# P52 Crew photo



## Rusker (May 30, 2010)

My girlfriends grandmother had passed away recently, and I was given this photo. No one in the family knows who it is, or why they had the photo. They knew I was into WW2 aircraft, and gave me the photo. Her grandfather, who passed away awhile ago, used to work for (bell laboratories?) during the war on projects that were related to the war itself. No one can really clarify what that is, but I'm assuming the photo was given to him at some time when he was around. 

I'd be interested in learning more about the photo. Is this a PBY Catalina?







The back:






This is a complete scan of the back of the photo. The stamp was off centered like that on the photo.

The top writing looks to say "Navy 138"

"398" in the corner

"p52 lost at sea
20 aug 1944 no
survivors"

Thanks, and I look forward to anything you guys can come up with.


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## vikingBerserker (May 30, 2010)

It's not a PBY Catalina, it appears to be a PBM from Martin. I'll see if I can dig up more info on this one.


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## Rusker (May 30, 2010)

vikingBerserker said:


> It's not a PBY Catalina, it appears to be a PBM from Martin. I'll see if I can dig up more info on this one.




You're right, it's definitely not a Catalina.


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## T Bolt (May 30, 2010)

It is a PBM Mariner. Look at the window pattern.


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## vikingBerserker (May 31, 2010)

Below is the only loss for a PBM on that date I could find: From: VPNAVY - VP-207 Mishap Summary Page - VP Patrol Squadron

* 20 AUG 44 A/C: PBM-3S * Location: N. BERMUDA Strike: Yes DEATHS: 8/MISSING BUNO: 6717 Cause: Purpose of flight: Training. Anti-submarine bombing and instrument flying. Analysis: Insofar as we have been able to determine there were not witnesses to the accident. After a through investigation, it is the opinion of the Board, that the plane crashed &caught fire (or exploded) from cause undetermined, and sank in 900-ft of water. Only parts of plane recovered were right and left wing floats, partially burned seat cover from either flight engineer's seat, radiomen's seat, or radar operators seat; partially burned rubber life raft &aux gas tank. Crew missing: Pilot Lt(jg) Stanley Charles Smith A-VN USNR, Ens Joe Billy Longhorne A-VN USNR, AMM2 Marion Daniel Colvard USNR, AMM3 Fleming (n) Whitney USNR, S1c Will Mitchel Haire USNR, ARM2 Robert Chester Taylor USNR, AOM1 Joseph Ellsworth Cook USNR, and AOM1 James Lloyd Noel USN Contributed by Terry [email protected] [Updated 27JUL2003 | 25MAR98] 

"...Belleville Sons Honor Roll - World War II - Robert Chester Taylor..." WebSite: Belleville Sons Honor Roll http://www.nutleysons.com/bel_w2_taylor_rob_c.html [24DEC2005]

(Sept. 7, 1944) -- Robert C. Taylor, 24, of Bremond Street, radioman, 2/c, was killed on a patrol mission off Hamilton, Bermuda, on Aug. 20. 

Seaman Taylor is the son of Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor, Bremond Street.

Taylor entered the Navy in May 1942. 

Most of his Navy service was spent in Panama.

On Aug. 20, 1944 : Lieutenant (jg) Stanley C. Smith and seven crewmen were killed in a crash approximately 25 miles north of Bermuda while on an ASW practice bombing hop. Cause of the crash was unknown.

According to U.S. Navy archives: 

PBM-3S: #6717;VP-207; Aug 20, 1944 (1030): 20mi. North of Bermuda;

Purpose of flight; Training. Anti-submarine bombing and instrument flying.

Analysis:

Insofar as we have been able to determine there were not witnesses to the accident. After a through investigation, it is the opinion of the Board, that the plane crashed caught fire (or exploded) from cause undetermined, and sank in 900-ft of water. Only parts of plane recovered were right and left wing floats, partially burned seat cover from either flight engineer's seat, radiomen's seat, or radar operators seat; partially burned rubber life raft aux gas tank.

Crew missing: Pilot: Lt. (jg). Stanley Charles Smith A-VN USNR, Ens.Joe Billy Longhorne A-VN USNR, AMM2c. Marion Daniel Colvard USNR, AMM3c. Fleming (n) Whitney USNR, S1c.Will Mitchel Haire USNR, ARM2c. Robert Chester Taylor USNR, AOM1c. Joseph Ellsworth Cook USNR and AOM1c. James Lloyd Noel USN

Taylor, 21, (sic) an aviation radioman, was slated to return to States the next day to begin radio training. 

Robert C. Taylor
Aviation Radioman, Second Class, U.S. Navy
United States Naval Reserve
Entered the Service from: New Jersey
Died: August 20, 1944
Missing in Action or Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing at East Coast Memorial
New York City, USA 

"...My Great Uncle, Will Mitchell Haire, served on the VP-207 and was killed when his plane crashed 20 AUG 44. I would like to know if anyone has any further information on him than what's on this site. I would also love to have any pictures of him that anyone would have. "GOD BLESS YOU ALL."...Robert Hooks [email protected]..." [19JUL2005] 

"...In 1944, Will Mitchell Haire was at the US Naval Operating Base. His plane, a USN Martin PNB Mariner 6717, one of the nine aircraft of VP-207 crashed 25 miles north of Bermuda on 20 August 1944. All eight crew members were missing, presumed killed. The squadron had been in Bermuda for only three months, since June. It had replaced VP-201 which had served in Bermuda from September 1943 to June 1944. The rest of Haire's squadron remained in Bermuda until June 1945..." American Military Bases in Bermuda from 1941 to 1995 [02JUL2003] 

"...My great uncle Mitchell Haire was part of VP-207. He was a Seaman 1st class and from what I can gather his last duty station was NAS Coco Solo, Panama, Canal Zone. He was killed Aug 20, 1944 25 miles north of Bermuda. If anyone has any information it would be great to here from you...William M. Hooks [email protected]..." [24JAN2002] 

------------------------------------------------------

If it's the one, it sounds like you could make a number of people happy with sending them a copy of this pic.


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## Airframes (May 31, 2010)

Great stuff David, well done!


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## FLYBOYJ (May 31, 2010)

Great Find!

I was going to say try VP Navy.

BTW - the number in the front is usually the codex for the individual airplane. The letter might reflect the location of the squadron and the number is the individual plane number.


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## Rusker (May 31, 2010)

vikingBerserker said:


> "...My Great Uncle, Will Mitchell Haire, served on the VP-207 and was killed when his plane crashed 20 AUG 44. I would like to know if anyone has any further information on him than what's on this site. I would also love to have any pictures of him that anyone would have. "GOD BLESS YOU ALL."...Robert Hooks [email protected]..." [19JUL2005]
> 
> "...In 1944, Will Mitchell Haire was at the US Naval Operating Base. His plane, a USN Martin PNB Mariner 6717, one of the nine aircraft of VP-207 crashed 25 miles north of Bermuda on 20 August 1944. All eight crew members were missing, presumed killed. The squadron had been in Bermuda for only three months, since June. It had replaced VP-201 which had served in Bermuda from September 1943 to June 1944. The rest of Haire's squadron remained in Bermuda until June 1945..." American Military Bases in Bermuda from 1941 to 1995 [02JUL2003]
> 
> ...




Wow, that is impressive!

Where did you find this information above?

I e-mailed both e-mail addresses, but I'm afraid they were returned. Looking at the dates of those posts I was worried the e-mail addresses may not be valid anymore, and I was correct. 

However, I did a quick search and came up with this bit of information about the man looking for more information about his great uncle. It's not much, but it gives me a full name. 

Guestbook

Hopefully he is still searching for more information, and will come across this thread one day.


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## FLYBOYJ (May 31, 2010)

VPNAVY - United States Navy Patrol Squadrons


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## vikingBerserker (May 31, 2010)

Rusker said:


> Wow, that is impressive!
> 
> Where did you find this information above?
> 
> ...



Thanks, I enjoy this kind of stuff. The exact link to the page I got the info from is on the first line of my post.


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## Rusker (May 31, 2010)

Could this be the same Robert Hooks? 

12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron - Korean War

"Comments: I SUSAN HOOK-EIDSON HAVE BEEN LIVING SINCE 1970 NOV, 23 AND ON MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE IT READS ROBERT E HOOK AND I KNOW THAT HE SERVED IN THE WAR BUT WICH ON UNKNOWN AS HE IS AND I CAN NOT GET ANY INFORMATION FROM JOANNE HEMPHILL (MAIDEN NAME) JOANNE HOOK-EIDSON SHE WAS BORN 1946 AND SHE INGAGED WITH ROBERT AND HE WENT TO WAR AND WOULD NOT COME BACK AND THAT IS ALL I KNOW AND THAT I HAD CARRIED HOOK UP UNTIL 1985 WHEN SHE HAD MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE CHANGED FROM HOOK TO EIDSON AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND AND SHE DOES NOT TELL THE TRUTH AND I NEED TO KNOW. I HAVE BLONDE HAIR HAZEL EYES STAND ABOUT 5'09 AND WEIGHT 130. VERY OUTGOING HOLDING LOTS OF RESPECT FOR PEOPLE, I AM INTELLIGENT GRADUATE OF GERONIMO HIGH GERONIMO OK. SELF-EMPLOYED LIVING GREAT BUT I STILL HAVE NOTHING IF I CAN NOT FIGURE THIS OUT. IT I BELIEVE IT HOLDS ME FROM LIVING LIFE NOT KNOWING THE TRUTH WHO ROBERT E HOOK IS AND I HEARD HE MAY HAVE FAMILY HERE IN THE OKLAHOMA CITY AREA. AND HE MAY OF BEEN FROM INDIANA OR ILLINOISE SOMTHING LIKE THAT BUT ANY INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT ME AT [email protected]. ANY FAMILY WHO MAY KNOW WHAT I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT I WANT TO KNOW YOU PLEASE HELP ME I WANT NOTHING FROM YOU JUST HELP TO KNOW MY LIFE AND IT MAY FILL THE EMPTYNESS OF YOUR OWN AND PLEASE MAKE NO CONTACT WITH JOANNE G HEMPHILL ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH AND NONE OF THAT PLEASE DONT TELL MY DAUGHTER ???????. PLEASE NOTIFY ME.

Keywords: ROBERT E HOOK "


For this website: http://www.koreanwar.org/html/units/usaf/12trs.htm

I sent an e-mail to this address as well, and it was also returned.


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## Rusker (May 31, 2010)

vikingBerserker said:


> Thanks, I enjoy this kind of stuff. The exact link to the page I got the info from is on the first line of my post.



Thanks! I overlooked that.


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## cbruhn (Apr 26, 2014)

I have been searching for information on my uncle's (James Noel) lost flight.

He is on the first row, first on the left (kneeling next to the wheel).

My father was elated to see the picture of his brother. Thank you for posting!

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