The Story Of One Of The 91st SRS COs,
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| The next morning, I was called to the Commandant’s office. He informed me that 11 of us were going to the 1st Photo Mapping Group. The rest of the class got to stay at Brooks for a month or so to fly observers in the O-52. Oh, joy! Because my name was the first alphabetically of those going to the 1st Photo Mapping Group, the Commandant asked me where I would like to go. Probably, the first and only time in all my military service that I had such a choice. My options: 1st Photo Mapping Group HQ, Bolling Field, Washington,DC, 1st Photo Mapping Sqdn., Bradley Field, Windsor Locks, CT, 2nd Photo Mapping Sqdn.,. Felts Field, Spokane, WA, 3rd Photo Mapping Sqdn., MacDill Field, Tampa, FL, or 4th Photo Mapping Sqdn., March Field, CA. I chose the 1st Photo Mapping Sqdn., Bradley Field, CT as my car was at my home in Rochester and I could pick it up enroute to my first duty station. Bradley Field was probably the best camouflaged base in the Air Corps at the time. It was painted so as to blend in with the colors as the tobacco fields that surrounded it. The 1st Photo Mapping Squadron was equipped with F-2s and A-29s. The F-2 was the twin engine photo version of the twin engine Beechcraft C-45. The A-29 was the photo version of the twin engine Lockheed Hudsons that were being sent to England for costal reconnaissance and bombing duty. Both types were equipped with tri-metragon cameras; one 6" vertical and two 6" obliques that gave horizon to horizon coverage. We had the normal New England cold and snowy winter during the three months I spent at Bradley. A few days after arrival, I was detailed to meet the Harry James Band bus and see to their desires. They arrived in mid-afternoon for an evening performance at the base theater. When the band members got off the bus in about 20 degree F. weather, all they wanted was a softball field. Within minutes, they had a great game in progress. I remember Helen Forrest, what a vocalist, singing “Make Love to Me” that evening. And Harry James was a smash hit with his horn. With my good buddy from flying school, Phil Robertson, we flew many night missions in the F-2 to give the searchlight batteries in the Hartford to New York City areas practice in acquiring aerial targets. Submarine sightings had made the coastal defense units eager for us to give them practice in acquiring us while we were doing evasive maneuvers. We checked out in both the F-2 and the A-29s. Then, we spent about a week at Pope Field in North Carolina mapping from 20,000 feet the Pamlico Sound area of the Carolinas. Our oxygen masks were the initial 100% oxygen masks in use before pressure demand masks were developed. We also went to Wright Patterson Field at Dayton Ohio to go thru pressure chamber training. All this was necessary training for photo mapping crew as our photo mapping was done at high altitudes of 20,000 feet or above. In late March, most of the pilot 2nd and 1st Lieutenants in the squadron, were transferred to the Officer Pilot Photo School at Lowry Field, Denver, CO. We entered an intensive course that trained us in all aspects of photography as well as the special skills needed in the air for both mapping and reconnaissance. We flew F-2s, A-29s and F-4s. The F-4 was the first photo version of the twin engine Lockheed P-38. Many from our class went into tactical reconnaissance after graduating at the end of June. The production F-5s replaced the F-4s. I only got to fly the F-4 once but I thoroughly enjoyed that airplane. My orders upon graduation were to report to the 3rd Photo Mapping Sqdn., MacDill Field, Tampa FL. I remained with the 3rd Photo for the rest of WWII. While at Lowry Field, I met the beautiful girl that later became my bride. Dorothy Starkey, a Salina, KS transplant then working for the Denver Ordinance Plant as Secretary to the Director of Personnel, Joe McCabe. |
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