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Corsair
Manufacturer : Chance-Vought
The Chance-Vought F4U Corsair was arguably the finest naval aviation fighter of its era. Work on this design dates to 1938 and was headed-up by Voughts Chief Engineer, Rex Biesel. The initial prototype was powered by an 1800-HP Pratt & Whitney double Wasp radial engine. This was the third Vought aircraft to carry the Corsair name. The graceful and highly recognizable gull-wing design of the F4U permitted the aircraft to utilize a 13-foot, three-blade, Hamilton Standard propeller, while not having to lengthen the landing gear. Because of the rigors of carrier landings, this was a very important design consideration. Folding wings were also required for carrier operations. The F4U was thirty feet long, had a wingspan of 41 feet and an empty weight of approximately 7,500 pounds. Another interesting feature was the way the F4Us gear rotated 90 degrees, so it would lay flush within the wing when in the up position. In 1939 the Navy approved the design, and production commenced. The Corsair utilized a new spot welding process on its all aluminum fuselage, giving the aircraft very low drag. To reduce weight, fabric-covered outer wing sections and control surfaces were fitted. In May of 1940 the F4U made its maiden flight. Although a number of small bugs were discovered during early flight tests, the Corsair had exceptional performance characteristics. In October of 1940 the prototype F4U was clocked at 405-MPH in a speed test. The initial production Corsairs received an upgraded 2,000-HP radial giving the bird a top speed of about 425-MPH. The production models also differed from the prototype in having six, wing-mounted, 0.5 caliber machine guns. Another change was a shift of the cockpit about three feet further back in the fuselage. This latter change unfortunately made naval aviators wary of carrier landings with the F4U, due to its limited forward visibility during landings. Other concerns were expressed regarding a severe port wing drop at landing speeds and a tendency of the aircraft to bounce off a carrier deck. As a result, the F4U was initially limited to land-based USMC squadrons. Vought addressed several of these problems, and the Royal Navy deserves credit for perfecting an appropriate landing strategy for the F4U. They found that if the carrier pilot landed the F4U while making a sweeping left turn with the port wing down, that sufficient visibility was available to make a safe landing. With a kill ratio of 11 -to- 1 in WW 11 combat, the F4U proved superior in the air to almost every opposing aircraft it encountered. More than 12,000 F4Us were built and fortunately a few dozen remain in flyable condition to this date. |
Corsair
  Tribute to Pappy Boyington by Ivan Berryman. |   Pacific Warriors by Ivan Berryman. (PC) |   Valley Forge Fly-By by Ivan Berryman. (PC) |   Okinawa by Robert Taylor. |
Corsair Artwork Collection |
  Victory Flyover by Robert Taylor. |   Beach Head Strike Force by Robert Taylor. |   Time to Head Home by William S Phillips. |
 Zero Fighter Sweep by Roy Grinnell. |   Valley Forge Fly-By by Ivan Berryman. |   Clipped Signature - Ronnie Hay. |
  Clipped Signature - Archie G Donahue. |   Clipped Signature - John F Bolt. |   Clipped Signature - Roger Conant. |
  Clipped Signature - Kenneth A Walsh. |   HMS Anson at Sydney Harbour, July 1945 by Ivan Berryman. |   The Jolly Rogers by Nicolas Trudgian. |
 Attack on the Yalu Bridges by Philip West. |   Battle for the Islands by Nicolas Trudgian. |   Gunfight Over Rabaul by Nicolas Trudgian |
  The Black Sheep by Nicolas Trudgian. |   Kiwi Strike by Nicolas Trudgian. |   Semper Fi Skies by John D Shaw. |
  Rabaul - Fly For Your Life by Robert Taylor. |   Black Sheep Sweep by Troy White. |   Pacific Warriors by Ivan Berryman. |
Okinawa by Robert Taylor. | Tribute to Pappy Boyington by Ivan Berryman. |  Corsair Aces of World War Two. |
  Working the Night Shift by Stan Stokes. |  Corsair on Final by Stan Stokes. |   Hook Down and Homeward Bound by Stan Stokes. |
 Golden Gate Corsair by Stan Stokes. |  Gull Winged Warrior by Stan Stokes. |   Angels of Okinawa by Stan Stokes. |
  Ace in a Day by Stan Stokes. |   Black Sheep Over Rabaul by Stan Stokes. |  Corsair of the Intrepid by Stan Stokes. |
  Mission to Buin Harbor by Stan Stokes. |  Boyington Takes a Break by Stan Stokes. |
| Top Aces for : Corsair | ||
| A list of all Aces from our database who are known to have flown this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking the pilots name. | ||
| Name | Victories | Info |
| James E Swett | 15.50 | The signature of James E Swett features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Archie Glenn Donahue | 14.00 | The signature of Archie Glenn Donahue features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| John Thomas Blackburn | 13.00 | The signature of John Thomas Blackburn features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Ronald Cuthbert Hay | 13.00 | The signature of Ronald Cuthbert Hay features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Roger R Hedrick | 12.00 | The signature of Roger R Hedrick features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Stanley W Vejtasa | 11.00 | The signature of Stanley W Vejtasa features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Jefferson Joseph DeBlanc | 9.00 | The signature of Jefferson Joseph DeBlanc features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Daniel G Cunningham | 7.00 | The signature of Daniel G Cunningham features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Dean Caswell | 7.00 | |
| Robert Bruce Porter | 7.00 | The signature of Robert Bruce Porter features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Robert M Baker | 7.00 | |
| Robert Wesley McClurg | 7.00 | The signature of Robert Wesley McClurg features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| John F Bolt Jr | 6.00 | The signature of John F Bolt Jr features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Arthur Roger Conant | 6.00 | The signature of Arthur Roger Conant features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| D J Sheppard | 5.00 | The signature of D J Sheppard features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Corsair Squadron details |
VMF-214 Country : US | VMF-214 |
| Corsair Pilot and aircrew signature details |
 Jeff de Blanc Our estimated value of this signature : £40 Died : 2007 | Jeff de Blanc Jefferson De Blanc flew two combat tours in F4Fs and F4Us from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, achieving 9 air victories. He was awarded the Medal of Honor whilst flying an F4F on bomber escort with VMF-112 in 1943. Sadly, he passed away on 23rd November 2007. |
 Lieutenant Colonel Henry M Bourgeois USMC Our estimated value of this signature : £30 Died : 2009 | Lieutenant Colonel Henry M Bourgeois USMC Henry was the youngest ever Marine Officer when he joined VMF-214, and had flown two combat tours with VMF-122 prior to that, with 2 victories to his credit. On 21st September 1943 he led a division of Corsairs to strafe Kahili Airdrome, where he destroyed 2 aircraft on the ground; the division accounting for 12 aircraft and an AA position destroyed. Sadly, Henry Bourgeois passed away on 14th November 2009. |
 Lieutenant Colonel Lyle Bradley USMC Our estimated value of this signature : £15 | Lieutenant Colonel Lyle Bradley USMC A veteran of 200 combat missions, he was initially with VMF-225 at Guam before joining VMF-123 in late 1944, flying F4Us from the USS Bennington. After fighting at Iwo Jima and taking part in the first carrier strikes against Tokyo since the Doolittle Raid, he flew throughout the Battle of Okinawa. He later flew F4Us in Korea with VMF214 the Black Sheep and was awarded the DFC. |
Hoagy Carmichael Our estimated value of this signature : £50 Died : 1997 | Hoagy Carmichael Commander Peter (Hoagy )Carmichael was born on the 11th of August 1923. In 1942 Peter Carmichael joined the Royal Navy and began pilot training in the US and South Africa, and went on to fly the Spitfire and F4U Corsairs during the final days of the Second World War. After the war, Carmichael flew the Blackburn Firebrand. In June 1948 Carmichael converted to fly the Hawker Sea Fury. In 1952 Hoagy Carmichael, was deployed to Korea with 802 Squadron. The squadron was on board HMS Theseus and travelled to Malta. This was followed by a two month break for an intensive work-up at RNAS Hal Far on Malta, before the squadron sailed to Korea aboard HMS Ocean in April, with a four day stop over in Hong Kong where addtional aircraft arrived. On 9th August 1952 Carmichael, flying his regular Sea Fury (WJ232), was leading a four aircraft formation to attack railway facilities in North Korea between Manchon and Pyongyang. While flying over Chinnampo they came under attack from MiG 15's diving down on them. Hoagy Carmichael later stated: Eight MiGs came at us out of the sun. I did not see them at first, and my No. 4, 'Smoo' Ellis, gave a break when he noticed tracer streaming past his fuselage. We all turned towards the MiGs and commenced a 'scissors'. It soon became apparent that four MiGs were after each section of two Furies, but by continuing our break turns, we presented impossible targets. They made no attempt to bracket us. One MiG came at me head on. I saw his heavy tracer shells. I fired a burst, then he flashed past me. I believe Carl got some hits on him too. This aircraft then broke away, and went head on to my Nos 3 and 4, Lieutenant Pete Davies and 'Smoo' Ellis. They were seen to get good hits on one who broke away with smoke coming from him. Hoagy Carmichael in his Sea Fury became one of the few prop-driven aircraft to down a jet fighter and was the only British Pilot in a British aircraft to do so. For this action he was awarded the DSC. Commander Peter (Hoagy )Carmichael was CO of 806 Naval Air Squadron at Lossiemouth, the last Royal Navy unit flying Sea Hawks. Carmichael later went on to serve as Commanding Officer of T.S. Prince of Wales, Holyhead Sea Cadets until his retired in 1984. Sadly, Hoagy Carmichael died on the 25th of July 1997 |
 Sub-Lieutenant Chris Cartledge DSC RN Our estimated value of this signature : £10 | Sub-Lieutenant Chris Cartledge DSC RN Joining the Fleet Air Arm in 1942 he was posted to 1842 Sqn flying Corsairs from HMS Formidable. In 1944 he took part in operations against the German battleship Tirpitz and later that year sailed to the Far East to form part of the British Pacific Fleet, attacking Japanese held targets. At the Battle of Okinawa he flew low-level attacks to suppress activity at kamikaze staging airfields. |
 Colonel Dean Caswell USMC Our estimated value of this signature : £20 | Colonel Dean Caswell USMC In early 1945 he joined VMF-221 Fighting Falcons flying the Corsair from the USS Bunker Hill quickly scoring his first victories, shooting down three Japanese Zekes in less than five minutes on 18th March. During the Battle of Okinawa he flew combat missions over the island, becoming an Ace on 28th April when again he scored three victories on one mission. On 11th May he was on board the USS Bunker Hill when it was hit by kamikazes and was forced to jump overboard. By the end of the war he had flown 78 combat missions and scored 7 victories and one probable. He later flew with the Blue Angels before serving two tours in Korea and a tour in Vietnam. He was awarded the Silver Star and 3 DFCs. |
 Captain Philip De Groot USMC Our estimated value of this signature : £10 | Captain Philip De Groot USMC Gaining his pilots wings in 1943 on Wildcats he was taught to fly the F4U by Charles Lindberg. He flew the first of his 92 combat missions with VMF-224 in the Marshall Islands before fighting in the Battle of Okinawa, flying ground support and counter air missions. During the Korean War he flew a further 48 combat missions in Corsairs with VMF-223. |
  Colonel Archie G Donahue USMC Our estimated value of this signature : £60 Died : 2007 | Colonel Archie G Donahue USMC Archie Donahue was born in Casper, Wyoming in 1917. He attended schools in Wyoming until 1934 when his family moved to Texas. He had his first airplane ride at the age of eight and the flying bug bit him. Archie completed three years of engineering studies at the University of Texas before joining the Navy as an Aviation Cadet. During his training Archie was stationed at Kansas City, Jacksonville, and finally Corpus Christi. He requested a transfer to the Marine Corps, and upon his graduation he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in February of 1942. After a short posting to Norfolk, Archie was assigned to VMF-112, which was nicknamed the 'Wolfpack.' The squadron was sent to Guadacanal in September where they commenced combat missions flying the Grumman F4F Wildcat. Archie would soon transition to the state-of-the-art F4U-1 Corsair. Between September 1942 and June of 1943 Archie was credited with nine aerial victories. One of these was achieved in the Wildcat with the balance attained while piloting the Corsair. On May 13, 1943 Archic would down five A6M3 Zeros during a single mission. In June of 1943 VMF-112 returned to the States, and the squadron was disbanded. Serving as a flight officer at El Toro Air Station in California, Archie was given the assignment of carrier qualifying VMF-451. In February of 1945 VMF-451 began combat operations flying from the deck of the USS Bunker Hill. For the next three months Donahue and his squdroninates flew numerous missions in support of the landings at lwo Jima and Okinawa, as well as strikes at the Japanese mainland, and in the process earning the nickname 'Angels of Okinawa.' On April 12, 1945 Donahue was once again credited with five victories during a fierce aerial battle over Okinawa. On May 11 th Archie's flight of 16 Corsairs had just returned to the carrier, and as the pilots completed their debriefing the Bunker Hill was hit by two Kamikaze aircraft, setting off a huge fire and killing 346. The Bunker Hill had to be withdrawn from action. Donahue returned to the States where he was made Commander of a squadron at El Toro. He was later transferred to Quantico, a large Marine base near Washington, DC. Archie flew a total of 215 combat missions during WWII including 56 from the deck of the Bunker Hill. He was credited with a total of 14 confirmed aerial victories. He had more than 4000 flying hours in military aircraft and 110 successful carrier landings. Although he never crashed an airplane, Archie was reported killed during aerial gunnery training when a student made a beautiful run and cut the tail off Archie's plane about five feet behind his head. Archie is a recipient of the Navy Cross, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, and five Air Medals. Archie has also been an active participant in the Confederate Air Force, and in 1990 he piloted an SBD with an unusual pilot, Saburo Sakai, the high scoring Japanese ace who was shot down in WWII by the rear gunner of a SBD. Following his retirement from military service in 1958 Archie began a long and successful career in real estate development. Archie lives in Texas with his wife Mary. They have five children and many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Sadly, he passed away on 30th July 2007. |
 Lieutenant Colonel W Thomas Emrich Our estimated value of this signature : £45 Died : 2013 | Lieutenant Colonel W Thomas Emrich Born in Mt. Pulaski, Illinois in 1921, he joined VMF-214 on 7 August 1943 and flew two combat tours with the Black Sheep. On 15 October 1943 Tom shot down two Zeros in aerial combat during a bomber escort to Kahili Airfield. The next day on a fighter sweep to Kahili he had to ditch his Corsair off Vella Lavella, and was rescued by a PT boat. By the end of his Black Sheep combat tours he had flown 68 missions, and then flew a third combat tour with VMF-211 on Green Island - along with 14 other former Black Sheep pilots. He died on 9th August 2013. |
 First Lieutenant Clint Fladland USMC Our estimated value of this signature : £10 | First Lieutenant Clint Fladland USMC A veteran of 271 combat missions, he flew F4U Corsairs with VMF-321 Hell's Angels during the fighting at Guam before taking part in the battle for Okinawa providing ground support and targeting suicide kamikazes. Flying until the end of the war in August 1945, he later served in Korea with VMF-214 the Black Sheep. |
Colonel T W Boot Furlow Our estimated value of this signature : £25 | Colonel T W Boot Furlow Flying the F4F on his first combat mission with VMF-121 in October 1942, Boot Furlow soon downed his first Zero on the Hiei mission. He served in all the major south west Pacific theaters and later flew the F4U Corsair |
Lt Colonel Roger Haberman Our estimated value of this signature : £35 | Lt Colonel Roger Haberman Roger Haberman served with VMF-211. He flew at Guadalcanal from 9th October 1942 to January 1943. Later he flew the F4U Corsair, becoming an Ace with 7 victories. |
 Colonel Edwin A Harper Our estimated value of this signature : £45 Died : 2014 | Colonel Edwin A Harper Ed Harper was born in Bassano, Alberta, Canada in 1920. He joined VMF-214, the Black Sheep on 7 August 1943 and flew both combat tours from September 1943 to January 1944. He shot down 1 enemy aircraft and two probables on fighter sweeps over Kahili and Rabaul. On 17 October 1943, Ed was wounded in aerial combat and brought back his damaged Corsair to Munda. The next day he flew a mission and scored a probable over a Zero. Ed was also one of the Black Sheep pilots that were reassigned to VMF-211 for a third combat tour after the Black Sheep were disbanded on 8 January 1944. Edwin Harper died on 14th February 2014. |
  Lt Colonel Ronnie Hay Our estimated value of this signature : £50 Died : 2001 | Lt Colonel Ronnie Hay Ronnie Hay joined the Royal Marines in 1935 and volunteered to fly with the Fleet Air Arm. In 1940 he joined 801 Squadron flying Skuas on HMS Ark Royal for the Norwegian Campaign, claiming his first victory on his first operational sortie. He took part in the operations covering the Dunkirk beaches and flew Fulmars with 808 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. By the time Ark Royal was unk in 1941, he had a further 7 victories. In 1944 he became Wing Leader of 47 Naval Wing flying Corsairs aboard HMS Victorious in the Far East where his tally climbed. His final socre was 13 victories. Sadly Ronnie Hay died on 22nd November 2001. |
Rear Admiral Roger Hedrick Our estimated value of this signature : £55 Died : 2006 | Rear Admiral Roger Hedrick After joining the US Navy in 1936, Roger Hedrick served aboard the USS Ranger before joining VF-17 on USS Bunker Hill as Executive Officer to Tom Blackburn. With over 200 hours in fighters before his first combat, Hedrick brought considerable experience to the squadron. Regarded by Blackburn as the top fighter pilot he flew with in World War Two, Hedrick completed over 100 combat missions and shot down 12 Japanese aircraft, with a number of probables unconfirmed. Flying the F4U he took part in the campaigns in the Solomons, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Japan. Sadly, he passed away on 10th January 2006. |
 Lieutenant Colonel James J Hill Our estimated value of this signature : £45 | Lieutenant Colonel James J Hill James Hill was born in Chicago in 1920. His training involved flying Stearmans, Buffalo and Wildcats. He arrived in the South Pacific on 5 June 1943 after completing flight school in Pensacola, and joined VMF-214 on 7 August 1943, flying Corsairs. He flew both combat tours with the Black Sheep. On 18 October 1943 on a fighter sweep over Kahili Airfield he shot down a Zero in aerial combat. During his two tours with the Black Sheep he flew a total of 70 combat missions, and also flew a third combat tour with VMF-211 on Green Island. He then flew another combat tour with VMF-521 as a pilot instructor, later joining VMF-324 at Midway. In his career he was awarded 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 12 Air Medals. |
Major Harry Johnson USMC Our estimated value of this signature : £25 | Major Harry Johnson USMC Harry Johnson went to the Pacific in November 1943, joining VMF-214 as a replacement pilot. He destroyed a Zero in combat on 6th January 1944, two days before VMF-214 were disbanded. Serving later with VMF-218 and VMF-253, he flew a total of 84 missions on Corsairs during WWII, and another 69 missions in Korea. |
 Lieutenant Colonel William Lucas USMC Our estimated value of this signature : £15 | Lieutenant Colonel William Lucas USMC After gaining his pilots wings in December 1943 he flew the F4U Corsair with VMF-216 in Guam and Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands before deploying to fight in the Battle of Okinawa. He later flew F4Us with VMF-224 in Korea, commanded the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364 the Purple Foxes in Vietnam and was awarded the Silver Star and two DFCs. |
  Brigadier General Bruce J Matheson Our estimated value of this signature : £45 Died : 2009 | Brigadier General Bruce J Matheson Born in Chicago in 1921, Bruce Matheson enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1942 and joined the Black Sheep on 7 August 1943. On 17 October 1943 he shot down a Zero over Kahili but was wounded during the aerial combat. He safely landed his badly damaged Corsair at Munda. On 3 January 1944 Bruce got his last aerial victory, and also confirmed Major Boyingtons final aerial victory before Pappy was shot down near Rabaul. By the end of the second Black Sheep tour, Bruce would have 3 confirmed victories and 1.5 probables. For his third combat tour he was transferred along with 14 other Black Sheep pilots to VMF-211 on Green Island. Sadly he died on 29th January 2009. |
 Lieutenant Commander Tom McBride USN Our estimated value of this signature : £10 | Lieutenant Commander Tom McBride USN Joining the Navy in 1942 he flew Corsairs with VMF-1 off the USS Bennington from February 1945. Completing 42 combat missions he flew throughout the Okinawa Campaign, strikes against the Japanese mainland and attacks against the IJN battleship Nagato. He later flew Corsairs in Korea. |
 Colonel Joe McPhail USMC Our estimated value of this signature : £15 | Colonel Joe McPhail USMC Joining the Marine Corps in 1941 his first operational unit was VMF-441, flying the Wildcat on missions in the Central Pacific and on one occasion was forced to bail out after running out of fuel. After a spell in the US as an instructor he returned to combat, flying the F4U Corsair with VMF-323 Death Rattlers over the Marshal Islands and then throughout the Okinawa campaign where he scored two victories over Japanese fighters. During Korea he flew F4Us in combat with VMF-214 the Black Sheep. He flew a total of 240 combat missions and was awarded the DFC. |
  Colonel Bruce Porter USMC Our estimated value of this signature : £45 Died : 2009 | Colonel Bruce Porter USMC After a tour in the Pacific, Bruce joined VMF 121 in 1943 at Guadalcanal and soon downed 4 Zeros. He served tours with VMF (N) 511 (first all-Marine carrier squadron) and later VMF (N) 533. He helped lead that squadron on one of the longest over-water flights of WWII for a single engined aircraft - flying from the Marshall-Gilbert islands to Saipan-Iwo Jima. On June 15, 1945 he scored a double night victory at Okinawa, making him an Ace. He was probably the only Marine pilot to gain two or more kills in both the Corsair and Hellcat; and became only one of six Marines to score a double or triple kill in one mission. Sadly, Bruce Porter died 20th April 2009. |
 Lieutenant Keith Quilter DSC RN Our estimated value of this signature : £10 | Lieutenant Keith Quilter DSC RN Helping form 1842 Sqn in 1944 he served on board HMS Formidable equipped with Corsairs and attacked the Tirpitz three times, twice on strafing missions and a third dive-bomb attack. Sailing to the Far East with the British Pacific Fleet to support US Navy operations, he flew at Okinawa and was involved in sweeps and ground attacks on Japanese airfields on neighbouring islands. |
Commander Don Sheppard Our estimated value of this signature : £40 | Commander Don Sheppard Canadian Don Sheppard joined the RNVR Fleet Air Arm in december 1941. Joining the carrier HMS Victorious he flew with 1836 Sqn on the first successful strike against the German battleship Tirpitz on 3rd April 1944. Remaining with 1836 Sqn he transferred to the RCNVR at this time. In June Victorious sailed for the Indian Ocean, where he flew Corsairs under Ronnie Hay, becoming an Ace. Later he flew in the Pacific off Okinawa. |
 Lieutenant Colonel Darrell Smith USMC Our estimated value of this signature : £10 | Lieutenant Colonel Darrell Smith USMC Flying F4U Corsairs with VMF-312 Checkerboards at Okinawa, his squadron established their base at Kadena Airfield on the island of Okinawa itself just nine days after the invasion, providing vital ground support for the advancing infantry. He later flew in Korea at the Chosin Reservoir and was awarded the DFC in both WW2 and Korea. |
  Colonel James E Swett USMC MOH Our estimated value of this signature : £50 Died : 2009 | Colonel James E Swett USMC MOH Jim Swett became one of the top-scoring F4U Aces, with 15.5 victories in 94 missions in the Corsair, but he had already earned himself the Congressional Medal of Honor piloting the F4F Wildcat before switching to the F4U. Leading a four plane section with VMF 221 on April 7, 1942 he shot down no fewer than 7 Japanese Val dive-bombers in an engagement over Tulagi Harbor, before taking a hit himself, and ditching in the sea. In all Jim Swett flew 211 combat missions, 94 in F4U Corsairs, made 120 carrier launches and recoveries, and in addition to his Medal of Honor, was awarded 6 DFCs and 2 Purple Hearts. Sadly, Jim Swett died on 18th January 2009. |
 Captain Stanley Swede Vejtasa USN Our estimated value of this signature : £40 Died : 2013 | Captain Stanley Swede Vejtasa USN Commissioned in August 1939, Swede Vejtasas first combat assignment was in May 1942 whilst flying the SBD Dauntless with VS-5 aboard the USS Yorktown during the Battle of the Coral Sea. here he participated in the attack on the Japanese carrier Shoho, and flew anti-torpedo plane patrol, claiming three Zeroes. Switching to fighters with VF-10 flying the F4F Wildcat aboard the USS Enterprise he took part in the Battle of Santa Cruz, where he notched up 7 air victories on one flight in October. In March 1943 he flight-tested the new F4U Corsair in the combat zone. His final tally for the war was 11 aerial victories. He died on 23rd January 2013. |
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