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lesofprimus
Brigadier General
Been doing some research with the help of Micdrow and have narrowed the search down for the "borrowed" planes that the First Tour Black Sheep used.....
Heres some of the info we have been goin back and forth with in the Admin Section....
I have to find something that shows what other squadrons were in the area when Boyington pillaged the replacement pilots pool on Vella Lavella at the beginning of Sept 1943....
It may be that they utilized the original VMF-214's kites, but that seems unlikely that they sat around for 2 weeks before the Black Sheep grabbed em up....
I havent been able to find anything that shows the Marines Battle of Order for the Solomons for the time period.... Its gotta be out there, somewhere...
If we can track down what other units were in the Solomons at the same time, it might get us in the right direction...
Man thanks alot Paul... In my research I uncovered that VMF-112 left for the States in August and VMF-121 and 124 in September....
I dont know the dates in the months in question, but the planes from -112 were the most likely candidates for the Black Sheeps' "borrowed" Corsairs.... -121 is also at the top of that list, as I believe that they left for their 2 weeks in Sydney at the end of August....
The First Tour Black Sheep did not have planes assigned to the Squadron, they borrowed them from other units that left the Solomons Combat Area.... The Black Sheep also did not have planes assigned to specific pilots.... Even Boyington used whatever plane was available...
I (we) determined that number 883, the same one in my siggy, was a viable candidate for one of the F4U-1A's my Grandpa could have flown, but further research on my part shows that 883 wasnt deliverred to VMF-214 until December 24th 1943....
Paul and I, with the help of a few others, are trying to piece together which planes my Grandfather could have flown between Sept 12th and Oct 21st, 1943....
I just found some more info out showing that VMF-112, 121 and 124 left the area in August/September, so now its a question as to which Corsairs from these units were"borrowed" by the First Tour Black Sheep of VMF-214...
Read through Chapter 2 on the first upload on -121 and they ended Ops on July 22nd and turned their F4U's over to the first VMF-214 Swashbucklers...
So we now know it wasnt them who gave the Black Sheep thier crates..... Thanks for that Paul, eliminating possibilities is a step in the right direction..
OK Paul, the site u linked is one Ive used for many a year.... Great info, but just not the right stuff....
VMF-323 wasnt in theatre until August 1944, so thats a bust as well..... Goota keep on going, but it looks like VMF-121/124 could be the units whose Corsairs went to them...
Heres some of the info we have been goin back and forth with in the Admin Section....
I have to find something that shows what other squadrons were in the area when Boyington pillaged the replacement pilots pool on Vella Lavella at the beginning of Sept 1943....
It may be that they utilized the original VMF-214's kites, but that seems unlikely that they sat around for 2 weeks before the Black Sheep grabbed em up....
I havent been able to find anything that shows the Marines Battle of Order for the Solomons for the time period.... Its gotta be out there, somewhere...
If we can track down what other units were in the Solomons at the same time, it might get us in the right direction...
Man thanks alot Paul... In my research I uncovered that VMF-112 left for the States in August and VMF-121 and 124 in September....
I dont know the dates in the months in question, but the planes from -112 were the most likely candidates for the Black Sheeps' "borrowed" Corsairs.... -121 is also at the top of that list, as I believe that they left for their 2 weeks in Sydney at the end of August....
The First Tour Black Sheep did not have planes assigned to the Squadron, they borrowed them from other units that left the Solomons Combat Area.... The Black Sheep also did not have planes assigned to specific pilots.... Even Boyington used whatever plane was available...
I (we) determined that number 883, the same one in my siggy, was a viable candidate for one of the F4U-1A's my Grandpa could have flown, but further research on my part shows that 883 wasnt deliverred to VMF-214 until December 24th 1943....
Paul and I, with the help of a few others, are trying to piece together which planes my Grandfather could have flown between Sept 12th and Oct 21st, 1943....
I just found some more info out showing that VMF-112, 121 and 124 left the area in August/September, so now its a question as to which Corsairs from these units were"borrowed" by the First Tour Black Sheep of VMF-214...
Read through Chapter 2 on the first upload on -121 and they ended Ops on July 22nd and turned their F4U's over to the first VMF-214 Swashbucklers...
So we now know it wasnt them who gave the Black Sheep thier crates..... Thanks for that Paul, eliminating possibilities is a step in the right direction..
OK Paul, the site u linked is one Ive used for many a year.... Great info, but just not the right stuff....
VMF-323 wasnt in theatre until August 1944, so thats a bust as well..... Goota keep on going, but it looks like VMF-121/124 could be the units whose Corsairs went to them...