dasteel, Robert Herbert CAPT
David, Edmonds CDR
Denton, William Jr CAPT
de Poix, Vincent Paul VADM
Douglas, Walter Laurence Jr LCDR KIFA VB-81 1944
Duncan, George Chamberlain CAPT
Dunn, John Edward LCDR KIFA midair collision near NAAF Monogram 1946. Was POW at Stalag Luft 3 Sagan
Dunne, William Richard CDR
Evins, Robert Cleveland LCDR MIA VC-4 failed to return 1944
Fairfax, Eugene George RADM
Fidel, John Anthony CAPT
Fisher, Jay Ellis CAPT
Gantz, Saxe Perry CAPT LTA
Gardner, Andrew Jackson LT KIFA VT-3 NAS Pearl Harbor 1942
Geis, Lawrence Raymond RADM
Ghesquiere, George David CAPT
Gill, Paul Wright CAPT
Goolsby, Lee Dillard CAPT
Gould, Richard Kaynor CAPT
Guilck, Robert Aaron Jr CAPT
Hamm, Andrew Britte LCDR KIA VB-1 1945
Hardman, Ira Sobisca CDR
Hardy, Donald James CDR
Harkleroad, Neil Edmund CAPT
Harmon, Joseph Frederick LT KIFA NAS Pensacola 1943
Harris, Edwin Lee LCDR
Harris, Leroy Eugene CAPT
Harrison, Arthur Gernt CDR
Hardy, Harry Lafayette Jr VADM
Hawthorne, William Gillman LT KIFA NAS Jacksonville midair collision near New Smyrna, Florida 1944
Helfrich, Harry Daniel CAPT
Hindman, Stanley Eugene CDR
Holmberg, Paul Algodte RADM
Holzapfel,Valentin Gerhard CAPT
Hough, Jack Woodrow CAPT
Howland, John Brown CAPT
Hughes, Joseph Wodrow CDR
Keim, William John CAPT
Kerkering, Stanley William CDR
Kilpatrick, MacGregor CDR
Kline, Raymond Philip CAPT
Kolb, Frank Hartford Jr LT KIFA NAS Jacksonville 1943
Kovaleski, Charles Joseph LT KIFA VD-3 NAS Barbers Point 1943
Lawrence, John Craig CAPT
Lloyd, Henry Fillides CAPT
Locke, Ralph Frederic CAPT
Lowe, Marcus Lafayette Jr CAPT
Magee, John William LCDR KIFA near Panama City FL 1945
Mahoney, Jack Alger LT KIA VF-28 1943
Mastin, Robert L CDR
Mattson. Edward Duran LCDR
McConnaughhay, James William CAPT
McCrocklin, James Walter CAPT
McElroy, Richard Stafford CAPT
Micka, Edward LT KIA VF-9 1942
Miller, Frank Donald LT KIA VF-10 1942
Miller, Harold Crenshaw CAPT
Miller, Walter Bernard CAPT
Moan, Floyd Everett CAPT
Moore, Walter Clarke Jr CAPT
Munson, John Jared CAPT
Neal, Albert Gallatin CAPT
Ness, Dwight Osten CDR
Nicolai, Roland Felicia LT
Norton, Marvin Dowdy CAPT
O'Neill, John Timothee Trezevant CAPT
Ostrom, Rexford John LCDR KIA VF-24 1945
Ostroski, Allyn Bertram CAPT
Pace, William Henry MAJ USMC KIFA VMF-214 1943
Paulus, George Russell CDR
Parks, John Edward CAPT
Parmelee, Clyde Harless CAPT
Parrett, Gaylord Swayne CDR
Perry, Frank Chase CDR
Phillips, Richard William CDR
Pope, David Henshaw LCDR KIA VF-26 1943
Powell, Lucian Cletus CAPT
Quillin, Ivan Dale CDR
Ralston, Frank Mason CAPT
Ramage, James David RADM
Rawson, Ralph William RADM
Reed, Edwin Gilbert CDR
Reichel, Lenard Oyen LT KIA VCS Det Ringbolt 1942
Remington, Herbert Denison LCDR
Robinson, Richard Warren LCDR KIA CEVG-25/VF-25 1945
Rogers, Grant Houston CDR
Rooney, Paul Chester CAPT
Rush, Augutus John LCDR
Schumann, Ronald Weyburn CAPT
Seifert, John Peter CDR
Seiler, Edward Herman Jr CAPT
Shumway, Peter CDR
Simmons, George Charles CDR
Slagle, Robert John CAPT
Smith, George Richard LCDR KIFA VPB-62 1945
Smith, Gordon Waller CAPT
Smith, James Herbert Jr RADM
Smith, Robert Hayes CAPT
Stapler, Charles Ramsey CDR KIA CAG-19 1951
Startzell, Robert Rayburn CDR
Stuart, Robert Raymond Jr CAPT USNR
Stultz, Robert Francis CAPT
Swensson, Richard Meriwether LCDR KIA VT-24 1944
Truax, Robert Collins CAPT
Tunnell, Richard McClellan CAPT
Utgoff, Vadym Victorvich CAPT
Van Meter, Karl Schlegal CAPT
Vieweg, Frederic Jr LT USNR
Vossler, Curtis Francis RADM
Wadswoth, Robert Fletcher CDR
Walker, Thomas Jackson III VADM
Walker, William Jefferson LT KIFA VP-212 NAS Harvey Point
Wall, Lester Seneca CDR KIFA VC-61 NAS Miramar 1950
Wallace, Daniel James LCDR KIFA VF-31 near Monterey Bay 1945
Wallace, James Bruce CAPT
Waring, Elmar Stebbins Jr CAPT
Warner, Rex Welton CAPT
Weinel, John Philip ADM
Whitzenfeld, Daniel Kehr RADM
Welch, Francis Martin CDR
Wells, Harold Arthur CAPT
West, Joseph Manget CAPT
White, Norman Woodrow LCDR KIFA VPB-84 NAS Alameda crash near Sausalito
Whitman, Robert Scott LTJG KIA VP-44 nr Midway 1942
Wood, Robert Barrett CAPT
Wright, George Wilson III CDR
Wussow, Allan George LT KIA VP-91 did not return from patrol after enemy action 1942
Young, Jack Curtis CAPT

Non Graduates 220; Aviators 7
Abbott, Robert Lewis CDR
Geer, Lester Eugene CDR
Hein, Herbert Ross Jr CDR
Helmetag, George Lutz LTJG
Johnson, William Henry LT
Perkins, Joshua Dean Jr LT
Quale, James Donald LT LTA

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Hell's teeth!!!!

Ok now you won't be the only awake half way through the night :)

I have three days off work. I will try and contribute the odd detail. I'm sure others will also join in.

Many thanks, Rich.

K

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Thanks for taking the time to post this list, Rich and also for sharing your research with us.


I couldn't agree with you more, Keith. Rich and others, including yourself, are a great asset for WWII Naval Aviation research. Compared to people researching the Luftwaffe and AAF, USN & USMC researchers seem to be a very small minority.


Mac

Re: Ensign Duncan transfers from USS West Virginia Sep.1941
 

Hi Mac. I don't think there's a lack of interest but most of us don't have the expertise to contribute on this subject. But Navy and AAF operated closely especially in the Pacific.
Case in point. This is the 73rd Bomb Wing "HQ" on Saipan from Aug. 1944 and named for Cdr. R H Isely ( his name often spelt wrong both then and now) killed in a TBM on a pre-invasion mission to Aslito airfield as it was then on 13 June; VT-16 "Lexington".
There is a Memorial plaque to him at Saipan International Airport.


Regards
Nick
73BW photo.



https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...be3fabca_o.jpgisely-field by Nicholas King, on Flickr