Combat Echelon:
This echelon the personnel of “Special Order
Number 168” boarded the Aircraft Carrier
Ranger on July 1, 1942 and was on its way the
same day. A stop was made at Port of Prince, Trinidad,
before crossing the South Atlantic to Gold Coast,
Africa on the west coast of Africa. When 100 mile
off shore, the 72 planes took off with no failures
and headed for Accra in flights of 18. Weight
was a factor on take-off, so great care was taken
to assure that there was no excess weight and
that all carried the same weight. Group material
was divided equally among the planes. To provide
an extra margin of confidence to those who followed,
Major Mears, Commanding Officer and first off,
carried extra poundage.
The Africa crossing followed the already established
aerial supply route across Africa.
Leaving the Ranger:
On July 19, 1942, 72 P-40Fs flew off of the Aircraft
Carrier Ranger led by CO Frank Mears, with Archie
Knight being the last man off. All reached Africa
100 miles away, losing not one to the sea, all
as a result of careful planning and training.
Some of the last instructions were from W.D. Anderson,
Air Officer of the Ranger comprising; (1) Instructions
for Saturday, July 18, 1942, (2) Instructions
for Sunday, July 19, 1942.
Larry Margolian submitted this photo
of the 72 pilots of the 57th being briefed by
Major Frank Mears, just prior to take-of from
the Aircraft Carrier Ranger as a Memorial to his
Father, and asked it be framed and hung in the
NEAM Museum. We agree this is where it belongs.
I don’t know how many photos like this exist,
but it is a rare one. Listed here are 70 of the
pilots shown on this photo:
| Capt.
Harry French |
HQ |
2nd
Lt. William Ottaway |
64 |
| Capt. Archie Knight |
HQ |
2nd Lt. Robert Metcalf |
65 |
| Capt. Claremont
Wheeler |
HQ |
2nd Lt. Richard
Paulsen |
66 |
| Capt. Arthur Salisbury |
65 |
2nd Lt. Harry Stanford |
65 |
| Capt. Charles Fairlamb |
66 |
2nd Lt. Walter
Reed |
65 |
| 1st Lt. Richard Ryan |
66 |
2nd Lt. Leo Margolian |
65 |
| 1st Lt. Claude
Bilby |
64 |
2nd Lt. Frank Hertzberg |
64 |
| 1st Lt. Robert Barnum |
64 |
2nd Lt. Richard Kimball |
65 |
| 1st Lt. Gordon
Thomas |
65 |
2nd Lt. Harold
Rideout |
65 |
| 1st Lt. Thomas Clark |
65 |
2nd Lt. Edwin Weaver |
65 |
| 1st Lt. Roy Whittaker |
65 |
2nd Lt. Ralph Baker
|
66 |
| 1st Lt. Marshall Sneed |
65 |
2nd Lt. John Teichrow |
66 |
| 1st Lt. William
O’Neil |
65 |
2nd Lt. Dale Denison
|
66 |
| 1st Lt. Gilbert Wymond |
65 |
2nd Lt. Robert Overcash |
64 |
| 1st lt. George
Long |
66 |
2nd Lt. Thomas
Tilley |
66 |
| 1st Lt. W. Jeeter Yates |
66 |
2nd Lt. William Williams |
66 |
| 1st Lt. Raymond
Llewellyn |
66 |
2nd Lt. Thomas
Williams |
66 |
| 1st Lt. Horace Lancaster |
65 |
2nd Lt. James Gardner, Jr. |
66 |
| 1st Lt. James Curl |
66 |
2nd Lt. Mac McMerrill
|
64 |
| 1st Lt. Tracy Smith |
64 |
2nd Lt. George Mobbs |
64 |
| 1st
Lt. Delvert Mitchell |
65 |
2nd Lt. Lyman Middleditch,
Jr. |
64 |
| 2nd Lt. William Barnes |
64 |
2nd Lt. Gordon Ryerson |
64 |
| 2nd Lt. William
Beck |
64 |
2nd Lt. Robert
Beals |
64 |
| 2nd Lt. Arnold Jaqua |
65 |
2nd Lt. Gerald Brandon |
64 |
| 2nd Lt. James Morris
|
65 |
2nd Lt. Edward
Ellington |
65 |
| 2nd Lt. Allie Claxton |
66 |
2nd Lt. Robert Nichols |
65 |
| 2nd Lt. William
Campbell |
66 |
2nd Lt. Lewis Bowen
|
66 |
| 2nd Lt. Thomas Boulware |
66 |
2nd Lt. Joe Bell |
66 |
| 2nd Lt. John Stefanik
|
66 |
2nd Lt. Robert
Adams |
66 |
| 2nd Lt. Robert Gibson |
66 |
2nd Lt. Harry Hayden |
66 |
| 2nd Lt. Alan Smith |
66 |
2nd Lt. William Mount |
64 |
| 2nd Lt. Nicholas Harvey |
64 |
2nd Lt. Robert Hoke |
66 |
| 2nd Lt. Jack Wilson |
64 |
2nd Lt. William Taylor |
66 |
| 2nd Lt. Albert Zipser |
66 |
2nd Lt. Earnest Hartman |
64 |
| |
|
2nd Lt. John Gilbertson |
66 |
