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?
I didn't think the Navy had aviation gunners mates. Did they just take ordinary saliors and make them gunners?
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.
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.
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
Thanks Richard, I had forgotten about the Aviation Ordnance Man...They could be part of the enlisted PBY crew too.