VP-91 Alumni Association
"Up Floats" Contributed by George B. Winter pbycat@bellsouth.net
1999-2 9 Pages Full of Pictures!
George B. Winter pbycat@bellsouth.net
Health and happiness to all of us in the coming year and may we see many more. I received a number of letters and thank you for your kind remarks about the newsletter and hope I can find more information for future newsletters.
I received a letter from Theresa Long informing me that Dick Long died in July 1997. I thought that he had passed away but wasn't positive untill I received her letter. The wonders of the COMPUTER AND INTERNET. I received an E-mail giving me information about a Reunion of VB-148 and I wondered why I received it. It finally dawned on me what it was all about. To refresh your memory, Munsey's story was in the 1997-4 Newsletter and now the rest of the story or the finish to the story of Munsey's rescue. The people that Fraizer's crew rescued was from VB-148 and his e-mail stated that Tom Humphrey the radioman of that plane was at the VB-148 reunion, and the PPC died last year. I sent him an E-mail requesting his address, and upon receiving this info with his telephone #, I called Humphreys and gave him Charles Munsey's telephone no. It is exciting after all these years how the internet put me in touch with these people that were involved with this rescue, and it all started with the internet.
This issue is about the rescues of the second tour group and pictures taken by Easterling. Pictures below sent to me by George Mellard from the 1997 PBY Reunion in San Deigo Ca.
NOTICE.....NOTICE.....NOTICE.....NOTICE THE END OF VP-91---VP-91 WILL BE HISTORY. ON 13 MARCH 1999 WILL BE DISESTABLISHED AT A CEREMONY AT 1300, HANGAR #3, NAS Moffett Field, California. RECEPTION AND REUNION PARTY TO FOLLOW IN TOWN. CONTACT VP-91 DIRECTLY IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND.
02 MAY 1944 From: The Commander To: The Commander Aircraft, Solomons
Subject: Dumbo Rescue Mission, 2 May 1944
1. Pursuant to orders from Air Operations Green, Lieutenant J. M. Richards, USNR, Patrol Squadron NINETY ONE, Patrol Plane Commander of 31 Baker 23, departed Green Island at 1153 Love with instructions to ???? with two (2) F4U's, radio call ONYX 14, as fighter cover and to proceed to Rapopo Point where an SBD crew was reported in the water two miles off shore.
2. He arrived at the designated point at 1215 Love and immediately contacted 1 Baker 30, a ??, who led him to a two (2) man life raft on the water and which upon close inspection was found to be empty. A comprehensive search was then made from Cape Gazelle to within three (3) miles of South Daughter near Rabaul with negative results except that every time the latter point was approached considerable AA fire was received, without damage however. During the search a floating mine was sighted two (2) miles north of Cape Gazelle.
3. Departure from the area was made at 1345 Love and a landing was made at Green Island at 1445, results negative.
4. The crew of the plane consisted of the following:
Lieutenant J. M. Richards, USNR, (PPC) Lieut(jg) W. E. Bosler, Jr., USNR (PP1P) B. H. Warren, AP1c, USN, (PP2P) C. W. Marshall, AC??(AA), USN J. M. McCard, AMM2c, USN V. T. Gallant, ACRM(AA), USNR J. D. copeland, ARM2c, USNR L. E. Mirsteih, AOM2c, USNR
04 MAY 1944 From: The Commander To: The Commander Aircraft, Solomons
Subject: Report of Dumbo Mission
1. On 22 May 1944, Lieut. R. C. WOOLERY, patrol plane commander of PBY of Patrol Squadron Ninety One was ordered by Air Operations, EMIRAU ISLAND, to take off and search for the TBF crew downed at POINT SASS, off NEW IRSLAND. His radio call was 33 B 28; his escort, Rock 101.
2. Lieut. WOOLERY was off at 1025 with instructions to follow his escort, who had been with the downed TBF, to the scene of the crash. At 1130, a raft containing three men was sighted about three miles off shore, northeast of POINT SASS, with two planes circling high above it. A full stall landing was made and the three men taken aboard. They were Capt. C. V. BERDEL, T/S James GREATHOUSE and Pfc. P. P. ENTERLINE, of VATB 232. They had been in their raft about an hour; all were in good condition. The resuce required 10 minutes on the water during which time Dumbo was shelled by shore batteries, some shots dropping as close as 100 yards astern.
3. Immediately folloing the takeoff at 1150, Lieut. WOOLERY's escort, 1st Lt. J. H. LEVINE, of VMF 222, informed him that he had been hit while strafing the shore batteries and was going down. He swung under Dumbo's wing and pancaked, getting out of his plane and into his raft without injury. Lieut. WOOLERY landed again, picked him up and at 1215 took off to return to base. Dumbo was out of range of the enemy shore gunes when the second pickup was made.
4. With Lieut. WOOLERY on this rescue mission were:
LT.(jg) J. A. HAYES, co-pilot Ensign H. J. McKIBBEN, 2nd pilot ROBINSON, S> J., AMM2c ALLEN, E., AMM3c WALDEEN, E> H., ARM1c SHERRINGTON, P. W. ARM3c JACKSON, R., AOM3c
"VP-91 Up-Float Newsletter SummaryPage"
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