| CONFIDENTIAL
MARINE
FIGHTING SQUADRON 222, MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 24
FIRST MARINE AIRCRAFT WING, Navy No. 140 (One Four Zero)
C/O FLEET POST OFFICE, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
WAR
DIARY
from
From:
1 January, 1944, to 31 January, 1944 |
|
Distributions: |
Commandant,
Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps
Commander in Chief, U. S. Fleet
Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet,
Commanding General, Aircraft, F. M. F. Pacific
Commanding General, First Marine Aircraft Wing
File
|
|
| Geographical
Location of Unit: |
|
Vela Lavella |
|
| Name
of Commanding Officer: |
|
Major
A. N. GORDON |
| Name
of next higher echelon:
|
|
Marine
Aircraft Group FOURTEEN |
| Roster
of Flight Echelon: |
|
|
|
| GORDON,
A. N. |
Major |
|
Commanding
Officer |
|
| SAPP,
D. H. |
Major |
|
Executive
Office |
| SCHAEFER,
G. C. |
WO |
|
Intelligence
& Photo Officer |
| BRITTINGHAM,
J. T. |
Lt. |
|
Flight
Surgeon |
|
| FITTING,
J., Jr. |
Major |
|
McLEAN,
C. T. |
1st.
Lt. |
| MORRIS,
J. P. |
Captain |
|
MOORE,
I. E |
1st.
Lt. |
| NEWLANDS,
J. P. |
Major |
|
NUGENT,
J. T. |
1st. Lt. |
| PANKHURST,
F. L. |
Captain |
|
PERINO,
A. J. |
1st.
Lt. |
| BEKINS,
R. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
REID,
W. O. |
1st.
Lt. |
| CRAIG,
J., III |
1st.
Lt. |
|
SCHAEFER,
H. A. |
1st.
Lt. |
| FOSTER,
J. M. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
TEETER,
V. L. Jr. |
1st.
Lt. |
| GHER,
W, C. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
TURNER,
H. M. |
1st.
Lt. |
| HAZLETT,
W. W. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
WALLEY, J. M. |
1st. Lt. |
| HOBBS,
R. L. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
WILLIAMS, J. B. III |
1st.
Lt. |
| HUGHES,
F. E. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
WILSON, R. W. |
1st.
Lt. |
| HUIDEKOPER,
H. S. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
WITT,
J. W. |
1st.
Lt. |
| JOHNSTON,
U. V. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
YEAGER, S. J. |
1st.
Lt. |
| KOETSCH,
J. F. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
YORK, W. M. Jr. |
1st.
Lt. |
| LASSITER,
C. P. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
CARRELL,
W. B. |
2d. Lt. |
| LEACH,
J. M. Jr. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
JONES,
C. D. |
2d.
Lt. |
| LEVINE,
J. H. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
|
|
| MACK,
M. M. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| Roster
of Ground Echelon Officers: |
| HAND,
R. G. |
Captain |
|
Commanding
Officer |
|
| LAWLER,
R. P. |
2d
Lt |
|
Materiel
Office |
|
| SCHALLER,
L. M, |
CWO |
|
Engineering
Officer |
|
| SAINT,
J. L. |
WO
|
|
Adjutant |
|
|
Jan.
1 |
|
|
Pilots
in Sydney. Ground Echelon operating at Barakoma, Vella Lavella.
|
|
|
Jan.
2 |
|
|
Pilots
in Sydney. |
| |
|
Jan.
3 |
|
|
Pilots
in Sydney. |
| |
|
Jan.
4 |
|
|
Pilots
in Sydney. |
|
|
Jan.
5 |
|
|
Pilots
in Sydney. |
|
|
Jan.
6 |
|
|
Pilots
in Sydney. |
|
|
Jan.
7 |
|
|
Pilots
in Sydney. |
| |
|
Jan.
8 |
|
| |
Flight
Echelon gear moved by G. C. SCHAEFER, Intelligence Officer,
in twenty one TBFs from Espiritu Santo to Quoin Hill, Efate.
HAZLETT and LEACH arrived Quoin Hill, Efate, from Sydney. |
| |
|
| Jan.
9 |
|
| |
GORDON,
SAPP, PANKHURST, FOSTER, KOETSCH, JOHNSTON, HUIDEKOPER, BRITTINGHAM,
NEWLANDS, MORRIS, HUGHES, McLEAN, REID, HOBBS, and YORK arrived
Quoin Hill, Efate, from Sydney. |
| |
|
Jan.
10 |
|
| |
Balance
of Flight Echelon arrived Quoin Hill, Efate, from Sydney. |
| |
|
| Jan.
11 |
|
| |
No
flying because of weather.
The
following officers received and accepted appointment to
temporary rank of Captain with rank from 20 December 1943:
TURNER, Henry M., Captain (012728), USMCR
McLEAN, Carl T., Captain (011914), USMCR
WILSON, Robert W., Captain (011412), USMCR
WILLIAMS, James B., III, Captain (012845), USMCR
REID, Winfred O., Captain (012729), USMCR
YEAGER, Stephen J., Captain (011468), USMCR |
| |
|
Jan.
12 |
|
|
No activity. |
|
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Jan.
13 |
|
|
No activity. |
|
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Jan.
14 |
|
|
No activity. |
|
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Jan.
15 |
|
|
No activity. |
|
|
Jan.
16 |
|
|
No activity. |
|
|
Jan.
17 |
|
|
No flying.
The following officers awarded the Air Medal and Temporary
citation: HUIDEKOPER, Henry S., 1stLt., USMCR WALLEY, James
M.,1stLt., USMCR |
|
|
Jan.
18 |
|
|
No
flying. The officers and enlisted men of the ground echelon
embarked and sailed from Vella Lavella Island, Solomon Group. |
|
|
Jan.
19 |
|
|
No activity. |
|
|
Jan.
20 |
|
|
Three
towing, ten division tactics, three pre-dawn, Thirteen gunnery,
nine night flying sorties and one instrument check completed
day. FITTING detailed to Marine Fighting Squadron TWO-SIXTEEN,
Marine Aircraft Group TWELVE, Second Marine Air Wing. The
officers and enlisted men of the ground echelon arrived and
embarked at Bougainville, Solomon Group and joined Marine
Aircraft Group TWENTY-FOUR, First Marine Air Wing. |
| |
|
Jan.
21 |
|
|
One
instrument flight, ten division tactics, one tow, two strafing,
six pre-dawn and two night sorties completed day. |
| |
|
Jan
22 |
|
|
Four
pre-dawn, seventeen division tactics, four strafing sorties
completed day. |
|
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Jan.
23 |
|
|
One
test, ten division tactics, seven gunnery, two tow, eight
night sorties completed day. |
|
|
Jan.
24 |
|
|
Six
division tactics, one test, six gunnery, two tow, eight night,
and three instrument sorties completed day. Second Lieutenants
Ralph R. LANGLEY, USMCR, and Clyde A. DIINGFELTER, USMCR joined
from Marine Aircraft Group Twelve, Second Marine Air Wing,
to replace FOXWORTH and DAILEY. |
|
|
Jan.
25 |
|
|
Nine
gunnery, two tow, six night and five instrument sorties completed
day. |
|
|
Jan.
26 |
|
|
Five
pre-dawn, three night, and five instrument sorties completed
day. |
|
|
Jan.
27 |
|
|
Seven
pre-dawn, three night, two tow, one test, ten gunnery, six
division tactics, sorties completed day.
Jan. 28 Seven division tactics sorties completed day. |
|
|
Jan.
29 |
|
|
Nineteen
division tactics and three test sorties completed day. Intelligence
Officer departs for Torokina in advance of flight echelon. |
|
Twenty
five division tactics and two test sorties completed day.
Colonel GUYMON makes a presentation of awards to the following
officers:
| SAPP,
D. H., Major |
Distinguished
Flying Cross |
GORDON,
A. N., Major |
Air
Medal |
NEWLANDS,
J. P., Major |
Air
Medal |
H0BBS,
R. L., Captain |
Air
Medal |
McLEAN,
C. T., Captain |
Air
Medal |
PANKHURST,
P. L., Captain |
Air
Medal |
| REID,
W. O., Captain |
Air
Medal |
| WILSON,
R. W., Captain |
Air
Medal |
| YEAGER,
S. J., Captain |
Air
Medal |
| CRAG
J., III, 1st Lt |
Air
Medal |
| GHER.
W. C., 1st Lt |
Air
Medal |
| HAZLETT,
W. W. 1st Lt |
Air
Medal |
| KOETSCH,
1st Lt |
Air
Medal |
| MOORE,
I. E., 1st Lt |
Air
Medal |
| WITT,
J. W.,1st Lt |
Air
Medal |
| CARRELL,
W. B. 2nd Lt |
Air
Medal |
| J0NES,
C. D., 2dLt |
Air
Medal |
|
| |
|
Jan.
31 |
|
|
No activity.
Preparing to move up. |
| |
|
| |
|
SUMMARY
|
| |
| A. |
Personnel |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
..As of 1 January, 1944: |
|
|
|
|
|
41
Officers |
|
|
|
|
|
241
Enlisted |
|
|
|
(2) |
..Lost: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
None
|
|
|
|
(3) |
..No personnel on M.
I. A. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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| B. |
Aircraft |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
..As of 31 January, 1944: |
|
|
|
|
|
No
Corsairs assigned |
|
|
|
(2) |
..No planes lost - Operational
|
|
|
|
(3) |
..No planes lost - Combat |
|
|
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|
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|
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| C. |
Operations |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
..Total hours flown: |
|
|
|
|
|
443.6 |
|
|
|
(2) |
..Total number of individual
flights:
|
|
|
|
|
|
383 |
|
|
|
(3) |
..Total number of individual
flights on Combat Missions |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
(4) |
..Total number of individual
flights where enemy opposition was encountered: |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| D. |
Enemy
planes destroyed to date |
|
|
|
(1) |
..Squadron total: |
|
|
|
|
|
29 |
|
|
|
(2) |
..Total for each pilot
now in squadron:
|
|
|
|
|
| GORDON
- 2 |
McLEAN - 1 |
WILSON
- 1 |
SAPP
- 4 |
MOORE
- 1 |
WITT
- 2 1/2 |
GHER
- 1 |
NEWLANDS-
1/2 |
YEAGER
- 1 |
HAZLETT
- 2 |
PANKHURST
- 1 |
CARRELL
- 1 |
KOETCH-
3 |
REID
- 2 |
JONES
- 3 |
|
WILLIAMS
- 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| E. |
Enemy
aircraft destroyed this month: |
|
|
|
(1) |
..None |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
F.
|
Enemy
shipping: |
|
|
|
(1) |
..None destroyed. |
|
|
|
(2)
|
..None damaged. |
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