As my primary interest lies in USN naval aviation, I usually hang out over at ww2f.com, but in my pursuit of US naval aviators, naval aviation pilots and AvCads from the war years I have stumbled on a small conundrum . . . Seems the gents listed below at one or another, between 1939 and 1945, fell into one of the three noted categories. They also at some point were in either RCAF or RAF service. Any chance anyone can come up with their service numbers while in Commonwealth service? Also any units to which they may been assigned and the dates of such assignment would be nice. Isaac Shelby Best Frank James Champlin Arthur Francis Halamka William Caesar Oquendo Robert Phillips Vatcher and Donald R Weidenhamer I've either pretty much exhausted the sources that pop-up with a google search . . . or can't figure them out. Hoping someone here might have a personal treasure trove they might be willing to search. Thanks in advance, Rich
Donald Weidenhamer is in the Croydon area June 45 because he marries a Constance V. Hyde there. (Volume 2a Page 1973)
There's a 25 year old Robert P. Vatcher death recorded in Ashford district September 44, Volume 2a Page1569. Could be your Robert.
I will look for more later (actually Monday as it is late Sun night here) but for starters Shelby Isaac Best in the UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960 Name: Shelby Isaac Best Gender: Male Age: 25 Birth Date: abt 1918 Departure Date: 20 Feb 1943 Port of Departure: Liverpool, England Destination Port: Halifax, Canada Ship Name: Amerika Search Ship Database: Search for the Amerika in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database Shipping line: Cunard White Star Limited Official Number: 167544 Master: C Nielsen TD
James Champlin (1919 - 1998) - Find A Grave Memorial Despite it saying he was the "414th Squadron" he was in No. 414 Sqn RCAF. Regards, Dave
C7558 Pilot Officer Arthur Francis Halamka was killed 19 May 1942 in a flying accident during a gunnery exercise near St. Luce, Quebec. His body was never found so he is commemorated on the Ottawa Memorial. Arthur Francis Halamka - The Canadian Virtual War Memorial - Veterans Affairs Canada Born Milwaukee, Wisconsin 21 October 1916, the son of Frank and Anna Hamalka. On enlistment, he stated he was previously a naval flier at Pensacola (1940-41) Regards, Dave
R125792 Leading Aircraftman William Caesar Oquendo. Student pilot. Killed in a flying accident 10 miles north of Brockville, Ontario 20 June 1942. Buried at St. Michael's Cemetery, NYC, NY. Previous military service is given as "US Navy Air Corps, March-August 1941" William Caesar Oquendo - The Canadian Virtual War Memorial - Veterans Affairs Canada Born Cataña, Puerto Rico 25 June 1915, he was the only child of Benito and Carmen Oquendo. Regards, Dave
J21798 Flying Officer Robert Phillips Vatcher. No. 412 Squadron, RCAF. Killed in a crash of Spitfire MH885 29 June 1944. Buried Brookwood Cemetery, Woking, Surrey. Under "previous military experience" he stated "n/a" Robert Phillips Vatcher - The Canadian Virtual War Memorial - Veterans Affairs Canada Born Bellerose, NY 31 October 1918, he was the only son of Samuel and Hazel Vatcher. Regards, Dave
Donald Richard Weidenhamer 1917–1999 BIRTH 13 OCT 1917 • Defiance Co.. OH DEATH 12 MAY 1999 • Defiance Hospital, Defiance, OH Military 17 Jun 1936 • 17 Jun 1936 –14 Jun 1940 Enlisted, Fort Hayes Columbus, OH. Navy Air Corps U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 Record Military 15 Mar 1941 • 15 Mar 1941 - 22 Jul 1941. Enlisted, Fort Hayes Columbus, OH. Navy Air Corps U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 Record I cannot find his obituary, but between spells as above in the Navy he is noted as: Occupation 1940 • Actor (Motion picture actor. ) From Obituary Donald R Weidenhamer in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 Name: Donald R Weidenhamer Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1945 Registration district: Croydon Inferred County: Surrey Spouse: Constance V Hyde Volume Number: 2a Page Number: 1973 TD
Robert Phillips Vatcher Birth: 31 Oct 1918 - USA Death: 29 Jun 1944 - England F: Samuel P. Vatcher M: Hazel Diana Phillips TD
My thanks to all for their efforts and my sincere apologies for not getting back sooner. Regretfully, I was overtaken by events, plural, of a family nature that required greater attention. Anyway, I’ll recap what we know now of the above gents and then add a little more fuel for the research grist mill: From the original list: Isaac Shelby Best unkn RAF/RCAF # -> unkn rank(s) -> unkn unit(s) -> unkn date(s) 261749 -> LT USNR AV(T) -> DOR from 31 Jul 1944 USNR Register -> 3/1/1944 Frank James Champlin unkn RCAF # -> Flight Sgt RCAF -> No 414 Squadron RCAF -> -> 8/19/1942 243217 -> LTJG USNR AV(T) -> VF OTU -4 NAS Jacksonville -> 2/1/1943 243217 -> LT USNR AV(T) -> DOR from 31 Jul 1944 USNR Register -> 1/1/1944 (Champlin had been an enlisted sailor in the USN prior to the war, circa 1939, this I can tell by looking at his entry date for pay and his service number, but I have not yet found a trace of him in the muster rolls) Arthur Francis Halamka 98406 -> AvCad -> USNR -> DOR from 1 Jul 1941 USNR Register -> 12/2/1940 C/7558 -> Pilot Officer RCAF -> No 16 SFTS KIFA -> 5/19/1942 William Caesar Oquendo AvCad -> USNR -> DOR from 1 Jul 1941 USNR Register -> 5/1/1941 R125792 LAM RCAF -> No 2 SFTS KIFA -> 6/20/1942 Robert Phillips Vatcher 104196 -> AvCad -> USNR -> DOR from 1 Jul 1941 USNR Register -> 4/1/1941 J21798 -> FLYING OFF -> RCAF -> 412 Squadron KIA -> 6/29/1944 Donald R Weidenhamer 3111775 -> Cox USN -> USS Mugford (DD-389) discharged EOE -> 6/30/1940 15018312 -> Pvt -> USAAF -> Ft Hayes Columbus -> 3/15/1941 15018312 -> FlyCadet -> USAAF -> Wright AAFB Columbus -> 6/15/1941 15018312 -> FlyCadet -> USAAF -> Resigned -> 11/30/1941 unkn RCAF # -> AC1 -> RCAF -> enlisted RCAF - units unkn -> 12/7/1941 3111775 -> AP1c -> USNR -> Transfer to USN this date -> 11/9/1942 3111775 -> AP1c -> USNR -> NATC NAS Jacksonville -> 1/2/1943 3111775 -> AP1c -> USNR -> Hedron 5-1 FAW-5 NAS Norfolk -> 9/1/1943 3111775 -> CAP -> USNR -> Hedron 7 FAW-7 NAS Dunkswell -> 7/1/1944 3111775 -> CAP -> USNR -> ComNavEur staff pilot -> 7/1/1945 And a few more to contemplate . . . This gent I know had Commonwealth service (not to mention prewar service in both the USN and the USMC): William Erwin Gibson Taylor unkn RN # -> SubLT -> RNVR -> 804 Squadron HMS Glorious -> 4/1/1940 unkn RN # -> LT -> RNVR -> British Purchasing Mission to the USA -> 7/15/1940 unkn RAF # -> SQDRN LDR -> RAFVR -> Transfer to RAF -> 9/15/1940 unkn RAF # -> SQDRN LDR -> RAFVR -> No 242 Squadron TAD for Spitfire training -> 11/1/1940 unkn RAF # -> SQDRN LDR -> RAFVR -> No 71 Squadron Kirton-in-Lindsey (CO) -> 2/1/1941 60930 -> LCDR -> USNR AV(T) -> DOR from 1 Jan 1943 USNR Register -> 7/6/1941 60930 -> LCDR -> USNR AV(T) -> DOR from 1 Jan 1943 USNR Register -> 7/6/1941 60930 -> LCDR -> USNR AV(T) -> In transit from Great Britain -> 8/1/1941 60930 -> LCDR -> USNR AV(T) -> BuAer Staff - Radar / FDO Advisor -> 8/26/1941 60930 -> LCDR -> USNR AV(T) -> CinCPac Staff TAD Intercept Cmd Ft Shafter HI -> 12/7/1941 60930 -> LCDR -> USNR AV(T) -> BuAer staff TAD MIT Project Roger (aerial radar) -> 2/1/1942 60930 -> LCDR -> USNR AV(T) -> Project AFFIRM (CO) NAS Quonset Point -> 4/18/1942 60930 -> CDR -> USNR AV(T) -> DOR from 31 Jul 1944 USNR Register -> 9/10/1942 60930 -> CDR -> USNR AV(T) -> Project AFFIRM (CO) NAS Quonset Point -> 9/10/1943 60930 -> CDR -> USNR A5 -> NACTULant (CO) NAS Quonset Point -> 11/9/1944 60930 -> CDR -> USNR A5 -> ComCarDiv7 staff TAD night opns advisor -> 11/30/1944 60930 -> CDR -> USNR A5 -> ComNavForNWAfrica staff (AirO) NAF Port Lyautey -> 4/30/1945 And there’s these next two whom I just suspect had Commonwealth service (this from looking at their original commissioning dates and designations – an AV(T) is someone who was taught to fly by or served in a flying capacity in some service or entity other than the USN . . . returning pilots from the Flying Tigers AVG, for example, were designated as AV(T)s even though their original, pre-AVG designation had been AV(N)). I could be wrong, these gents may have been airline pilots prior to their commissions, such folks usually ended up in VR – transport – squadrons, but without information on any assignments while in USN service I can’t be sure of either. They certainly do not appear in any of the VR squadron rosters I have available. William S Lewis unkn RAF/RCAF # -> unkn rank(s)-> unkn unit(s) -> unkn date(s) 153170 -> LT -> USNR AV(T) -> DOR from 1 Jan 1943 USNR Register -> 7/28/1942 153170 -> LT -> USNR AV(T) -> DOR from 31 Jul 1944 USNR Register -> 7/28/1942 Robert Burns Reed unkn RAF/RCAF # -> unkn rank(s) -> unkn unit(s) -> unkn date(s) 215889 -> ENS -> USNR AV(T) -> DOR from 1 Jan 1943 USNR Register -> 2/1/1943 215889 -> ENS -> USNR AV(T) -> DOR from 31 Jul 1944 USNR Register -> 2/1/1943 For the sake of general interest, so you know I have not just been idle, here are six more I have already ferreted out (Hills and Jones were easy, I already knew about them): Hollis Harry Hills J5803 -> Flight Officer RCAF -> No 1 ITS RCAF -> 1/24/1941 J5803 -> Flight Officer RCAF -> No 7 EFTS RCAF -> 3/4/1941 -> J5803 -> Flight Officer RCAF -> No 10 SFTS RCAF -> 6/21/1941 J5803 -> Flight Officer RCAF -> No 44 Squadron RCAF -> 8/19/1942 243201 -> LTJG USNR AV(T) -> DOR from 1 Jan 1943 USNR Register -> 11/9/1942 243201 -> LT USNR AV(T) -> VF-32 USS Langley (CVL-27) -> 6/1/43 243201 -> LT USNR AV(T) -> DOR from 31 Jul 1944 USNR Register -> 1/1/1944 243201 -> LT USNR AV(T) -> VF-32 USS Langley (CVL-27) SS -> 4/29/1944 Ripley Ogden Jones 81560 -> AvCad -> USNR AV(G) -> Designated NA # 6091 this date -> 9/11/1939 81560 -> ENS -> USNR AV(G) -> DOR from 1 Jul 1941 USNR Register -> 10/1/1939 81560 -> ENS -> USNR AV(G) -> VO-5 USS Texas (BB-35) -> 1/1/1941 81560 -> ENS -> USNR AV(G) -> Release from USN Service -> 5/1/1941 100520 -> PLT OFF -> RAF -> 611 Squadron RAF Drem Scotland -> 9/30/1941 100520 -> FLT LT -> RAF -> 128 Squadron RAF Malta KIA DFC -> 10/17/1942 Michael Klimenko 104266 -> AvCad USNR -> DOR from 1 Jul 1941 USNR Register -> 4/1/1941 104266 -> AvCad USNR -> Honorably discharge -> 8/8/1941 R125988 -> AM RCAF -> Enlisted in RCAF this date -> 9/24/1941 R125988 -> SGT PLT -> RCAF -> No 1 OTU RCAF Bagotville Quebec KIFA -> 9/20/1942 Robert Matheson Murray 100050 -> AvCad USNR -> DOR from 1 Jul 1941 USNR Register -> 3/1/1941 R68488 -> SGT PILOT -> RCAF -> 411 Squadron KIA -> 7/29/1941 Seymour Morton Schatzberg 104272-> AvCad -> USNR -> DOR from 1 Jul 1941 USNR Register -> 4/1/1941 118585 -> Pilot Officer -> RAFVR -> 133 Squadron KIFA -> 9/19/1942 John Harlan Stickell J8429 -> Flight Officer -> RCAF -> No 7 Squadron RCAF DSO -> 12/10/1942 unkn USN # -> LT -> USNR AV(T) -> TAD USNavForEur Londonderry -> 3/29/1943 unkn USN # -> LT -> USNR AV(T) -> BuAer -> 4/15/1943 unkn USN # -> LT -> USNR AV(T) -> NATC NAS Corpus Christi -> 8/5/1943 unkn USN # -> LT -> USNR AV(T) -> VB-108 FAW-1 Nukefetau Ellice Is WIA -> 12/12/1943 unkn USN # -> LT -> USNR AV(T) -> VB-108 FAW-2 Nukefetau DOW NX DFC PH AM -> 12/18/1943 (I have been searching high and low for Stickell’s USN number. He was commissioned and died in between issues of USNR officer’s registers so he does not appear in either the January 1943 or July 1944 volumes. Various internet write-ups provide whereabouts at various times as do available squadron reports, but, alas, no service numbers are mentioned.) Can anyone think of any other Commonwealth to USN or USN to Commonwealth folks?
J9424 Robert Burns Reed Re: Stickell and Hills. A "Flight Officer" in the RAF is a woman's rank. The J at the beginning of their service numbers indicates an officer, so Flying Officer (1st Lt) Regards, Dave
Thank you, Dave, for the correction . . . records duly corrected. Pretty stupid mistake if I say so myself. Did a little digging with the info you provided – amazing what you can do with a serial number- looks like your Robert Burns Reed (J9424) FO RCAF and my Robert Burns Reed (215889) ENS USNR are not the same person. Reed (J9424) was killed 22 Apr 1943 and Reed (215889) was commissioned in the USNR on 1 Feb 1943. Regards, Rich
Hi Rich, Frank James"Jim" Champlin was my Uncle. I believe my Uncle Jim was in the USN and the RCAF. I have many pictures of him in various uniforms. It was told to me that Jim actually knew Charles Lindbergh and was taught by him. From what I understand he was a test pilot as well. He grew up in PA and New York. Married someone from Canada and spent the rest of his life in Toronto area. I might be able to find answers to any questions you may have or connect you with the appropriate people. Misty
So, here I am, some 4 years later . . . I have not been idle . . . I have run across a list of 39 individuals who were in either RAF or RCAF service at some point prior to December 1942 when it seems they all changed over to USN service and were transferred to NAS Jacksonville FL for transition training. Below is their status as of 1 Jan 1943. If anyone could provide rank, service, service number and a unit with a known date of assignment in Commonwealth service, for any of these gents it would be greatly appreciated. Winston G Baggett Jr (243228) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Alvie Blessing (243299) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Harold V Bryant (243230) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Samuel G Burtis (243231) - LTJG, USNR AV(T) Maxwell Michaux Corpening Jr (234232) - ENS, USNR AV(T) William H Cuffel (6905224) - AP1c, USNR James E Dittus (243233) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Emerson K Fisher (243234) - LTJG, USNR AV(T) Harry T Gillis (243236) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Chalmers Hubert Goodlin (243237) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Norman Hahn (243238) - LTJG, USNR AV(T) John Harvey Henson (6905226) - AP1c, USNR Charles M Hinn (243239) - LTJG, USNR AV(T) Sam A Howard (243240) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Leonard A Johnson (243241) - LTJG, USNR AV(T) Arthur Duane Jones (243242) - LTJG, USNR AV(T) John R Kretsch (104020) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Paul S Kuhns (234244) - ENS, USNR AV(T) William H Lang (234245) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Homer W Lewis (6905225) - AP1c, USNR Joseph L Lowrey (243246) - LTJG, USNR AV(T) Archibald T MacDonald (6905226) - AP1c, USNR John F Marquardt (243249) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Robert J McCarthy (243247) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Luther N McKinnon (234248) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Frank B Moore (252250) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Robert W Murphy (261251) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Vernon R Poertner (270252) - ENS, USNR AV(T) George D Riffe (279253) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Everett R Robinett (6905228) - AP1c, USNR Joseph P Seymour (243254) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Charles E Sharp (243256) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Harry L Smith (243255) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Carl G Swanson (243257) - ENS, USNR AV(T) George Douglas Terry (243258) - ENS, USNR AV(T) David Lee Thompson (243259) - ENS, USNR AV(T) William J White (243260) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Don Carlos Wier (243261) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Watson E Wordsworth (243262) - ENS, USNR AV(T) Thank you for your efforts. Everyone stay safe. Regards, Rich
Oh boy, you're not going to like the sound of this, Rich, but this is what you will have to go through, for each man, to obtain the data you want from the LAC, holders of all Canadian service records. Let's use Sgt. Pilot Watson Edward Wordsworth as an example. a) You would have to prove he has been deceased for a minimum of 20 years. Evidence accepted include a death certificate, a newspaper obituary or a photograph of his grave marker b) You would have to make a request with the LAC for each man. Ordinarily, this takes about 8-12 months. Lately, it's closer to 24 months So, looking at this article of Wordsworth with a photo of him and his son. The caption states "he departs to join his comrades in the RCAF to go to England". There was no way newspapers of the day were listing squadrons etc in the media. I can say that Wordsworth joined the USN on 2 December 1942 in London. Regards, Dave
Rich......I’ve been helping a gentleman from Texas do this EXACT same research for years now. I’ve passed your question on to him, and hopefully he’ll come on this site and give you information you need. Cheers