The Catalina Chronicles : Volume 1
June 1, 1990 was a clear and comfortable day in the California
wine country where at a local airport I watched a Navy honor guard,
dressed in summer whites, stand at rifle salute. A lone Army bugler
blew Taps. As the last chord drifted away, the drown of a Missing-Man-Fly-By
of WWII aircraft became louder as the formation flew overhead to salute
one of its own. This day, a lone PBY will carry the ashes of a Catalina
pilot out to sea to his final resting place. I knew the man as Pop.
Others knew him as CDR. Leonard H. "Snuffy" Wagoner, USN.
As a child, I remembered the story of Pop landing his PBY
in heavy seas and high winds to rescue nine airmen who had been lost
at sea for four days. He was awarded the Navy Cross. As a child, I was awed and proud.
But as an adult, I was impressed and intrigued by the heroism. This
rescue took place early in the war and made national news. This
was just the first of many stories of heroism, sacrifice, and inventiveness of the men that flew
the Catalina. These war missions would later become the foundation
of the Navy's modern anti-submarine warfare, air-sea-rescue, and long
range electroinc patrol.
In the mid thirties, the Catalina was the first modern looking
aircraft and key to the Navy Mission. Little did we know that her mission
record would extend over 60 years of war and peace. However, the Catalina
is only metal and nothing without the spirit and daring of her crew.
The PBY Catalina's history is a melding of flesh and metal brought to
life by the spirit of man's faith and purpose. Aviation history and our
Country owes much to the PBY and her crews. Our mission is to remember
the past and be a window to the future; a window looking into the PBY
Catalina Historical Museum.
-Allen L. James
Revisiting Midway, 1942
August, 1993, the PBY Foundation had a unique opportunity to share with five members of VP44, reliving their most important role in the 1942 battle of Midway Island and the momentous defeat of the Japanese navy. We all sat riveted with attention and hero bound as Lee and the others told their stories blow by blow.
The VP44 crew members included: Allen J. Thompson, Jim Mills, Lee McCleary, Ried Wilson and Bill Wood. Lee McCleary is the only survivor of the only PBY to be shot down at Midway. He was the copilot as Japanese zeros made one pass after another until his plane refused to fly any more.
His shaky voice amplifying his deep emotions as he relived the frightening experience, Lee McCleary took over the controls as we flew back in time. The zeros came sliding in on their starboard wing and let fly with machine gun and cannon. He pointed at and explained the flying rivets and metal torn from his craft's outer skin. The zero had blown all the rivets and metal along these ribs. He pointed again, voice quivering, . . . With the wing tower shredded and the engines out, most of crew dead and wounded, we simply crashed into the sea. I was the only one lucky enough to get out.
As each of the 44 members relived their experience with us, it caused cold chills to run through our humbled bodies. Recording this kind of real life information, gathering all the data, old photos and any other memorabilia of the men, their missions and the aircraft is the major goal of the PBY Foundation. Ultimately with a historical PBY museum located at Sonoma County Airport, this most valuable part of our history can be reserved forever. Otherwise, if it is not gathered soon, much of the real life history will fade away unnoticed and be gone forever.
Most people do not know the tremendous part this aircraft, the men and the missions played during WWII. They were a real pain in the rear of the Japanese as they sank over 800,000 tons of Japanese shipping, many of them men of war. They also rescued an untold number of Army, Navy and Marine pilots and crews.
VP 44 guys, we are very grateful for your first visit. Please come back soon.
January 1994: The PBY in the News--"Discovered, Lost & Discovered Again"
You will be saddened to learn that the world has just lost a PBY Catalina. A PBY was being flown from California to New Zealand as a historical promotion to commemorate the use of the flying boat by New Zealand. The PBY had a mixed crew of seven Americans and New Zealanders. It made the first leg of its trip to Hawaii just fine. There it refueled and headed south for one of the many small islands that the PBY squadrons of World War II used on their trek across the pacific. This re-enactment of the same long trip got into trouble about 350 miles out of Hawaii.
Engine trouble forced the "Cat" to land in open sea. It hit hard and probably popped some rivets in the hull. The crew radioed for help and tried to keep the old war bird afloat by bailing. This was to no avail and the PBY slowly started to sink. The crew finally took to their life raft and waited for rescue.
A US Coast Guard C-130 plane soon arrived on the scene and stayed overhead until a nearby freighter arrived to pick up the crew. The damaged PBY finally sank to a quiet burial on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Her final journey however is not forgotten.
Yet, in the same month we did receive some good news. All is not lost! The wreckage of a US World War II PBY Catalina containing the remains of a number of unidentified airmen was found on the Pacific Ocean island of Espiritu Santo, now part of the Pacific nation of Vanuatu. The wreckage of the aircraft was surprisingly well preserved. Its two Pratt and Whitney engines were found on the site, along with propellers, seats, oxygen cylinders, glasses, pistols, three machine guns and a 500 pound bomb which authorities fear could still be live.
A logging worker on the island had discovered the wreckage. The markings on the wing of the plane can be made out quite easily and are definitely the markings used by Americans on war planes very early in the war. A team of US Military investigators visited the site, recovered the remains of the lost airmen and have been working on identifying the PBY through serial numbers from the plane's wreckage. We look forward to hearing more about their findings soon.
Soviet Usage of Catalinas:
Hard to believe that the first Catalina of a country that produced Catalinas herself, was a second hand Catalina! It all started in 1937, when Dr. Richard Archbold purchased Consolidated's first commercial PBY. It was a modified PBY-1, licensed as a model 28-1. Guba, as Archbold called his aircraft, was intended to be used as support for a planned expedition to New Guinea. These plans were suddenly altered when the Soviet government asked him to to aid in a mission of mercy and sell Guba to them for $230,000 (Russian aviation magazine--Krylia Rodiny no. 9 & 10, 1992 ). Archbold agreed and the Soviets used Guba to search for Sigismund Levanevsky and his crew missing from a flight across the North Pole from the Soviet Union to Fairbanks. The Canadian researcher Sir Hubert Wilkins flew Guba to Coppermine in Canada's Northwest Territory on the 23rd of August 1937 and made five search-trips during August and September. In the end of 1937, Guba, now registered L-2, was flown to New York, dismantled, and shipped by steamer to the Soviet Union. From January to March 1938, Wilkins flew four more flights, two of which were during the polar night. Sadly, Levanevsky and his crew were never found.
Wilkins later wrote a letter to Reuben Fleet, saying he had flown 19,000 miles " . . . . under the most adverse weather conditions, flying over rough and uncharted terrain, and for the most part heavily loaded with fuel, supplies, and equipment. It is my priviledge to congratulate you and your associates and all those who had part in the fabrication of this airplane, and in no uncertain terms. Without this magnificent airplane, we could not have attempted our difficult task." [Roscoe Creed; PBY, The Catalina Flying Boat]
In the summer of 1938, L-2 was delivered to Moscow. The letters URSS (French short for USSR) were changed to CCCP, the registration L-2 removed, and the aircraft equipped with military gear. This military gear consisted of 4 'SHKAS' machine guns (7.62 mm) in the bow turret, tunnel gun, and where the two waist gunner's hatches should be in small closed blisters, there were 6 bomb racks for several types of bombs, and other equipment. All these changes were standard on the GST, except for the blisters. The L-2 was likely the first Catalina with (some sort of) blisters!
During her operational life, L-2 took part in the search for survivors of convoy PQ-17. After the search, while she lay at anchor at Moller Bay, Novaya Zemblya, L-2 was destroyed by shellfire of a German submarine on the 25th of July, 1942.
The Soviets were so impressed with the performances of Guba, that they negotiated a contract in 1937 with Consolidated for three Model 28-2 aircraft, a license for production, and engineering support through the establishment of an assembly plant. One of the Model 28-2 aircraft, comparable to a PBY-1, was completed and test flown in San Diego. Later she was disassembled and shipped to the Soviet Union together with the other two aircraft. These three aircraft were the only three PBY's built in the USA that were powered by other engines than the Pratt & Whitney R-1830s. Instead they were equipped with Wright Cyclone R-1820-G3 engines. References can be found in both Roscoe Creed; PBY, The Catalina Flying Boat and W. E. Scarborough; PBY Catalina in action; Squadron/Signal Publications 1062.
The GST (the Soviet designation for Soviet built Catalinas) was not exactly the same as the three Model 28-2's the Soviets bought. First of all, the engine cowling front was different. It was possible to open or close it, probably for cold weather operations. The cowlings enclosed M-87 engines and not M-62 engines (which would have been license build Wright Cyclone R-1820-G3's). The M-87 was a 2-row, 14-cylinder, air cooled, radial engine, rated at 950 h.p. The third difference was the bow turret. The few photos released of the GST show that it looked quite different from the PBY turret.
The Soviets did not produce as many GST's as some sources state. Instead of the 150, only 27 were produced. There were several reasons for that. First of all, the military interest in the GST was not as large. The Soviets also had difficulties building the GST and the production plant in Taganrog was overrun by the Germans in 1941. Most GST's that came into service were later disarmed and given to 'Glavsevmorput' for civil purposes. The engines were changed as well and became M-62 engines, the license built R-1820-G3. These aircraft, with designation MP-7, could carry up to to 20 passengers.
Very little is known about operations with either GST's or MP-7's. Of one GST though, there is some history that is documented. On the 22nd of November 1941, a GST landed at Morphou Bay, Cyprus. The aircraft was apparently flown by a Soviet sailor with, it is said, no previous flying experience. The sailor had taken off from Sevastopol and had flown amazingly across the Crimea, Black Sea, and Turkey.
The aircraft was pressed into RAF service and wore the RAF serial HK850. It remained unused in Aboukir, Egypt, until blown ashore in a gale on the 23rd of February, 1943.
Commander Craig Memorial
August 14, 1993
December 7, 1991 began the 50th anniversary of World War II which will end on September 2, 1995. This is an important time for the men, women and their families that lived, fought and died during this period of our Country's history. Many of these people live in Sonoma County. Each of us must remember that we have benefited from the victory of World War II, and should be grateful by honoring those who made victory possible.
One of those who made victory possible was CDR. Philip Henry Craig, USN (Ret.). CDR.Craig was a World War II, China Service and Korean veteran, Navy pilot and Commanding Officer of VP-91 (a PBY Catalina squadron operating in the Solomon Islands during 1944). For the last fourteen years, his ashes had been languishing at the Santa Rosa Memorial Park crematorium without benefit of final interment or formal military honor.
This recent discovery by his niece Carole Masi, prompted her to go to the government and ask to have CDR. Craig's burial completed. Unfortunately, the time lapse had removed their obligations. Not having the funds to complete the service, she turned to the PBY Catalina Foundation for help. The Foundation was unanimous in granting her request. We contacted the US Navy at Treasure Island, told them of the situation and after their investigation, they granted a full military service for CDR Craig to accompany our plans for a burial service.
On August 14, 1993, 12:00 noon, at Redwood Aviation (Piper) hangars, at Sonoma County Airport, Santa Rosa, a Memorial Service was performed by the US Navy with full military honors, beside a PBY Catalina. During the ceremony, CDR. Craig's ashes was put aboard the Catalina and then flown out to sea for dispersal.
CDR. Craig was born March 20, 1913 in Piru, California and died December 17, 1979 in Santa Rosa, California.
He was married to Helen Guppy and had two children Michael and Stephen. Helen passed away one year earlier and the whereabouts of the surviving son Stephen were unknown.
He entered the US Navy July 23, 1937 as an aviation cadet at NAS Pensacola, Florida. He finished flight training and was commissioned August 1, 1938. He saw combat in the Pacific with VP-81 and as Commanding Officer of VP-91 during the period of 1943 and 1944. He retired from the Navy October 31, 1959 as a full Commander with 22 years of outstanding service. His medals and honors are as follows:
PBY Foundation Works to Recover
W.W.II Catalina MIAs in the Pacific
On January 14th, in the forested highlands of the Pacific island of Espiritu Santos, loggers discovered the crashed remains of a PBY Catalina. Markings on the wings identified the aircraft as from W.W.II which prompted the Vanuatu government to request that all remains of the crew be recovered by the United States.
Recovery has been completed and now the difficult work begins to identify the remains and inform the next of kin. Preliminary work completed by the Foundation and the Catalina community has determined the high probability that the PBY belonged to VP-23 (23-P-15) and was lost August 6, 1942. The crew is known but not confirmed and the names will not be released by the Foundation until the Navy completes its identification and notification of next-of-kin. Then, after 53 years, these MIAS will finally come home.
The MIA count from W.W.II is about 78,000 compared to 9,000 for Korea and 2,800 for Southeast Asia. It has been the policy of past White House administrations to direct all resources for MIA recovery to the Southeast Asia area excluding known sites from W.W.II and Korea. This policy on MIAs has frustrated and angered our research teams and the MIA families that are presently working on two MIA projects - VBP-33/101 and VP-23.
LTJG. William F. Goodwin, VBP-33/101, on the evening of October 1, 1944, took off to patrol a sector near the Celebes island. He and his crew never returned. It was later determined they had been shot down, captured by the Japanese and executed as POWs. The fate of five of the ten crewmen, including William Goodwin, was determined during war crime trails against the Japanese after the war ended. Unknown, was the fate of the five missing crew until the son of William Goodwin, Mike, began his research in 1987.
Mike Goodwin's search through the records began to tell a story of war, death, and war crimes. In his soon to be published book, Mike not only tells the story of his father's last flight but of his last days. Today, the only tangible evidence of this fifty year mystery is a pile of reports, the corroded remains of a PBY, and the five grave sites of his fathers missing crew.
To complete his work, Mike wanted to bring his father's crew home so he contacted the Central Identification Laboratory (CIL), Hawaii and gave them the location of the five grave sites and the names of the crew. Their response was (paraphrased) that their MIA recovery resources were totally directed to the Southeast Asia area and it was unknown when the requested recovery could be acted upon.
This statement was shocking but we can not blame the CIL for their limitations. But we can ask President Clinton to sign an executive order to treat all MIAs from all the wars equally and bring all of our people home. The Foundation has made the request and sent a fax to the White House asking that President Clinton give the necessary orders. To express your concern over this issue, fax the White House at (202) 456-2461 and let them know how you feel. You can also write "Letters to the Editor" to your local newspapers and contact your local Congressional Representatives. This is the least we can do for our PBY Catalina MIAs.
The Foundation continues to search for the PBY Catalina MIAs. This is part of our purpose to preserve the history of a great airplane and most of all of the people who loved her. Allen L. James
 |
Go Back to the Previous Page |
|---|---|
 |
Go Back to Main Menu |