Ensign Raymond Edward Maynard (USNR)

[Stig Jarlevik]

Sorry Guys

Now I am really confused
Do we have three losses that day, but on two separate missions?

Maynard lost in Bu 70962
Molitor lost in Bu ?????
Thomas lost in Bu 72710 (different mission?)

Frank
I was interested in the Bu No of Molitor's aircraft

B Rgds
Stig

[twocee]

"Now I am really confused"

Surely not, Stig---it must be the heat!

It was two losses on a sweep and one loss on the strike escort (Thomas). Molitor's F6F was 72554.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks George

Now I am back on the pitch again....
Heat? I guess we all suffer....

Cheers
Stig

[25Kingman49]

George,

"It was two losses on a sweep and one loss on the strike escort (Thomas). Molitor's F6F was 72554."

Came across this Japanese source (PDF p. 11) which places Ensign Maynard with F6F 72554.

The USS Hancock (CV-19) War Diary viewed by me did not (at least my old eyes) a list of pilots by BuNo's

The Japanese source is suspected to be in error. Is there a clear listing with a source citing that puts planes with pilots that can be shared with me?

Sorry for the extra effort, just wanting to make sure all is accurate.

Thanks again for your valuable support.

Edit: Well the doc didn't load (because I have too much stuff already stored) reads as follows:
According to a Japanese source:
Feb. 16, 1945, F6F (#72554, USS Hancock CV-19) crashed in Isobe, Kusumi-mura,
Imba-gun (present Narita-shi), Chiba-ken.
Ens. Raymond E. MAYNARD was killed. His body was buried at a temple near the
crash site.

The AAR is here

https://www.fold3.com/image/295402238

Which appears to confirm
Maynard in 70962
Molitor in 72554

My apologies for the additional query. Will remove the Japanese source as inaccurate as to BuNo. However the crash site and initial interment for Ensign Maynard may be correct.

[Jim MacDonald]

The USN Overseas Loss List microfilm has Maynard lost in 72554 and Molitor in 70962. But it has a weird mark next to it, possibly indicating for the names to be switched? What is everyone's take on that?


Mac

Attachment 20789

[Frank Olynyk]

From Hancock's deck log, I have Maynard in 70962, side number 62; Molitor in 72554, side number 65; and Thomas in 72710, side number 66. Another source I have checked is a large personnel losses set in boxes 45 and 46 of a Personnel Losses entry in RG 24 (I have the shelf location in 2010, but that can change; the entry number will be constant), Also in box 46 is four folders of aircraft losses by type, giving date, BuNo, unit and name.

A further source, which I have, but have not had time to review, is the Action Report for a carrier. This will have a list of personnel casualties, KIA, MIA, and WIA, for the time period of the Action Report. These are in RG 38, Entry UD 351. For many carriers they also have a list of aircraft losses, but BuNos and names.

Finally, the AirCraft Action Reports (ACA) for a given mission will usually give the BuNo, and should always have personnel losses. These are in the same Entry of RG 38 as ship's Action Reports.

Individual Flight Logs are also a good source, but they were all returned to the individual at the end of the war, and none are held by the National Archives.

It should not be surprising that with several sources for BuNos, that there are contradictions. Not many, fortunately.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[twocee]

It would be interesting to know the source of the Japanese information, particularly the BuNo.

It is known that Maynard came down near the airfield, at Narita, whereas Molitor is thought to have reached the coast. This is consistent with the Japanese account of Maynard's death and burial, but begs the question as to where they obtained the BuNo. If this was read off the wreckage it suggests either a mistake on the part of Hancock's yeomen---transposing the assigned serial numbers of Maynard's and Molitor's F6Fs---or possibly that the two pilots, by accident or desire, switched aircraft before take-off?

[25Kingman49]

The Japanese sources are here:

http://www.powresearch.jp/en/archive/pilot/index.html

Leads to (2) Tobu (Kanto and Koshinetsu) Army District, Ensign Maynard is on PDF page 11:

http://www.powresearch.jp/en/pdf_e/pilot/tobu.pdf

Thanks again for everyone's help and interest.

[Jim MacDonald]

I believe the original Japanese source was the Overseas Loss List microfilm.

Mac