Historical research request...Cape Cod Military Museum

Rami

Rami

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Staff member
Hey guys,

Word has gotten around about us fellows...I was contacted by the Cape Cod Military Museum in Bourne, MA about specific information about air activities on Cape Cod during WWII.

I will post the contents of the email for all of you, and let's see if we can find the information, and (maybe) even do a skin or two...

I was wondering if the Cape Cod Military Museum could tap into you and your colleague's areas of expertise. Most of our questions that we would like answers to are about training and patrolling that went on in the Cape Cod Area (not many air battles). Our first question is, George Bush flew out of Quonset Point Auxiliary Air Station Hyannis in WWII (Otis air field was also an auxiliary air station) We were wondering what type of plane he was flying, it's markings, was it named Barbara I? We believe his whole carrier group trained on the Cape then landed on the newly completed aircraft carrier after it left the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy. We have a 1/18 scale avenger (if this is indeed his type of aircraft) that we would like to have marked up as his plane. Any info on the types of Naval planes and markings that flew out of the Cape and Islands would be great.

British RAF aircraft flew out of Otis as well during the war (convoy escort duty) any information on what types of aircraft, markings etc. would be welcome.

USAC/F Pilots flew out of Otis for anti U-boat patrols in fact one pilot sunk two U-boats in one day. He sunk one U-boat, went back to re-arm and caught another on the surface racing to help the crew of the first U-boat. It was the top story of the Camp Edwards Bulletin in 1943. Information on type, units markings would be appreciated. I think he flew a B-25.

I'm sure we can nose around and at least provide some answers...any ideas on where to start?
 
Some light reading on this

..here is a website of all the patrol squadrons during WW2 and links to their history, aircraft AAR's etc. Some nice light reading:biggrin-new:

https://www.vpnavy.com/vp82_1940.html

BTW I searched for two U-boat losses in proximate time\location and with no joy, maybe others will have better results.

Here is some more good reading: https://www.history.navy.mil/conten...tionaryAmericanNavalAviationSquadronsVol2.pdf

The index, etc, titles are clickable links to the relevant items.
 
Squantum as a Fleet Air Arm base

http://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/FAA-Bases/Squantum.htm#.Wv3wK-4vyUk

Text indicates some of the likely USN VP squadron patrol activity in the area as well.

"NAS Squantum served as a maritime patrol and training base Navy squadrons VJ-4 and VS-1D1/VS-31 flew anti-submarine patrols over Massachusetts Bay and the Gulf of Maine using Grumman Duck, Consolidated PBY Catalina, Vought-Sikorsky Kingfisher, Douglas Dauntless, and Curtiss Helldiver."
 
I know us Limeys trained using Grumman Widgeon in the states, not sure exactly where though, will go digging. I remember doing a couple of RN repaints for the JF Widgeon for those aircraft. It was modelled by Shessi's chum Chris, still payware AFAIK.

Jamie
 
Turns out they were from Pensacola, sorry. Never released the paints as the model uses similar mapping techniques to the default, mirroring, etc. Not sure I even still have them.
 
53 Squadron flew Hudson IIIs and Vs from Quonset Point between 30th July and 12th August 1942.
They were fitted with ASV and received the EDSG/DSG/White Scheme prior to leaving the UK.
Squadron codes were 'PZ', and I do have a list of identities although whether they're applicable to this period or later when they'd moved to Trinidad I don't know.

It was also HMS Asbury between October '42 and October '43
http://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/FAA-Bases/Quonset Point.htm#.Wv88pEgvzRY
 
53 squadron RAF Hudsons shown in this pic seem to sport a paint scheme matching USN aircraft flying out of the Eastern seaboard at the time 53 was based in Quonset Point. A bit difficult to see the finer points, but certainly different from standard CC finishes.
 
There is an airfield location listed on this site: http://massaerohistory.org/Naval Ai...ilitary & Auxiliary Air Fields 1923-1945.html

The co-ords for Quonset Point airfield are given, so if we can come up with the plan and its orientation perhaps someone could make the airbase with a view to setting up a "hands on" CFS2 install for visitors to the museum. Depending on their resources and focus they might be interested in giving visitors a taste of what it was like to fly into and out of the location or to experience part of a training flight.
 
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Ravenna

Training aircraft were assigned to the base, not the units being trained, or to any individual pilot. When a unit was declared ready to deploy they usually moved to a different base - which could be stateside, Hawaii, or a Pacific base like Ulithi - where new squadron aircraft would be issued to the unit to work up on and work out any mechanical bugs prior to flying aboard their new carrier. In VT51's case that was the airfield at Hyannis Port. MA.

Generally speaking, except for the CAGs, Navy pilots flew any plane assigned that day depending on the deckload arrangement that day. Quite different from the Army practice of assigning planes to pilots. Few Navy planes other than CAG aircraft had names unless the plane captain (maintenance) gave it one. Because the San Jac only carried 9 TBMs naming planes may have been permissible in the small Squadron?
 
CK........

......in line with what you posted. The info I found had some pics of Bush in his planes. What was unique that I noticed is that they all had the name "Barbara" written on them in what appears to be CHALK. Maybe he named the planes that he flew, for the mission, like that or just named the plane for a photo to send home. Also found a reference, have to re-find it, that the squadron finished training and fitted out at a base in the Chesapeake Bay before embarking on the San Jacino.
 
Captain Kurt said:
Generally speaking, except for the CAGs, Navy pilots flew any plane assigned that day depending on the deckload arrangement that day. Quite different from the Army practice of assigning planes to pilots. Few Navy planes other than CAG aircraft had names unless the plane captain (maintenance) gave it one. Because the San Jac only carried 9 TBMs naming planes may have been permissible in the small Squadron?
Click to expand...

The exception to that rule being certain Navy junior officer "aces" (non-CAG), who were allowed to keep their own mounts with victory tallies painted up. But these guys generally went on to make CAG later in short order as they continued to perform a cut above in combat ops.
 
Reply...

Good morning,

Wow...thank you for all this information...I will begin sifting through this today and send a report to them by Friday. I'll ask questions as they come up.
 
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