The 2nd Emergency Rescue Squadron

[MIflyer]

Are there non-emergency rescue squadrons? And yes, the USAAF flew the PBY, too. From the USA Museum Newsletter.

 

[tengu1979]

Never read anything about it in other armies/navies. Even the emergency procedures of SAR/CSAR are direct result of WWII, and the failures of rescue operations during combat times which werent normalised. It was more trial and error at that time.

 

[MIflyer]

I read a book about an officer that was parachuted into Burma in WWII to attempt to rescue downed aircrew. They would fly out to what they thought was the area where a rescue was needed, he would parachute out and report back to the airplane via a BC-611 hand held radio. If he had located the aircrew they would drop supplies and perhaps even a medical team and then walk or boat out of the jungle. Sometimes they were able to get to a point where a 4X4 could reach them on the ground. Mostly the terrain did not allow them to be flown out but they eventually did make use of the first helicopters. He was the first to practice "pararescue."