USN VF-16 Information

[vegas0012]

Hello all,

I'm new to this particular website, but I have been searching the internet intensely this last year for information about a relative's time serving in the USN during WW2. He flew PBYs and later on, PB4Y-1s with VB-104.

Anyway, I have another distant relative, George E. Humphries, who recently passed away. I know he flew Hellcats with VF-16 off the USS Randolphs at the end of the war.

Can any of you give me recommendations about any of the more definitive works or sites on this group or others this late in the war ? I've seen plenty of the "Hellcat Aces of WW2" type of books, but I am wondering if there is anything specific to VF-16 that catalogues their involvement.

Thanks for any help.

 

[vegas0012]

Anything ?

 

[GregP]

You probably mean USS Randolph ... not Randolphs.

VF-16 was deactivated 6 Nov 1945, and you can probably find out a lot about the squadron from the Navy if you ask. You can Google for US Navy deactivated squadrons and see a VF-16 patch there, but I am not familair with finding Navy records. It's better to ask the Navy if youw ant service infomation and you don;t say what youa re looking for.

Good luck.

 

[vegas0012]

Thanks for the response.

I did search around some, and saw their patch "Pistol Packin Airdales." I also found a little about the USS Randolph air groups sporting the black and white striped tails.

It just seems that any mention of VF-16 concentrates on their aces like Vraciu and the groups exploits on the Lexington.

 

[GregP]

Usuaully that's what most people LOOK for. You might recall Vraciu ended the war as the Navy's 4th-ranking Ace, and that usually gets attention.

 

[VBF-13]

Do you have any of his records? You can try calling the National Personal Records Center in St. Louis and see if the have anything on him, 314-801-0800. You might luck out.

 

[vegas0012]

Thanks for the idea. I do have a combat loss form from accident-report.com which describes his having to ditch and being rescued by a destroyer after strafing missions over Shikoku, Japan in July 1945. An obituary from his hometown mentions earning a DFC, but it doesn't go into any sort of details on the subject.