Pasco was made the mascot while the squadron was training at NAS Pasco. However, she was no lover of loud noises...i.e. 40mm guns. At one of the island stops, she went AWOL and was never found or seen again!
Along the Isle front to back:
MacKnight, Moore, Gnuse, Eash, and Wimer
Along the bulkhead front to back:
Carr, Hamm (top of head),Peoples, Duncan, and Elshire
Picture from Doy Duncan
VC-20 aircraft landing with its left wing shot up!
this maybe "Charlie" 7 landing.
Jed Durand ENS R G Altman Don Vaughn
Ed Henderson Don Rogers Pete Heflin
H H Peoples Guy Lamond
Brown's Field
This stencil is from Jack Adolf. It is the same one he painted every plane and the ship's Island with. It has been reduced in size for the website.
CVE-76 is turning into the wind to receive planes. Note the barriers are up.
Note the wing damage to L J Carr's plane "Charlie 7"
"Smokey"
Leaflet dropped by the squadron on
enemy held Islands. The top reads
"Time is Running Out" Each number on
the clock represents an Island that
has fallen. 12 represents Japan!
H H Peoples
Salty Moore
"Charlie 92" W. Kruck's Plane
Ready Room
Oil covered TBM AA damage to area below radioman this is
LCDR Dale's aircaft. His radioman, Steve Walker, suffered injuries when enemy fire came through the bottom.
Steve Walker, 25 Oct. 1944
Loading Torpedeos 1944
VC pilots on Ponam Island
Front row: Myatt, Lazear,Topliss, Howe (signal officer), Baringer,Moore, Peoples,Adair, Williams,Anderson,Carr,Jensen.
Back row: Rutherford,Dauphin?,Wimer,Roth,Elshire,Gnuse,Kruck,Coulthard, ?,Keenan, ?
Ens. Roth and Craig
A good reason why TBM pilots like the "Turkey". This one flew back to the USS Bennington after another TBM fell on it. Left wing tip gone and heavy damage behind the turret. The pilot made a successful water landing next to the ship.
The Yamato under attack. Photo taken by VC-20 possibly by Steve Walker, ARM with LCDR Dale.
Bill Campbell
Charlie 9 "Ruth-Less"
Ens J W Eash' plane
Photos are from Gene Lamond, Ed Henderson, Doy Duncan, JED Durand, Charles Roth, National Archives, Ed Nelson, David Wright, Bill Campbell, Judy Zito , Dale Stewart, Mike McRoberts and other family members. If anyone would like to share photos, please contact me.
L J Carr Charlie 7
Doy Duncan Charlie 16
25 OCT 1944
When he went AWOL
( )
Charlie 85 Photo from National Archive. Pilot UNK
Ponam Island and air strip c1944
<<<<< NORTH
The airfield ran NW to SE
This page was last updated on: April 21, 2010
Altman was from New York and when he arrived to train with VC-20, it was learned he could fly but did not know how to drive. So a few of the pilots taught him how to drive a jeep on the base..
Andy Anderson on Ponam
Don Rogers on Ponam c Nov. 1944
Don Rogers at Brown Field before VC 20 shipped out to the Pacific
SE
Nw
Latrine/Showers
( )
Latrine/Showers
Bill Campbell.
According to Bill a Tom? Connley who was training with the squadron was resposible for the color photos. He was apparently connected to Walt Disney studios and was the one who acquired the squadron emblem. He was a fighter pilot but did not ship out with squadron when it left aboard the Kadashan Bay. If anyone knows what happen to him, please write.
Campbell celebrates making the 1000th landing on the Katie B. Actually the honor should have gone to his division leader, Couthard, but he was waved off by the LSO and he was next in line.
L to R: Wimer, East, Gnuse, Couthard, ??, Campbell, Howe, Dye
Wildcats lined up at Otay Mesa, Ca before leaving for CVE 76 Otay is also known as Brown's Field.
Tijuana Cowboys: Mike Roche, Doy Duncan, Bill Campbell and Otto Hamm
Photos from Bill Campbell
According to Bill, Mike had taken a liken to a lass and the locals were not too happy. They managed to pull Mike out to live to fight another day!!
Photos of Don are from his daughter
Judy Rogers Zito
Front Row R to L (men only)Carr, Dyhoe, Craig, McKnight, Gnuse, Lazear, and Elshire
Last row Eash, Couthard, Tysdall,Couthrie(sp?), Adair, Jankowski, McRoberts, Roth, Campbell
Next to last row Anderson , girl, girl, girl, Howe, girl, girl.
VC 20 Party
Bob Elshire, Bill Campbell, Otto Hamm, Bob Cole, Les Little.
Eash, Duncan, Dauphin, Little, McKnight, Campbell and Carr (who is doing the talking). Carr "headed up" the fighter pilots. Brown Field
Ass't LSO Earl Dyress
Les Little
Otto Hamm
Barringer
Pollywags
Learning how to land Equator Crossing
Cadet John Dale, San Diego 1938
photo courtesy of Dale Stewart
Artist rendering by Ian Hall of The Katie B with two of her planes coming home. Ian has prints for sale at $35 unsigned and $50 signed. Email Ian @ or his website @
Lt McRoberts to the right with his aircrew on 25 OCT 1944
