Family History

[TH36]

So I’m kinda going down a rabbit hole today…

This is my Great Great Uncle Ewell. (That’s him on the left, the guy on the right is his brother my Great Grandad.)



So what little I know about his WW2 service was from my Grandma I posted about here a couple years ago that passed away. Her and I really went over a lot of family history before she passed.

I know he was on a bomber crew (B-25, I think) in the Navy and that he flew 25 missions and came home. He was in sick bay when his plane went up and the entire crew was killed when their plane was shot down or went down for whatever reason. From what I understand he was never the same when he got back, never talked about it, and was a heavy drinker.

So, I’ve been watching Master of the Air these last few weeks and I’m really interested in his service record. I looked online and everything I can find is all pay sites until I stumbled across the Department of Defense site that allows you to request service records of men/women who served over 60 years ago. Got my Mom involved and we’re gunna try to do just that. I’m pretty excited to see what we can uncover. I know lots of records were lost in those days so I’m hoping we are able to obtain at least some of his service history.

In looking up info on him I discovered their father is actually buried here in Travis county in a cemetery I’ve been by probably 1000 times. It’s right by two of the boat launches we use most on Travis. He was buried there in 1919.

[Greenheadless]

Good stuff. I am very fortunate that my paternal grandmother did a VERY extensive history of her family and my paternal grandfather’s family history all the way back to Scotland and England. Both came to US thru S Carolina.

One thing that doesn’t seem right in your premise, would a Navy man be part of a wing detachment that I would think would be under the Army Air Corps? Only once was the B-25 flown off the deck of a Navy boat. Honestly curious.

[TH36]

Good stuff. I am very fortunate that my paternal grandmother did a VERY extensive history of her family and my paternal grandfather’s family history all the way back to Scotland and England. Both came to US thru S Carolina.

One thing that doesn’t seem right in your premise, would a Navy man be part of a wing detachment that I would think would be under the Army Air Corps? Only once was the B-25 flown off the deck of a Navy boat. Honestly curious.

I’m curious about this as well.

If anything I’m thinking B-24. Cause like you I didn’t think the B-25 was used by the Navy and I didn’t really think it got used in the Pacific Theater much. The B-24 had a longer range.

I’m pretty sure she said B-25 but she could’ve easily gotten that wrong or I misheard.

[Greenheadless]

I’m curious about this as well.

If anything I’m thinking B-24. Cause like you I didn’t think the B-25 was used by the Navy and I didn’t really think it got used in the Pacific Theater much. The B-24 had a longer range.

I’m pretty sure she said B-25 but she could’ve easily gotten that wrong or I misheard.

Neither was the B-24, by the Navy.

[Duckologist]

Cool gumby let us know what u find

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[TH36]

Neither was the B-24, by the Navy.

It actually was as the PB4Y-1. Submarine hunters.

(I’m texting my Uncle who’s a retired Air Force pilot while you and I are talking back and forth here)

So, with that being said who knows what I’ll uncover if I can get his records? She was pretty adamant that he was on a bomber. I’d say B-29 maybe? But he enlisted in 1942.

On edit, the B-29 wasn’t used by the navy either.

Like you say, had to be something carrier based.

[DUKFVR]

Good Stuff Matt!

[Greenheadless]

I’m sure they Navy had planes off the carriers, on the airfields in the island chains, just not sure if ‘bombers’. I could be very wrong. Keep diggin’, kewl stuff.

Edit:

https://www.history.navy.mil/content...-p/pb4y-1.html

https://www.history.navy.mil/content...-mitchell.html

[El Gato]

The Navy Version of the B-25 was the PBJ-1

[Quackerbox]

My MIL was able to contact the Marine Corps and get records of her fathers along with replacement metals he was awarded in Korea. I dont know if she paid someone or not. Id assume no cause she asked for the records etc and didnt hear back for months, then it all just showed up in the mail.

[El Gato]

Flop, if you run into a dead end contact the VFW they can help you most of the time.

[TH36]

Got my Uncle involved (the retired C-130 pilot) and I had a guy suggest a site to me over on TexAgs. Found out some info that was totally different than what I’d heard through my Grandma.

He was in squadron VJ-1 which flew a JRS-1 (like a PBY) and he was a machinist mate. The machinist mate would lead me to believe he was a mechanic but there were a lot of them that flew on air crews as well as gunners on Dauntless, crew chiefs on planes like his, etc..

I found his Draft card from 1920 and two muster reports where he passed through Pearl Harbor or was stationed there.

Couldn’t find much more beyond that. Would like to know more about where all he served throughout the pacific.

[Tmac3]

Matt, post a link to the sight they recommend, I would like to see what I can find on my Grandpa and his brothers.

[TH36]

It’s called Fold3.com, Tommy.

You can sign up for a 7 day free trial then just cancel when you’re done looking.

[Kook]

man, I'd love to search for my Paternal Grandpa's info, but hate giving a credit card for a "free" trial