World War II Database

1.  David Stubblebine says:
24 Sep 2019 10:38:35 PM

Five stories with happy endings in the midst of many more stories with tragic endings. Pictured clockwise from lower left are:
- Ens Maurice L Naylon Jr, a fighter pilot with VF-31 flying from USS Cabot, shot down 21 Sep 1944 over Clark Field, Luzon.
- Ens John R “Dugie” Doyle, a dive bomber pilot with VB-80 flying from USS Ticonderoga, shot down and ditched 25 Nov 1944 near Dasol Bay, Luzon during the attack that finally sank the Japanese cruiser Kumano.
- Ens Nichol J Roccaforte, a torpedo bomber pilot with VT-18 flying from USS Intrepid, shot down 29 Oct 1944 over Clark Field.
- ARM2c Cliford P Schelitzche, a radioman in a torpedo bomber with VT-14 flying from USS Wasp (Essex-class) shot down by ground fire and bailed out during a raid to Clark Field, Luzon, 19 Oct 1944. The fate of ARM2c Schelitzche’s pilot and gunner is uncertain.
- ARM3c William King who was Ens Doyle’s radioman flying from Ticonderoga.
All five downed airmen found their way into the hands of friendly Filipino guerillas where they remained until 9 Jan 1945 when they were able to signal a passing PBY “Black Cat” Catalina rescue plane with VPB-54 [piloted by Lt(jg) Howard Miner] flying near Subic Bay, Luzon. Lt(jg) Miner landed in the water and the guerillas rowed the five airmen out to the plane in a small boat. The PBY then flew the airmen to the PBY’s base, the USS Tangier in San Pedro Bay, where (as we can see) they thoroughly enjoyed cups of Navy coffee.

2. Mike Fink says:
17 Mar 2025 05:00:46 AM

It is worth noting that sadly this story does not have a happy ending for all the men pictured above. Some, like Nicholas J. Roccaforte, were killed in an aviation accident involving an R4D and L-5 over Tacloban, Leyte, on 15 January 1945.