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VPB-104 PB4Y Squadron 
Thank you for capturing some history here. In regards to AOM3 Edward Healy , (plane # 32069), I returned his dog tag (found at Munda), to his family in 2010.
A Google search of: “Edward Brennan Healy” will bring up some information/newspaper stories from various sources, including Pacific Wrecks, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
I believe Joel Healy (son), sent squadron cruise book details to Justin over @ Pacific Wrecks also. Several different planes and crews photographed.
Find-a-Grave also shows the Healy family in a B/W photo at prayer for a husband/father that is MIA.
Regards,
Shane Elliott
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What is the approximate date of the crew photos from the cruise book?
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The accident report for Waymon Searls crew that was lost on 7 Mar 1944 includes the name Ned N. Boucher, RM3. He was possibly a stand-in for Franko, who was known to have been in New Zealand on R&R at the time the flight was lost. Who created this spreadsheet and where did you get your information? Sears’ book Buccaneers does not know who replaced Franko as tail gunner.
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Somewhere, maybe on this website, I found a listing of job duties for each person on the plane. Can someone help me re-find that information ?
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I’ve just now tidied up the Links page here, fixing some broken ones and adding a cool original PB4Y-1 Pilot’s Guide found while rummaging the web.
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I have just started reading Alan Carey’s “Above an Angry Sea”
When I read his account of the loss of “Tex” Hill’s Crew 3 on 11 Nov 1944 I wonder why he never mentions Lt(jg) J.M. Wimberly who was flying in the Right Seat during the shoot down. When “Tex” was killed Wimberly was the only one keeping the Liberator under control untill Tex Hill’s body could be removed from the left seat so Lt(jg) Pratt could hop in and help Wimberly ditch the aircraft. Wimberly died with 7 others. He was most likely pinned to his seat by the control yoke and sank to the bottom of Ormoc Bay with the Nose section of the Liberator.
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Thanks Ernest, for adding this information to honor J.M. and his exemplary service. If you’d like to add his first and middle names to the record, please do. It would also be great if you’d cite your source(s) for this information. As you may have seen, a few of us have been scanning books to post here and one or more of them may have information on this too.
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Hi John,
In reply to you, James Mack Wimberly was Ens. Wimberly’s full name.
He was the son of My Uncle Lawson Wimberly of Savannah Ga.
James and Fred Pratt were both from Savannah.
My info comes from:
1. Charley Vey’s detailed account of the incident “Four Returned” that was published in “Briefings” the Magazine of the B24 Club. Charley was the Plane Captain of the aircraft and was a survivor of the shoot down.
2. Paul Stevens book ” Low Level Liberators” . Cdr. Paul Stevens was the Executive Officer of the Squadron under Cdr. Whitney Wright.
3. The PB4Y-1 was notorious for breaking in half when ditching with the nose section sinking directly into the bottom carrying whoever was still strapped in or trapped in the bombardier compartment with it to Davey Jones Locker.
The Pilot in the right seat was usually trapped by his legs being pinned by the Yoke when the elevator struck the water forcing them up and the Yoke down on the Co Pilot’s Legs.
Read the account of Lt. Sutherland’s text book ditching where the aircraft did not break in half but it took 2 men to free the co-pilot’s legs so that he could exit the aircraft.
Cliff
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We’re about to have a PDF of “Low Level Liberators” on this site, thanks to staynavytom. Yes, I think the B-24 was assembled in sections, and there were mid-air breakups too. B-17 crews appreciated how much more punishment those could take, but when B-24s flew formations with them those crews hated going so slow through enemy airspace. Scary to fly the PB4Y-1 on long over-water missions, but B-17s never would’ve shot down any of the Bettys that were attacking allied bases and ships or supplying enemy bases. Too bad all the crews weren’t flying B-29s I guess. (but then I seem to recall the early B-29s had engine problems)
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I’m researching ENS Roland Paul (he went by Paul) Therrien who was KIA on LTjg Searls plane, 7 March 1944. Records show Paul was a naval aviator and other records show him as a Supply Officer. His family sent me a photo of him in a USMC uniform (possibly officer) but without wings. Anyone on this site have information about Paul or information about Supply Officers being on flight crews or naval aviators becoming Marine aviators in VB-104?
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Here is my first draft of my history research on VB-104 and Crew 15. One add: I did get some information that Crew 15 may have been shot down by a submarine or lost in inclement weather. Comments, criticism, and corrections are welcomed.
Airplanes (or aeroplanes as they were first called) became an important element of warfare during the First World War. Prior to about 1911, warfare from the air was conducted from hot air balloons and even kites. Even in the First World War, airplanes initially only supported ground forces with reconnaissance, but eventually developed into air-to-air combat and bombing operations.
Army General Billy Mitchell recognized the potential for air power from the sea and Glenn Curtiss proved airplanes could be deployed from naval ships. Naval aviation was shown to be a valuable asset to war and got its “wings” in the 1920’s following the end of the First World War. Airplanes no longer were made of wood and fabric nor would they have two wings. Planes now had more powerful engines, were made of metal and could fly higher and faster than before. Technical progress not only included the design of aircraft but also its radio communications, instrumentation, carrier landing gear and accurate bomb sights. Tactics were developed for dive bombing, torpedo attacks, long range scouting, spotting for naval gunfire, and operations from advanced bases such as the base from which Patrol Bomber Squadron 104 would operate in the South Pacific in the Second World War.
Navy Air Forces and the Army Air Forces had an agreement that land-based bombers would be operated by US Army Air Forces (USAAF) and sea-based bombers would be operated by the Navy. But combat action, especially in the expanse of the Pacific Theater, soon proved the need for Navy-operated land-based bombers. By the fall of 1942, less than a year after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, the Navy formed its first bombing squadron. The Consolidated Aircraft Corporation’s PB4Y-1 Liberator were the squadron planes.
The Liberator was initially used for anti-submarine patrols by the USAAF in the Atlantic and the Navy used the Liberator for anti-shipping patrols and land attacks in the Aleutian Islands and South Pacific. The Liberator was highly effective in both theaters of the war due largely to its long flight range and payload capacity. The Army’s B-24 version of the Liberator was a critical element to closing the Mid-Atlantic gap for convoy shipping.
Four engines were mounted on the single wing of the Liberator giving it a cruising speed of about 165-170 miles per hour. Structurally, the body was box-shaped which earned the plane’s nickname as a “Flying Boxcar.” The tail had two large oval shaped vertical stabilizers. There were two bomb bays that could carry up to 8,000 pounds of munitions. The bays were connected by a 9” wide catwalk. The bomb bay doors operated very much like the top on a rollup desk. They retracted into the fuselage. For defense against enemy aircraft, the Liberator had twin .50 caliber machine guns in the “greenhouse” glazed nose section, in the top turret, the belly turret and the tail guns. There was a .50 caliber waist or “wiggly” gun on each side of the fuselage.
The crew was normally ten men. The pilot and co-pilot (officers) sat alongside each other in the cockpit. The navigator (an officer) and bombardier sat in the greenhouse nose behind the nose gunner. The radio operator and flight engineer sat behind the pilot/co-pilot and faced sideways. The flight engineer operated the upper gun turret. Three other crew members were located in the center of the plane and operated the waist guns and the retractable lower ball belly turret and yet another crew member was located in the tail gun. The turrets were powered and could rotate.
Bombing Squadron 104 (VB-104) was commissioned at Naval Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Territory of Hawaii on 10 April 1943 with Lieutenant Commander Harry E. Sears as commanding officer. At the time of commissioning, VB-104 had 60 officers and 95 enlisted men and was flying PBY-5 Catalina, a seaplane. The squadron would grow to twenty planes and crew. The Catalina flying boats were replaced with the Liberator bombers.
In August 1943, the squadron was relocated to Carney Field, Guadalcanal under the operational control of Fleet Air Wing-1 (FAW-1). A Wing usually included four squadrons and its primary mission was daily searches for and tracking of enemy ships. However, individual aircraft made strikes against enemy ships or installations as the opportunities arose. Between August 1943 and March 1944, VB-104 made 1,252 sorties (attacks), flying more than 11, 992 hours. Thirty enemy aircraft were damaged or destroyed as were 51 enemy ships. The squadron lost seven of its own airplanes (three from enemy action and four from operational failures) and sustained 56 casualties, two of whom were killed. Forty-two of the causalities were declared missing in action. Commander Harry Sears was awarded the Navy Cross (second highest military award for valor under action) for heroic actions while leading VB-104 in combat during the period 26 August to 4 November 1943. He and his crew were credited with the destruction of several enemy aircraft, sinking one Japanese oiler and ammunition ship, damaging another oiler and damaging one enemy submarine. VB-104 was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions during this time period. It would earn a second Presidential Unit Citation later in the war, the only bombing squadron to receive two unit awards.
VB-104 was relocated from Guadalcanal to Munda Field, New Georgia in February 1944 with essentially the same missions as before. Less than a month later, the squadron would once again be relocated (on 29 March 1944) but this time back to the continental United States for rest and reformation in preparation to another tour in the war zone. Crew 15 did not return to the United States.
On 1 March 1944, the squadron was based ashore at Munda Field, New Georgia Island. On that date, the squadron had twelve PB4Y-1 Liberator aircraft and crew but on 31 March, the squadron aircraft status was down to ten with a notation in the War Diary for March that the ten “total reflects the loss of two (2) aircraft.” The Diary goes on to say:
“These losses occurred as follows:
1. On March 7, 1944, one (1) PB4Y-1 aircraft, Bu.No. 32079, failed to return to base while conducting a routine search mission at sea. Subsequent searches for survivors were negative. Probably cause remains undetermined as initially reported by ComBomron 104 to Secretary Navy via airmailgram dated 8 March 1944.
2. On March 9, 1944, one (1) PB4Y-1 aircraft, Bu.No. 32069, failed to return to base while conducting a routine search mission at sea. Fragmentary evidence extracted from the radio logs of other search planes revealed that the missing plane had sent a message at approximately 1100 L., which the base did not receive, that he was going to attack a small ship near Kapingimarngi. Approximately at 1130 L., several search planes received double urgent signal but the message was never sent and no more signals were ever heard. At 1430 L. the same day, two search planes of VB-106, sister squadron of the Search Group, attacked and sank a small ship unloading inside the lagoon at Kapingimarangi. During this attack, heavy 20 mm. fire was received from the ship as well as small calibre automatic fire from the shore, thus it is assumed that the missing plane suffered critical damage during the conduct of its attack on this ship. Subsequent searches for survivors were negative. The loss was reported March 10, by ComBomron 104 to Secretary Navy via airmailgram.”
LT(jg) Wayon Searls was the pilot of Bu.No. 32079 lost on 7 March 1944 along with his crew of eleven:
LT(jg) Harper S. Joslyn, Co-Pilot ACMM Ernest O. Emery, Plane Captain
ARM1/c Robert J. Plank, First Radioman AMM1/c Frank P. Browning, Jr. Bow Gunner
ARM2/c Donald E. Nelson, Top Gunner AMM2/c John E. Page, Jr., Waist Gunner
AOM2/c Lionel J. Verret, Waist Gunner AMM1/c Robert J. Roller, Belly Gunner
ENS Rolland Therrien ARM2/c Albert J. Duranti, Radioman
ARM3/c Ned Boucher
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Hi Tom,
Looks pretty good to me, only thing that I would add was that VPB-104 PB4Y-1s didn’t have the greenhouse nose, before they shipped overseas Commander Sears had the nose converted by adding the Erco power nose turret, which had two .50 caliber guns. These were later added to all of the following PB4Y-1 s at Consolidated, but the first ones that went to Carney field had the conversion done by a Naval modification center, I’m still trying to find more information on how that was done.
Dave Calhoun
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Good information. Can you cite your source? I eventually will post my work semi-academically.
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Hi Tom,
I believe it was in the book The Buccaneers of Harry Sears by Henry J. Thompson where they discussed the Erco turrets. I have a photo of the Erco turret on Sears aircraft bureau # 32048, not sure how to upload the photo but email me at davecww1@gmail.com and I will send you the photo.
Dave
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Actually that photo is already on this site, search erco bow turret to find it.
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I have written a story about the history of VB-104 that I would like reviewed. Any takers?
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Yes please. 🙂
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I don’t know how to transmit to you other than through email. My address is: staynavytom@gmail.com
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I can review for grammar. I have all of the books previously written, my uncle”s flight logs and medals through both pres citations. Plus what my shaky memory has from my uncle”s stories. He ended up working on top secret Cold War stuff. I am more than and able to help as needed.
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I’m going to try, with John’s help, to post my history document on the blog. Standby and thanks for the offer to help.
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Hi John,
Would it be possible to get a scanned copy of the first tour book? I am interested in the aircraft used on the first tour and have the 1997 book listing the aircraft names and numbers but am trying to find some photos in addition to what you have already posted. You can contact me at davecww1@gmail.com.
Thanks
Dave Calhoun
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Dave wrote:
> Would it be possible to get a scanned copy of the first
> tour book?
Hope you haven’t been wondering why so long w/o my reply. I’ve been so involved in other projects and volunteer work that checking email got shoved down the list. Actually, there’s no list – just whatever fire’s raging right in front of me. 😉
Anyway, I don’t recall if the book may be copyrighted. My guess is that the author(s) may no longer be with us, and I have no idea how to contact their descendants or whomever might now hold any copyright. My hope in posting what I have, was that the official U.S.N. photos would be public domain and any selected quotes or paraphrasing not for sale or profit (this site) would be OK under fair use. If it’s not copyright, the problem for me would be finding time to scan and post it. If more people were posting helpful stuff here, that would move further up my “list” but so far nearly all of it has fallen on me.
My suggestion is to track down a copy of the book, and try to get access to other original U.S.N. materials and photos. I can’t sell our copy because other family members want it. When I looked for other original stuff while first starting this site, there was a story of fire and/or flood at the D.C. archives that destroyed original materials. There does seem to still be a lot of stuff out there, and more of it’s online now than back when this site was born.
Would you be willing to dig into that sort of quest and share/post your findings here for the benefit of everyone? If your main interest is that book, would it be helpful if I dig it out and give you the ISBN?
> I am interested in the aircraft used on the first tour
Me too, and it would be nice to fill in any missing pix of 1st tour nose art if the 2nd tour C.O. prohibited nose art.
Anyway, thanks for your interest in the 104 and for your patience with my “firefighting.”
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Thanks John. I have the 1997 book The Buccaneers of Harry Sears and Paul Stevens book Low Level Liberators about the second tour. Both look to be privately published books but don’t have any good aircraft photos, but between the 2 books I have the bureau #s of the aircraft used in the first tour and the second tour, along with the crew number and pilot that flew each one. I would love to find the 1944 first tour Tour book, or a scan of it since it isn’t a copyrighted publication. Also I have been unable to find Harry Sears book Buccaneers of Bombing Squadron 104. Not sure when this was published but it’s worth looking into.
I do have a scan of the second tour Tour book with my uncle in it, I can post that to the site if I can figure out how to do that.
Thanks
Dave
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> first tour Tour book…isn’t a copyrighted publication.
Oh. When (if) things settle down here I’ll dig it out and see what I can do.
> unable to find Harry Sears book Buccaneers of Bombing
I seem to recall having seen that, so again I’ll check sometime.
> I do have a scan of the second tour Tour book with my uncle
> in it, I can post that to the site if I can figure out how
That would be *Fabulous* because there’s been some interest expressed here over the years and I have zero info on that tour. The only resources I have are what Dad (1st Tour) left us, and anything I came across while researching his tour.
I’ll log in now and give you access to the site, then email you with some pointers.
I’m excited at the possibility you might start to post some material, Dave. 🙂
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Thanks John that sounds great, I don’t mind sharing what I have. Will have to search for it though, as I have it on a CD somewhere… and have moved since the last time that I looked at it.
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Just saw on ebay someone is selling a photo of VB-104 commanding officer. Can anyone verify if that is Harry Sears?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/383541859754
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John thanks for posting the photos from the first tour book. Were there any photos bn of the individual aircraft without the crew in front of them? I have a scanned copy of the second tour if anyone is looking for any of the photos in there.
Also I have a question concerning the aircraft flown on the first tour. I have seen profiles showing them painted green with light gray or light blue underside. Is this color scheme confirmed by anyone? Looks like all of the aircraft on the first tour had individual names and nose art. On the second tour the new PB4Y-1s were finished in the standard tri color scheme of dark sea blue topside, intermediate blue sides and white underside. My uncle Robert Miller told me that on the second tour they were not allowed to add personal markings including nose art and victory markings, Cmdr Whitney Wright wanted them to look like new inexperienced aircraft in case they were captured. This description is confirmed in Paul Stevens book “Low Level Liberators”
Dave Calhoun
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Regarding the color scheme, I can’t speak to this being consistent to all the planes or even if it lasted the whole 1st “cruise”, but I do know the planes made it to Carney Field sporting the OD Green you’d expect on an AAF plane.
Here’s 32081 which Wright was PPC on that 1st cruise:
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Dave, any period photos you (or Anyone) has of the 104 would be great to have here for everyone’s benefit. Especially if you’re willing to learn the process of adding them yourself. I dearly hope we’ll see some volunteers to help with building this site, because I know from firsthand experience how difficult it can be to find historic material on our ancestors. If anything should happen to me, hopefully others could carry on this labor of love. Anyway, please let me know how you’d like to share your materials.
John
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I can’ thank you enough for posting this photo. I thought my grandfather, John Benjamin Graham, would be in it and there he is at the very top, last on the right. He is unmistakable. I sent the picture to my mother, his daughter, and my uncle, his eldest son, and without saying anything they said, “there is Dad.” Do you have any idea why he wouldn’t be in any of the crew photos? I believe he was a tail gunner. Thank you for all the work you do. Grandpa passed away in 2010. I miss him all the time.
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It’s heartening to know the easy (compared with what our Dads did) work on this website is helpful to others, so thank you for the kind words Alina. Thanks also for naming your grandfather in that group photo, I’ve just added him on that page. Please confirm that I’ve IDed him correctly (sitting at top-right).
In a quick skim of three of Dad’s 104 books the only mention of your Grandpa I found was a list in the Scrapbook that gives is his perhaps 1944 address in Canoga Park, CA. Maybe he wasn’t available on for his crew’s photo day, or he wasn’t assigned to a specific aircraft (I seem to recall two crews weren’t) or crew. If you can find any photos, please let me know and I’ll add them.
I know what you mean about missing dearly departed! Our dear Dad passed in 2012 and we still talk of him often. Among my many fond memories are how warmly he welcomed me into the family. Or the time he was riding right seat with me flying, and reluctantly allowed me to coax him into taking the controls so I could consult a chart. Despite not having flown in several decades, when he touched the controls it felt like we instantly went from gently bumping up and down in light turbulence – to riding on smooth rails. Those guys were truly amazing!
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Good Morning,
I found a couple of images from Bu 32276 . One is a photo of the nose art and the other I found on a forum of model builders. Someone had created a rendering of what it looked like. Here’s a link to the images in Dropbox. Admins, feel free to delete this if not appropriate.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6fb6922jaazbywx/AACQQq9vYPVfQVkpLtaa4nDfa?dl=0
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Thanks Dennis. I’ve added the original pic to a Bu 32276 Nose Art post here. Impressive work someone did on that model!
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I am looking for any info on Crew 18 of the VPB-104, My grandfathers brother Owen Patrick Dailey was a member of the crew -Ordnance-Gunner. I know that the plane exploded on return from a patrol after encountering enemy aircraft with all crew lost. The Commander was Lt. Joseph Shea. I would love to know if the plane had a nickname and nose art as well as if there are any photos of the crew that may include my family. Thank you for any help! Those men were truly the greatest generation! If it weren’t for them you might be reading this in German or Japanese…
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Trying to find a photo of Crew 16 from first tour. Pilot Anderson.
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After doing research, I came across a bomber with the same BuNo: 32276 as my uncle’s . It was called the Comair Wolfpac II . Did the Navy issue the same BuNo for different aircraft or does this mean that I have found the name of my uncle’s bomber? Thanks again for all the help, I received my copy of Above An Angry Sea and can’t wait to get started.
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BuNo is for each individual aircraft.
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Thanks Alan,
Have you ever come across the Comair Wolfpac in your research?
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Good Morning Alan,
Hope you had a Merry Christmas
I have 2 questions for you.
1. Can you confirm that Capt. Paul Stevens and Charley Vey are still with us? if so do you have contact info. I corresponded with them regularly several years ago. Charlie wrote the first account of the shoot down of Tex Hill’s Crew and Capt. Stevens was the author of “Low Level Liberators”
2. Are there any pictures available of the “Fumious Bandersnatch”
Bu No 38774. Can anyone tell me what the color scheme might have been? I am building a model of it and I want it to be accurate I will appreciate any help.
Semper Fi Cliff Wimberly
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Hi, Captain Stevens passed away several years ago.
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I am looking for any information on crew 29. I have a patch from the VPB 104 with crew 29.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
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Hi, My uncle Alvie Harris was part of Lt William Goodman’s crew on BuNo 32276. I’ve just started my research on him and found this site. Does anyone have any information about his plane ? I know it went missing 2/19/1945. I’d love to at least know the nickname of the plane and maybe find some pictures if possible.
HARRIS, Alvie V, Jr, AMM3, 5608115, Patrol Bombing Squadron 104, later Luzon operations, February 18, 1945, (CasCode6222)
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I wrote a book that covers 104 ops. Above an Angry Sea, 2nd ed.
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Thanks , I just placed my order !
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Hi Dennis,
My great uncle, Samuel Howard Newell was also lost with Crew 12. I am searching for any photos of the Crew or Plane and any other information possible as well.
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Mr. Butterworth,
I have been conducting research into the loss of your uncle’s aircraft. I you wouldn’t mind reaching out to me via email I have a few questions for you, as well as some material you might be interested in.
Best regards,
Matthew Robins
matthew.robins82@gmail.com
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My late husband was in Crew 2 with Paul F Stevens. His was LTJG John R McKinley, Jr. He was co-pilot/navigator.. He passed away in November, 1988. I went to several of the reunions starting with Keystone, CO in 1980. I really enjoyed meeting all the men and their families, and hearing all the recounts of their exploits. You could tell they were all still deeply affected by their time in the Navy and still mourned all those who did not return. Thank you all for your service and dedication.
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Mrs. Chandler,
If you don’t mind, please consider sending me your email to jcrhem@gmail.com
I spoke with my deceased relative, Tom Dempster of Whitney Wright’s, only as a child before he passed in the mid 2000s. I am curious about your description of your husband as a “copilot/navigator” which probably best describes my great-uncle as well.
Thank you for your time.
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My Cousin Ens. James Mack Wimberly was also a member of Lt “Tex” Hill’s Crew 2. James was killed on the same day that Tex died. James was strapped in the Right Seat and went to the bottom of Ormoc Bay when the nose of the plane broke off and sank. I will always believe that it was James that successfully ditched the Fumerous Balderdash.
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My uncle Charles Arnett was in the 104th crew 22, he and the rest of the crew went down in May of 45. There is a crew picture in this site, it’s very out of focus. I’m looking for someone who might have a clear crew picture. And I’m also looking for any information on crew 22. I want to put as much as I can find for my children so he’s forgotten for what he did for us.
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My father, Carl K Thorp was a pilot (crew 7) on the tour that lasted from late ’44 until Spring ’45. He is still alive and living in Glenwood MN, recently celebrating his 95th birthday on 4 July. We still have time for stories along with viewing many silk maps, log books and the squadron tour book with pictures of all the crews and action. We talk about flying from Morotai and the Philippines. He is doing very well and quite coherent, although partially deaf which he blames on the overhead 50’s!
Don Thorp
San Diego
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Hi Don,
What’s your email ? I have a relative who only flew on the 1st cruise, but I imagine he may have gotten to know your dad at reunions and such.
Jcrhem@gmail.com
Jack Rhem
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I received this via the VPB-104 website Contact form:
“One of the squadron members passed away this year of age related causes. Dow Gothard (November 10, 1921 – March 9, 2016). He was my father in law and a very good man.”
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I have corresponded with Dow several times over the years. He was one of the survivors of Tex Hill’s aircraft. My cousin Ens. James M. Wimberly was flying right seat at the time of the ditching.
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Thanks Cliff, and welcome to the website. Now that you’ve made a contribution here, anything from you in future will be posted immediately.
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Dow was a survivor of “Tex” Hill’s crew. I had the honor of corresponding with him and Charlie Vey when I was researching Ens. James Mack Wimberly’s service with VPB-104. Captain Stevens was also very helpful.
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I would like to include additional photos, stories and letters for a 2nd edition of my book, Above an Angry Sea. The updated version is due to the publisher by late July.
Sincerely,
Alan C. Carey
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My understanding is that you’re requesting that readers of this website share their stories and/or photos here so that you might include them in your next edition. Is that correct?
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People interested in contributing can contact via email.
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Hello,
Two of my books on PB4Y operations that I wrote are going to republished as 2nd editions. Any help you can provide to add additional 104 history would be wonderful.
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Hi Alan I have a copy of your book Above An Angry Sea and it is a good reference on the operations and covers the timeframe of the second and third tour of Screaming 104. The best reference book I have on the squadron is Low Level Liberators by Paul F. Stevens from 1997. This is a self published book by Stevens, the Crew Two Captain on the second tour.
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Hello Alan,
I’ve been interested in the same history. My uncle was a member of the 104 during both of the Presidential Unit Citations and (I’m not military) it appears he was highly decorated, as I’m sure most of the men are in this unit. His name is George W. Gruner and was a bombardier and gunner and quite an inventor as the Navy took two of his inventions and used them for the war effort.
His medals, from what I can see, are the two aforementioned Citations, 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 7 Air Medals, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Medal, American Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal along with his Air Crew Flight Wings. When my uncle passed away I was left with all of his Navy photos, medals, uniforms, etc. He and I were extremely close while I was growing up and I would like to help in whatever way I can.
Thanks a lot and please feel free to contact me.
Clark Beattie
831-479-0679
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Hello Clark. Attached is my email address.
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Hello Alan,
Thanks for responding. I’ve read through portions of the books written about the 104th and found some of the log books that belonged to my uncle George. In one of the books Harry Sears wrote something for my uncle. I remember he was asked to send a few things to the National Archives back in the 90’s. He worked in the aerospace industry after leaving the Navy and also worked on the world wide radar installations that were used to track incoming objects from the USSR.
I’ve found some info online regarding some of their missions. Do you know of any methods aside from the archives and Fold3?
What are your thoughts? Also, is there any way that you know of that I can do further research?
Thank you very much.
Take Care,
Clark Beattie (nephew of George W. Gruner, USN retired)
>
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The NARA in College Park is the place to go for the squadron’s records and for original photos.
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Hello, my name is Dave Calhoun and my mom’s uncle, Robert Miller was a radio gunner in Crew 1 piloted by Cmdr Whitney Wright in the second tour of VPB-104. Does anyone have any information such as Aircraft # for Wright’s PB4Y-1? Any photos would be welcome. I remember seeing a photo of the crew with the nose of the aircraft in the VPB-104 logbook Uncle Bob showed me as a kid.
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Hi Dave,
Hopefully someone more familiar with the second tour will respond, but meanwhile you might try the links here to explore other sites because the info was pretty scattered when I researched the first tour a bit and created this website to share what I’d found.
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Thanks John, I was able to find some people online with some more information, I have a PDF file of the Second Tour Cruise Book June 1944-June 1945. This is the book I was referring to. I also found a couple of photos of aircraft from the first tour that I will upload.
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Mr. Calhoun, shoot me an email if you’d like – jcrhem@gmail.com
My mom’s Uncle was 1st Pilot to Cmdr. Whitney Wright on the 1st Tour from Carney Field.
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I have run across references in the USAF Maxwell AFB archives to VPB-104.
Apparently it was hosting several Ferret/radar hunting missions for Field Unit 13, of Section 22, General Headquarters South West Pacific in the period of Feb 20, 1945 thru June 23, 1945.
This may have been flying an operational mission with the following “Hunter-killer” ferret A/C
42-100271 SB-24J LADY JUNE XIIIBC 868BS
Or it may have been using Section 13 Ferret radar hunting/jamming gear and flying either or both Kiwi scientists ER Collins and RS Unwin.
The two record reference mention 13th Air Force Ferret flights 56 through 117 in that period, some fraction of which involved VPB-104.
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The 42-100271 Lady June crashed on Jan 14 1945. There were no survivors. My
uncle was 1st Lt. Charles MacNulty the bombardier. Does Trent have any
additional information on the flight that he referenced?
Charles MacNulty (posted here by John)
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I’ve updated the post about Crew 12 with an Action Report and Pilot Log excerpt. Please contact us with anything you’re willing to share, including stories you may have been told by former 104 members or their friends & family.
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Any Information Sought:
Lt. JG Eugene V. Erskine, co-pilot for Lt. Richard Jameson in VPB 104 during WWII. They were shot down on or about late May, 1945 in the Pacific. No bodies were recovered.
Any information about him or his crew is sought by his brother Robert, ex Sgt.,combat medic in Europe, WWII.
Please contact us with any information you can provide or resources you can suggest.
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Thanks Trent 🙂
Sorry it took me a while to get your comment online. I’ve been offline at Big Sur. Anything further you’d like to share will now go on immediately.
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Lt. Jameson was a fighter, there for battle. My father, Kenneth Ray McHenry was his top pilot in the plane with him and was killed during an attack on a small island radar installation Feb 19, 1945, which the soldiers had nicknamed Borodina. A sub had just discovered this installation a few days before and it was a threat to the force that would invade Iwo Jima. They didn’t want to run into the Japanese fleet. He was hit in the spleen by 20 mm antiaircraft fire and died in the hospital on return. In his letters to my mother, my father never really talked about war. As I understand it, they had a mission one day, rested the next, and then fought again a day later. There were no quarters so they slept in a tent on the sand. Mosquiitos and biting flies made sleep difficult. They would fly eight hours out and eight hours back over the South China Sea. Letters of his tentmate to his mother were different and described fierce air contests. The supply never got there so they had to buy food from locals who were charging them one dollar per coconut. Monthly pay was 200. My father’s mother had died when he was fifteen, so he became mother to his three siblings. Strangely, my mother sort of kept my father to herself. She would not permit me to read his letters. Only when she died did I read what he had written and you could tell he was trying not to worry her during her pregnancy with me. He would call his mission a “hop” if he mentioned something was going to take place the next day. I was two months old when my father died. Kenneth was a Mormon boy who lived a clean life. There were about twenty planes on that little base in the mud. It was learned Kenneth could cut hair and one day they all lined up on the beach and he cut hair all day. In his letter he joked, “At the end I thought wait, who is going to cut my hair. I will be the only shaggy one. Kenneth’s mother was a native American.
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Thank you for sharing this story. So many of our fathers kept quiet about their experiences, and it’s great to see more of them coming out online now in stories like this.
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Mr. McHenry – My father was a pilot in 104 also, though earlier than yours. My father came home or I would not have been born. I appreciate your sharing this story of your father. In the sparseness of details in his letters it seems he was caring of you and your mother even before your birth. I enjoyed the story of his barber skills. I’d bet that many of those soldiers whose hair he cut thought of him of and on over their lifetimes as they got subsequent haircuts.
It is lovely that you carry his name forward. Kenneth Ray McHenry was clearly a man to be proud of and it seems he would be proud of his son.
A. C. Humphrey
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I am the daughter of Stanley P. Krolczyk, pilot with the 104 in the South Pacific from approximately April – October 1945. I was just looking at his flight log book this evening, and remember a reference that said “Erskine killed.” I will go to his house tomorrow and send all of the information that is in the log book. My father is 95. I found this web site while trying to find information about another flight that went down, where my father and possibly other crew were rescued by Philippine fishermen, kept out at sea until after midnight to avoid the Japanese, then later smuggled by the Igorot natives back to American lines. If anyone has any information about that incident, I would be very appreciative. Dad’s memory comes and goes now, and he never spoke of his war experiences much while we were growing up. Lately he has begun to speak more about them, so we are trying to fill in more of the stories.
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Thanks for sharing, Peggy. We welcome anything further you can offer, and hope someone may be able to provide more details for you too.
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John, the log book shows an entry for May 16, 1945. The pilot is listed as Lt. McAuliff and “self,” meaning my father, Lt. Cdr. Stanley P. Krolczyk. He says he was in Crew #25 of Patrol Bombing Squadron 104. In the “Remarks” column, it simply notes: “Erskin killed. Albrecht lost.” I tried to see what else he remembered, but he seemed to want to talk about the Korean War instead at that point. I will keep trying to see what other information he may have. I will also email you the photocopies of the pages from his Log Book from that time. Thank you for getting back to me.
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You might try following the list of links I’ve posted on this site. Some may be dead by now, since I collected and shared that list when first researching Dad’s military history and the web tends to lose sites from time to time. Still, you’ll probably find as I did that one site leads to another and gives you ideas for search terms to try out. Please share any good links you find in a Comment here in the Discussion area. Happy hunting!
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John,
Attached are some of the pages I photocopied from my father’s flight Log Book from when he was stationed in the South Pacific. The information is noted on May 16, 1945.
Again, if anyone can help me find any additional information about Squadron 104, especially between April and October, 1945, I would be most grateful. I have found references to some books written by Navy personnel about Squadron 104, as well as a Dictionary of the Patrol Bombing Squadrons, but none of these seem to be for sale. One is in a Maritime library in San Francisco, and the other in the Library of Congress. If you know how these or other resources might be accessed, I would be most appreciative.
Thank you again,
Peggy Skantar
On Mon, Oct 3, 2016 at 2:35 AM, VPB-104 PB4Y Squadron wrote:
> John commented: “Thanks for sharing, Peggy. We welcome anything further > you can offer, and hope someone may be able to provide more details for you > too.” >
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As I wrote in a private email reply to you, this free WordPress website doesn’t seem to accept Comment attachments here in our Discussion section. I hope anyone willing to share photos and other material will consider learning to use the simple WordPress app, will contact us to volunteer. We can then provide you with access and help you learn. People of all ages familiar with email or a simple word processor have found it quick and easy to learn and use. For anyone not willing to help out in that way, we welcome and appreciate material sent via email or snail mail and invite you to use our Contact form to set that up.
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