View attachment 12837 This was my dad's patch.VS-57.Does anyone have any pictures of different VS units?I now have begun a collection of all VS unit patches, or any links to related Bougainville , VS units, or the CASU units involved, anyone recognize this particular patch design? There is a reference to CASU 40. My dear father passed away in '91, so any help I receive , would be so dearly appreciated. -thank you
Are you sure you don’t mean VS-57? That was a Fleet Air Wing Two (FAW2) inshore patrol squadron operating from Noumea in the New Caledonia. On 19 August 1943 OS2U aircraft from VS-57 sank the IJN submarine I-17 about 50 miles SE of Noumea. Squadron pilots LT Robert Louis Gittings, LTJG Robert Joseph Clinton, and LTJG Knute W D Lee were each awarded the DFC in this action. The squadron was re-equipped in mid-October 1943 with SBD’s which they operated until disestablished on 25 April 1945. I’ve been known to be wrong, but I have no record of there being established a composite squadron VC-57; a VC-58, yes, but no VC-57. VC squadrons rarely operated from shore bases unless forming, training, or re-forming at various east and west coast air stations. When in combat zones they operated from escort carriers. A quick brush through the location reports did not turn up a VC squadron operating from ashore out of Bougainville or its environs, though I certainly did not look at each week’s or even each month’s returns. Can you pin down a date? Regards, Rich
Yes , I looked it's VS-57. I will look a little longer before I post next time. Thank you, I will correct my future posts.