Picture Quiz

I'll take a wild stab now that I've seen the bigger photo. Is that a shot of the Wasp (CV-7) or the Hornet (CV-8) being sunk by US ships after they had been deemed unsalvageable by their captains and abandoned in late ‘42?

 

East of Samar, USS Gambier Bay under fire from the Japanese cruiser Chikuma in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. One of the rare photos from WWII showing ships from both sides in action in the same shot.

 

Okay, not too, too obscure, who is this gent? What's his claim to fame . . . think 1942 . . . maybe June, though this picture was taken in 1943 . . . hints can follow . . .

 

Butch O'Hare?

 

Nope, not Butch O'Hare. Hint #1 A naval aviator who flew in the Battle of Midway, that narrows it down to about 395 or so possibilities.

 

Nope, not from VF-3, nor, for that matter, did he fly from USS Yorktown. That eliminates about 75 possibilities. And if you look at the uniform, he obviously is not a Marine, so that eliminates about another 56, or so; gets us down to about 274 from which to pick.

 

Couple more hints . . . not a fighter pilot nor a patrol plane pilot. And if you look at the picture you'll see his rank on his hat and collar; can't tell from the picture if that bar is gold or silver - I know, but I'm not telling - but it would tend to eliminate anyone above the rank of Lieut (jg) at the time of Midway. So, Lieut (jg)'s and below who flew at Midway, that gets the pool of potentials down to about 88 (remember, nobody from Yorktown) and not all them survived the battle or, indeed, into 1943 when the picture was taken. Take out all those above Lieut (jg), flying fighters or patrol planes, flying at all from a Yorktown squadron, and killed at Midway; that leaves a pool of about 50.

At this rate I'll be handing out the give-away hints by this time tomorrow.

 

49 more to go, but you are remarkably close

 

Edit:Jeff beat me to it!

 

Nope, not even on the list. Dick Best (RIP, and one of the finest gents I ever met) was a bull Lieutenant and CO of VB-6. Remember, JG's and below. Maybe if we only look at Ensigns, that gets us down to around 39 possibilities, really, 38, since we know that George Gay is not in the running.

 

Okay, last clues and if you read carefully there is a lot in here; words used are chosen with care. This gent, a native of Richmond, VA, is a fellow graduate of that obscure military college in the valley of Virginia, though long before my time. He resigned a commission as a Lieutenant, USAR, Field Artillery, to enlist in the Navy’s Aviation Cadet Program. Earning his wings in October 1941, he was commissioned an Ensign and after advanced training was assigned to a squadron aboard the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier. His first combat was at the Battle of Midway where he was awarded the Navy Cross – twice. He was, literally, for a while, the only combat experienced pilot in his squadron as the other one soon transferred to another squadron. He was awarded a third Navy Cross for action in the Solomons. He later became a test pilot and spent not a small amount of time in, and was the first US naval aviator to do so, a captured B5N Kate. He also flew, post war, the Navy’s example of the Me 262, in which he managed to survive power loss crash which destroyed the craft. He was also Navy Jet Pilot # 61. He retired a Captain in 1972.

JW, you were very, very close in #410

Rich

 

But you won!!!! 8^)

One of the really good guys. At the one of the social functions whirling about the 1998 Midway Symposium he was standing at the bar at the O Club in Pensacola and I walked up stood next to him, leaned over, and said, "you know Captain, people like us have to be careful in places like this." He looked at me, raised an eyebrow, looked down at my ring, looked at me again with recognition dawning and said "Well, Richard, it's okay, I know lots of people here." He hadn't seen me since the summer of 70 before I headed off to the Institute.

 

I think I have to challenge you on the above clue. According to the info I have Jet Pilot #61 was Joseph R. Rees.

http://www.history.navy.mil/download/history/app30.pdf