Welcome to the WWII Forums! Log in or Sign up to interact with the community.

PBY Catalina

Discussion in 'WWII General' started by Barry King, Jan 12, 2020.

  1. Barry King

    Barry King New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2020
    Messages:
    2
    Likes Received:
    0
    I have been interested for some time in the crew postions of the PBY, espcially the gunners. In WWll the navy did not have a Aviation Gunners ratings. So were the gunners Aviation Ordnance Men or someother rating?
     
  2. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2008
    Messages:
    18,254
    Likes Received:
    5,671
    Generic Gunner's Mates more likely.
     
  3. Barry King

    Barry King New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2020
    Messages:
    2
    Likes Received:
    0
    I didn't think the Navy had aviation gunners mates. Did they just take ordinary saliors and make them gunners?
     
  4. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,103
    Likes Received:
    2,574
    Location:
    Reading, PA
    The enlisted were:
    Plane captain/first mechanic
    Second mechanic
    Third mechanic
    First radioman
    Second radioman

    Thus the enlisted men were aviation machinist mates or aviation radioman.
     
  5. R Leonard

    R Leonard Member

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2003
    Messages:
    1,128
    Likes Received:
    780
    Location:
    The Old Dominion
    Naval Air Gunners School was at NAAS Hollywood Florida. From there, if one went to the VP/VPB community you'd be assigned to a crew at a VP-OTU station and go through advanced operational training and on to squadron assignment with that crew, pilots and all. Rating? Could be any of the aviation ratings, ARM, AMM, AOM.
     
    Takao likes this.
  6. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2008
    Messages:
    18,254
    Likes Received:
    5,671
    Anyone check to see if any Gunners Mates died at Kaneohe?
     
  7. R Leonard

    R Leonard Member

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2003
    Messages:
    1,128
    Likes Received:
    780
    Location:
    The Old Dominion
    No Gunners Mates killed at Kaneohe NAS

    Killed were

    BROWN, Walter Scott, AMM2c, USN
    BUCKLEY, John Daniel, AOM3c, USN
    DOSICK, Stanley Daniel, S1c, USN
    FORMOE, Clarence Melvin, AMM1c, USNR
    FOX, Lee Jr., ENS, USNR
    GRIFFIN, Daniel Thornburg, AMM1c, USN
    INGRAM, George Washington, S2c, USN
    LAWRENCE, Charles, AMM2c, USN
    MANNING, Milburn Alex, AMM3c, USN
    NEWMAN, Laxton Gail, AMM3c, USN
    OTTERSTETTER, Carl William, S2c, USN
    PORTERFIELD, Robert Kirk, AMM3c, USN
    ROBINSON, James Henry, S2c, USN
    SMARTT, Joseph Gillespie, ENS USNR
    UHLMANN, Robert W, ENS USNR
    WATSON, Raphael August, AMM1c, USN
    WEAVER, Luther Dayton, S1c, USN
    HOOKANO, Kamiko, CIVILIAN
    LEE, Isaac William, CIVILIAN
     
    OpanaPointer likes this.
  8. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,103
    Likes Received:
    2,574
    Location:
    Reading, PA
    Thanks Richard, I had forgotten about the Aviation Ordnance Man...They could be part of the enlisted PBY crew too.
     

Share This Page