# Need help with old WWII article about my Grandfather Grant Patton PBY pilot out of Iceland.



## Robert Patton (Nov 17, 2016)

Growing up I saw an article in a WWII magazine about my grandfather. He was a pby pilot who sank a German sub (flying out of Reykjavik. His base commander didnt believe he sun the U boat and ststed that the next time he wanted proof in hand. My grandfather and his crew sank another U boat, made contact with a british tin can who were able to round up various articles in the debris. My grandfather took possession of the german U boat commander underwear and flew them on the flagpole the next morning. Angering the base commander of course. Eventually a magazine heard of the feat and come out to the base and did a story on him and his crew. I believe it may have been stars ans stripes but im not sure. I remember the article but was 5 ish and am now 45. The following is a story written by a fellow ham radio operator from a club he was in.
Grant Patton W5GPJ 1915 - 2012 (Silent Key) 

Grant Patton was known locally and fondly as "the grandfather of radio." Pat began his radio career at the age of 12 using a spark rig on a United Fruit boat running from Columbia to New Orleans in 1927. Since then, he has done things that the average person would never dream of doing. He has traveled the world, on personal business, as well as professionally as an industrial electronics technician, and as part of his service in the US Naval Air Force. He worked for many years with his father in Central and South America drilling water wells, then worked the oil fields of Oklahoma. He was a pilot, a radio technician, and a mechanic. During wartime, he was in Iceland, Greenland, Africa, Europe, and many other parts of the world.

We acknowledge and are thankful for his service during World War II. Pat was in the Naval Reserve and volunteered for service in the US Naval Air Force from 1940 - 1945. During his service he flew PBYs out of Iceland as part of an anti-submarine bomber squad patrolling the North Atlantic. His squadron was part of the D-Day attack force - flying from their base in Iceland to England and from there flying cover for the landing of our forces in the North African campaign and General Patton's landing at Casablanca, French Morocco.

After the war he opened a radio repair shop in Berwick (LA) and had a thriving commercial business. Pat collected radio equipment and parts over his lifetime and was well-known as the man who could piece together obsolete parts and create a working radio. He was an amateur "ham" radio operator for 80 years! He will be missed by all who knew him, and especially by his fellow ham radio operators.

Submitted by
BEARS - Bayouland Emergency Amateur Radio Service
W5BMC - Morgan City, LA

Truly any info would be appreciated. Have contacted stars and striped and they wont do anything regarding looking it up. This means alot to me. I again would appreciate any help.

thanks in advance 

Robert Patton


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## mikewint (Nov 18, 2016)

Is this on the right track? From the Book PBY Units of WWII by Ragnar Ragnarson


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## mikewint (Nov 18, 2016)

Having download probs. Try this

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## Old Wizard (Nov 18, 2016)

Well done Mike.


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## Robert Patton (Nov 18, 2016)

Yes sir,
I do believe you are on the right track. I'm not using the best phone but the picture does look like him. The article tells of the story about the underwear and the crew was photographed by the flagpole. 
I do have to say you are awesome. to the best of my knowledge my grandfather was either the pilot or co-pilot. As far as I know he dint ever ascend the ranks, so I couldn't tell you what the lettering prior to his name meant in the photo. 
Thank you for finding this article, and I pray you can help me find the other.
Thank you all again in advance
Robert Patton


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## mikewint (Nov 18, 2016)

In the Navy ARM generally stood for * A*viation* R*adio *M*an thus *Aviation Radioman 2nd Class*


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## Robert Patton (Nov 18, 2016)

Thank you


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## Robert Patton (Nov 18, 2016)

Is there a way you could please scan and email the article to me the link wouldn't open. My email is [email protected] 
Also i may have been mistaken. Although my grandfather was an avid pilot and told me about flying the PBY's, I was unaware he was the radio man also. He did tell me after the war in the Atlantic he was shipped to the Pacific to learn the F6F hellcat. But the war ended. He did do a lot with ham radio so the radio man position makes sense. Thanks again and looking forward to more yall can dig up research wise. 

You guys and gals are great

Robert Patton


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## GrauGeist (Nov 18, 2016)

Good job, Mike!

Robert, that excerp is from a book titled: "US Navy PBY Catalina Units of the Atlantic War" by Ragnar J Ragnarsson


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## newst (Nov 20, 2016)

Another mention...

Honolulan - SS Arkansan


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## XBe02Drvr (Nov 20, 2016)

Robert Patton said:


> Although my grandfather was an avid pilot and told me about flying the PBY's, I was unaware he was the radio man also. He did tell me after the war in the Atlantic he was shipped to the Pacific to learn the F6F hellcat. But the war ended. He did do a lot with ham radio so the radio man position makes sense.
> Robert Patton


As an E-5 Aviation Radioman, it's highly unlikely your granddad was an official naval aviator. Enlisted men selected for flight training were relatively rare after 1939-1940, and those that were, had their rate changed upon graduation to Aviation Pilot, and promoted to either First Class (E-6) or Chief (E-7). Or occasionally commissioned as Ensign if they met the educational requirements. On the other hand, it wasn't unusual for an aircraft commander flying in a combat theatre to give any crewmember with prior flying experience a lot of unofficial "stick time" as added "insurance" in case of pilot incapacition in combat. (U-boats carried Anti-Aircraft guns, and PBY cockpits weren't armored.) Someone had to get the ship home if the pilots were hit. ASW patrol flying was hours and hours of boredom shattered by moments of intense activity if they should stumble on a U-boat. If a non-pilot crewmember happened to be getting a little stick time when it happened, there wasn't time to swap seats.
It's also possible that there was a shortage of trained Naval Aviators in a remote outpost like Reykjavik, and a pragmatic sort such as Dan Gallery wouldn't let that limit his combat effectiveness if he could put an experienced capable non-pilot in the copilot seat. Probably more useful than a shave-tail nugget Ensign, anyway! Besides, this is 1942, the flight training program isn't yet up to full capacity, and the hungry Pacific is swallowing aviators as fast as the system can spit them out.
BTW, Capt. Dan Gallery went on to command the task force that captured the first enemy warship on the high seas by the US Navy since the War of 1812. That's U-505, now in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, and worth a visit. "Das Boot" come to life.


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