New Forum Policy - New Members Must Post Welcome Message

Information relating to Pacific Wrecks website

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Denise280
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Re: New Forum Policy - New Members Must Post Welcome Message

Post by Denise280 »

Hi
I am researching HMS Jupiter 27/2/1942 my great uncle Augustas Micheal O'Malley was a crew member

Hagerstrom
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Re: New Forum Policy - New Members Must Post Welcome Message

Post by Hagerstrom »

I am Eric James Hagerstrom son of double-fighter-ace (10.5) James P. Hagerstrom. I retired five years ago and have gotten around to working on a more complete account of my dad's wartime achievements. He has a Wikipedia entry which was created by some amateur aviation historians. As a family member, I am restricted by Wikipedia editors from correcting any errors or adding content, including the account of his forced landing at Finschhafen, New Guinea on 1943-October-16.

While exploring the Pacific Wrecks website, I was drawn to the mystery of Ernie Harris' P-40N "The Carolina Belle" s/n 42-104947 and the unknown pilot who inherited the aircraft when Harris was promoted to CO of the 49FG 8FS after his seventh aerial victory on 1943-April-11. This wreck was recovered in 1997 near the present-day Finschhafen airstrip. I hypothesize that the two extra "meatballs" were my dad's two aerial victories (April 11th and October 5th) before he made a forced landing at the abandoned missionary airstrip on April-16th. The aviationarcheology.com database records his ship number as 42-104950 but I think that is an error. My dad contracted malaria and after R&R in Australia returned to the 8FS and was assigned a new P40-N (unknown s/n) on 1944-Jan-23 and on that day scored four aerial victories over Wewak, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Photographs in Ferguson's 1996 book "Protect & Avenge: The 49th Fighter Group in World War II." Page 231 has a photo of my dad perched on the new P-40N aircraft #50.

There is however an earlier photograph on Page 128 of him as a "rookie" standing by his P-40E "HAG & HAG" (#?9) before his first aerial victory. It is speculation that his first victory on April 11th was accomplished in this aircraft? I'll have to find his pilot's log page to resolve the type aircraft he was flying that day.

Meanwhile, is there a better explanation of how this "CAROLINA BELLE" ended up at Finschhafen?

Eric J. Hagerstrom (first posting)

Baze4AU
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Re: New Forum Policy - New Members Must Post Welcome Message

Post by Baze4AU »

Hello: We are the Bazemore's from Alabama seeking information about my uncle Capt. Howard M. Bazemore who was a bombardier on a B-24 Liberator Heaven Can Wait 42-73496. They were shot down over Ponape on May 4, 1944 by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. His body was never found. We are seeking information or help as to the location of his aircraft. The other day I noticed the discovery of another B-24 Liberator named Heaven Can Wait on May 18, 2018. I've thought about it since then and wondered if anyone has looked for or sought information as to where Capt. Bazemore's plane went down. The family would appreciate any help that Pacific Wrecks could provide and would enjoy having discussions with any family member whose kin was on board that B-24 Liberator on May 4, 1944 over Ponape. Thank you.

Btowntaz
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Location: Bakersfield, Ca
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Re: New Forum Policy - New Members Must Post Welcome Message

Post by Btowntaz »

Greetings from Bakersfield, Ca.

I came across this forum while researching VPB-106 crew 3 BUNO 59563, pilot Lt Comdr HF Mears, crash near Singapore 6/1/1945. My Great Uncle was the tail gunner aboard this flight.

SCramer
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Re: New Forum Policy - New Members Must Post Welcome Message

Post by SCramer »

Greetings from Phoenix, Arizona.

I am new here but I feel I will be staying a while. I have joined these forums in the hope of reaching the one who wrote the article on Clark Field. I am a former soldier of the U.S. Army, Combat Engineer but now am a full time student working towards a degree in history with the hopes of one day teaching history to highschoolers. There is so much wrong with the information taught I am hoping to correct the politically motivated lessons with the truth behind these events. I am currently working on a paper centered around the battle of Clark Field as it has a very personal connection to my family. While we had many relatives who fought in World War Two this one stands out among them, the reason I wish to contact the author of the Clark Field article is because I want to use it as a source for the paper but have not been able to locate the name to give credit where it is due. If anyone who knows can reach out to me or the author themselves I would love to list you as the source for this valuable information. Thank you.

thathistorian42
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Re: New Forum Policy - New Members Must Post Welcome Message

Post by thathistorian42 »

Hello,

My name is James and I am a research historian who also teaches World History. I am a specialist in military history and many of my articles have appeared in magazines such as Ancient Warfare, Archaeological Diggings, Journal of International Affairs, Saber and Scroll Journal, and University Journal of Military History.

I am currently conducting research that intersects another issue, however, my main search is to locate a ship / vessel named the Veveo. The ship is reported to have been sunk in the Marshall Islands and as a result of the Japanese believing the master to be a spy. The ship was sunk around 1938 and the owner reported that he been at some point impressed into Japanese naval service. This would be very unique and pose some interesting historical questions. However, I am still trying to verify the existence of the Veveo as well as any details of his personal account before I can move forward with the rest.

If anyone has any information, any information regarding the wreck, the owner, registry, any and all information available would be very welcome. Please note: I have already sought assistance through multiple archival databases such as Lloyds, I have consulted with some maritime institutes and museums in Australia and New Zealand. I am posting here as a result of coming up empty in many other places that I have sought information. I am currently emailing and calling individual Pacific Island governments and seeking archival information with them so this is a very deep, intensive search. Any information would be deeply appreciated.

BB57Archivist
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Re: New Forum Policy - New Members Must Post Welcome Message

Post by BB57Archivist »

Hello,
I am the archivist/collections manager for the USS South Dakota Battleship Memorial (BB57) in Sioux Falls, SD. I have a BA in military history (19th &20th Century Warfare) and three classes away from earning my MA in Museum Arts. I am a combat veteran, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant in the US Army. I spent 18.5 years as an infantryman where combat injuries and the infantry lifestyle earned me a medical board and a disability rating. I was in Afghanistan (13 months/ 6 months) twice in the Kandahar and Zabul provinces and in Iraq (15 months) in the Al Dora aka al-Dura district during the surge. I am currently in pre-production of my Podcast about the Soviet-Afghan War. My hobbies, I am PADI certified, a novice metal detectorist, I collect vintage action figures (nerd passion), I tend to love foul language, and I am particular to Kavas aka Russian Rye soda. I love to do research and I enjoy chasing rabbits down proverbial holes. I spend a lot of time in the inner bowels of the US National Archives, which can be a maze. I have a fairly modest military history library but do not claim to be a "know it all" in any topic. Daily, veterans walk into our museum, and I learn from the things that would never be found in an ordinance manual. I found this forum while updating the BB57 crew book and I was looking for more information about CPT Daly, USMC, and found Jose50’s posts from 2010. As I said, I am not the authority of any particular facet of 19th and 20th-century warfare, but I do have a broad scope of that history and I am always searching for the individual testimonies that make this and all wars' human casualties a real and tangible thing. Pending any questions, I am here to help or contribute. BB57Archivist, out.

Castet
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Re: New Forum Policy - New Members Must Post Welcome Message

Post by Castet »

Hi everybody,

I am a new member here,
My name is Etienne from France. I am interested in maritime activities, and discovered the Imperial Japanese Navy as early as in 1964. France is less concerned with Far East an Pacific questions, but when my family moved to the french Riviera, I was motivated to go further in discovering japanese maritime infos. After visiting many french and foreign naval ships moored in Cannes Bay and elsewhere, (during the film festival for instance), as the US CV America, the french CV Clémenceau, etc...I went to chase any documentation , french (very few), english (well available), german (good references), US (academic works like "Sunburst" and "Kaigun" books), and finally japanese (Shizuo Fukui and Naval Architects books, etc).

J-aircraft.com site was very interresting and was (will be ?) a much advanced research source.

My large library allows me to translate and write some paper stuff about maritime activities in Far East and Pacific areas in the 20th century.

larry henderson
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Re: New Forum Policy - New Members Must Post Welcome Message

Post by larry henderson »

HI Folks,
I'm a retired United pilot. My dad joined United in November, 1941, and by early fall 1942, was flying C-87's out of Hamilton Field (near San Francisco) to Brisbane, AU. I recall a post on this sight from someone looking for information about a C-87 that crashed on approach to Canton Island in February 1942. I have an interesting connection to that flight. My dad had just finished a 2-week Brisbane trip and was briefing the outbound crew. The outbound co-pilot had forgotten his pen and borrowed my Dad's Shaeffer fountain pen. When the plane hit the water going into Canton, the flight engineer, who was standing between and just behind the pilot seats, was propelled through the co-pilots windshield. The co-pilot, Hoot Moninger, exited through the window as the plane rapidly sank. He was the only one of 5 crew who escaped. I believe 2 of the 14 passengers also escaped. Dad's pen is at the bottom of the Pacific.

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