NAS Pensacola 1941-1942

[keith A]

I am researching George C Duncan who trained as a naval aviator from September 1941 until February/March 1942.

After graduation he flew SOC seaplanes from the cruiser USS Louisville.

During his training he would have proceeded through the various squadrons learning to fly everything from training biplanes and monoplanes to scout, torpedo and dive bombers, seaplanes, amphibians (PB2Y, PBY?) and fighters.

I can guess at many of these but the fighter stage is not clear. I assume he flew Grumman F3F biplanes and then Brewster F2A but not the F4F-3?

regards

Keith

[musec04]

Hello Keith,


Frankly not an area in which I have much knowledge,but looking at http://niehorster.org/013_usa/_41_usn/nd-008.html it appears that F2F-1 are the only former fighter type at NAS Pensacola around the time frame you're looking at. Still this does not cover the whole period you're interested in and hopefully someone has more info. I'd definitely be interested.


Regards,


Clint

[twocee]

Assuming Duncan began his training at Pensacola in September 1941 and went on to become a floatplane pilot in the Fleet he may well not have had any training in fighters. By late 1941 advanced training in VF and VSB types took place at Miami and Jacksonville using such aircraft as the F3F and F2A, SBC and SB2U. Duncan, being VOS, is likely to have remained at Pensacola to continue advanced training on OS2Us, although in earlier stages of his training he may flown in the few F2Fs still at Pensacola.

In late 1939 the training programme at Pensacola was shortened from 12 months to six months and pilots no longer had to qualify in all the different classes of aircraft operated by the Fleet.

[musec04]

Hi George,,


With regard to aircraft on hand at US Navy training establishments,do you know if the information provided for operational units at :


https://www.history.navy.mil/researc...ld-war-ii.html


is also available for aircraft on hand with training units throughout the war?


Regards,


Clint

[twocee]

Clint,

Unfortunately, those aircraft location reports to which you refer did not start to include training unit details until 1949. I am not aware of any similar publications that did include the information for WWII and so it is a matter of picking up isolated information from various sources.

[keith A]

Many thanks chaps. My information is from Tom Cleaver "Fabled Fifteen" (p.51) where he responds to his assignment to a floatplane detachment with he was "a fighter pilot goddammit!"

That said George, your information seems to fit the timescale perfectly.

best regards

Keith

[twocee]

I once knew a pilot who went through the VOS syllabus at Pensacola, probably a little bit earlier than Duncan. He then went on to make two combat deployments, the first as a dive bomber pilot in Helldivers, the second as a fighter pilot in Corsairs, so it was possible to change pipelines.

[keith A]

His spell at NAS Melbourne after leaving USS Louisville seems to have been the opportunity to get the advanced training on the SNJ, F4F and F6F he would have needed before he joined VF-15 in September 1943.

regards

Keith