Air and Ground Crew CV-38

[markjsheppard]

I was provided with End of Tour list for CV-38 - Bourgainville/New England. These cover the Hellcats of VF-38, SBD's of VB-38 and TBF's of VT-38 who were all island hoping between July 1943 and April 1944.

With the advantage of 'google' you never know who might pick this up. Also good for that family search. If you do read this and the person is a family member, I would be interested in hearing from you.

Here is the list.

Air Group 38 – Bougainville-New Britain
(Assume July 1943 until April 1944)

3 night missions

112 missions

37 Japanese victories

1 Japanese Navy Ship sunk
4 transports sunk
17 barges?
Number of other vessels sunk as well.
2 damaged

VF-38
F6F pilots
Lt. L.D. Cooke
Lt. N.A. Westgard
Lt. H. T. Kirk
Lt. T. M. Purcell
Lt. W. H. Maness
Lt(jg) L. .H. Englade+
Lt(jg) A. .J. Kostrzwsky
Lt(jg) R. W. Moore
Lt(jg) L. B. Cornell
Lt(jg) C. W. Hagans
Lt (jg) W. T. McNeil
Lt(jg) C. A. Gartrell
Lt(jg) W. C. Kelly
Lt(jg) P. Beaumont
Lt(jg) R. M. Telfair
Lt(jg) A. B. Thompson
Lt(jg) C. K. Spaulding
Lt(jg) L. M. Kelly
Lt(jg) W. C. Presley+
Ens W. M. McMahon
Ens J. H. Hughens

VB-38
SBD pilots / gunners
Lt. B. Tappan / gunner D. W. Nunan
Lt. W. E. Woodman / gunner J. S. Landess
Lt(jg) D. Bagley / gunner W. J. Holden
Lt(jg) C. G. Knowles / A. P. Burgett
Lt(jg) J. Nason+/ gunner T. E. Furlong+
Lt(jg) S. H. Reed / gunner J. Ligman
Lt(jg) T. P. Kelly / gunner D. W. Kent
Lt(jg) J. W. Marshall / gunner G. C. Earnest
Lt(jg) W. Zelenski / gunner C. R. Payne
Lt(jg) R. H. Singleton / gunner C. J. Leman
Lt(jg) S. Onley / gunner A. L. Block
Lt(jg) B. M. Robinson / gunner P. E. Thatcher
Lt(jg) W. C. Hancock / gunner T. W. Smith
Ens W. P. Cawley / gunner E. T. Martin
Ens J. G. Shirley / gunner W. G. Metzger
Ens R. H. Sewell / gunner R. E. Emerson
Ens E. H. Meyee / gunner C. G. Williams

SBD Spare
H. M. Stone
J. E. Sorenson
E. B. Smith
J. F. McKenna

VT-38
TBF pilot / radioman / gunner
Cdr. C. E. Brunton / radioman H. W. Sunday / gunner M. D. Kemper
Lt. W. R. Larson+ / radioman R. C. Wagner / gunner B. W. Wright
Lt(jg) R. A. Marshall / radioman L. L. Lane / gunner D. Tye
Lt(jg) B. C. Bishop / radioman R. E. Schramm / gunner E. C. Barnes
Lt(jg) R. B. Giblin / radioman J. J. Lee / gunner R. L. Perkins
Lt(jg) H. T. Leake+ / radioman V. E. Boyle / gunner R. R. O’Daniel
Lt(jg) R. F. Regan / radioman W. J. Misnee / gunner C. E. Brandt
Lt(jg) J. A. Leary / radioman D. R. Greslie / gunner L. E. Dale
Lt(jg) G. A. Phillips / radioman A E. Bond / gunner W. G. Tyler
Lt(jg) J. P. Scholfield / radioman J. V. Ulrich / gunner F. J. Dills
Lt(jg) G. Tahler / radioman R. P. Buis / gunner E. E. Brewer
Lt(jg) H. Wilson+ / radioman W. M. Haller / gunner L. F. Wilson
Ens R. H. Behn / radioman M. M. Farber / gunner C. F. Dill
Ens T. M. Gammage / radioman R. Durham / gunner H. A. Morrissey
Ens A. McDonald / radioman W. F. Blank / gunner A. Z. Young
Ens A. E. Droughon / radioman J. H. Deal / gunner R. A. Paul

TBF Spares
J. D. Jeffreys
S. Barcala+
W. E. Dunron+
T. E. Fotusky
T. W. Fairchild
W. L Rice

Intelligence
Lt. H. O. Brooks
Lt(jg) W. G. Keil

Medical
Lt. B. B. Rodger – Flight Surgeon
Lt. J. N. Truesdale
Ens A Robins
Lt M.C. J.T. Pitkins
Ens L. Perkins


Ground Crew
R. W. Bird
R. J. Sampson
L. E. Jacobson
R. B. Martin
G. W. Newman
J. D. Spahr
D. E. Sheiman
W. W. Schwartz
W. D. Gannon
J. V. McCarthy
A. O. Alexander
R. E. Tuck
A. Buganich
E. H. Dawe
C. A. Lay
J. W. Mitchell
D. D. Nicholson
J. P. Haggerty
B. A. Schmid
J. W. Adams
J. S. Yeglic
R. L. Christy
J. J. Curless
R. E. Cipher
A. L. Gifford
F. A. Gilman
C. R. Hart
T. A. Helms
H. L. Holm
W. Holt
C. A. Huff
P. A. Pesano
J. S. Porter
R. B. Scanlan
C. R. Stephens
W. V. Whitehouse
C. C. Wilcox
F. N. Wojinski
A. R. Booth

Just one unit and one tour that contributed to the end of WWII in the Pacific.


(This is end of tour. It is know there were a number of personnel posted out before the unit returned to the States).


regards


Mark

[fsbofk]

Interesting list of names, almost sounds like Hollywood's "cross section of America". From Barrett Tillman's U.S. Navy Fighter Squadrons in World War II: VF-38 was 2nd top scoring land-based USN Hellcat squadron; Lt (jg) W. C. Kelly was top scorer with 4.5 victories. I assume the + signs mean killed or missing in action ?

[markjsheppard]

+ correct - Killed or missing though it did not show whether radioman/gunner was included?

W Kelly went onto have a career as a vet. (with animals though also a WWII vet-eran).

Hopefully just found the family.

regards

MS