Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer

My father was a gunners mate on a Pb4y2 in the Philipines during the war
He went by "Bugger Red" will look up his squadron info and post later.

Sound at all familiar to anyone? Thanks to all who have served!

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I WAS ASSIGNED TO VPB-107 SQUAD -RETURNED FROM EUROPE AND REFORMED ON WEST COAST. WE WERE @ WHEDBY ISLAND, ALEDMEDA, AND CROWS LANDING - NEAR MEDESTO CALIF. THE JAP WAR ENDED WHILE WE WERE PREPAIRING TO GO TO THE PACIFIC. THIS WAS A GREAT AIRPLANE! I WAS THE FRONT GUNNER AND BOMBEDEER. YOU COULD DROP A BOMB IN A BUSSEL BASKET -WITH THE NEW RADAR BOMBSITE !

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My father was a member of VP-24 during the early 1950's, which flew the PB4Y-2. I am curious to know if anyone might have a picture of buno 59763. He told me that he made a lot of flights in that aircraft. I have a general idea of how the aircraft was identified at the time, Squadron ID on the tail, but the ship number on the the forward fuselage is unknown.

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Uncle Bill was an AD(j)-1 later on, but was crew chief on PB4Y-2's. Often said they were his favorite, although he was in P2V-7's as well. Worked with French AF pilots at NAS Hutchison (KS), readying them for service in French Indo-China, which we came to know as Vietnam. I still have the trailing-wire antenna crank-reel from one, in my radio shop, in addition to a BC-348Q receiver from a PB4Y-1.

He was my hero, and so were those crews.

Tom - former RMC, USN

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17 Oct '11

This is a great site and one that helps promote connections between PB4Y veterans, aviation fans and relatives.

My father, CPO Ray Sathre, flew in WWII as a Plane Captain in "Mr. Kipp" a PB4Y-2 Privateer in VPB-121. He finished the war on Iwo Jima with his squadron. My dad died in 1989. This promoted me to start the Int'l PB4Y Association and the PB4Y All Squadron Reunions in 1991. CPT George Charno, my dad's PPC, died a couple of years ago in Kansas.

I was happy to see two of my friends, Richard Jeffreys, VPB-121, and Christine Stulik, father was Martin Usab VB /PB-108 and a PB4Y Reunion attendee, listed here.

I own Privateer "Charlie 50", Bureau #59763, which crashed in AZ in 1974. It is the last known Privateer to have had actual combat time in WWII.

If you are interested in talking about the PB4Ys, making connections or getting in touch with other PB4Y folks, perhaps I can be of help. Feel free to call me (510) 487-PB4Y (7249) or email me at PB4YGuy@aol.com.

My thanks goes out to all those PB4Y veterans (air and ground crews) who served our country so well. With the way things are going now, we could use their good their good sound judgement today.

Best Regards, Ron

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I was attached to ATU 12 in NAS Corpus Christi, TX. In 1952 the squadron moved to NAS Hutchinson and the squadron was renamed ATU 600. I was stationed in Hutch until October, 1953. I was an AM and worked on and flew in PBY4-2 aircraft. I flew every time I could catch a hop. The Most memorable time for me was sitting in the glass enclosure in the nose watching for aircraft during instrument flight training.
One time our crew had to pull one of the aircraft out of the mud at one the auxiliary runways. From a mechanical standpoint, it seems we were continuously dealing with the check valves in the landing gear system.

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Would like to talk to Dan Sisto who posted a comment on here. I am looking for any information on this plane he was on. I have a friend who was a pilot on this kind of plane from 1946 to 1950. A model of this plane is being made for him, and am trying to create it as close to the plane he flew. I can be emailed at jrivett2003@aol.com.

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I was a crew member on PB4Y2's flying patrols from Palawan Is. in the Philippines. We had engine trouble and landed on Hianan Is. off the coast of China. This was just after the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan, and the Island had been secured. The plane was repaired and flown back to Palawan. Squadron VPB-106

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My Dad was flight engineer stationed in teh Aleutians during the war. They started with PBY's then went to PV-1's (Harpoons) then on to the PB4-Y by war's end. Believe he was on Attu and Kiska. Same name. ANybody know anything?

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I had a somewhat remote association with the PB4Y2 back in 1944. I was part of a small detachment of Army Air Corp people stationed in the Camp Kerney Auxillary Naval Air Station outside San Diego, CA (later known as Miramar NAS I've been told.)
The main aircraft on the base was the PB4Y-2. I never flew in one but enjoyed seeing them take off and landing. I believe their mission was recon patrol of the West Coast.
I had come to that base from Maxwell Field, Montgomery, AL.
At that time on that base were B-24s (PB4Y-1). To me there
was quite a contrast between the two aircraft... especially the twin tail of the B-24 vs the single tail of the PB4Y-2.

I've enjoyed all the comments!

Jack McClain (90 years old!)

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I JOINED VP-28 IN NOV 1948 AT KANEOHE NAS, HAWAII. WE DEPLOYED TO GUAM IN JAN I949 FOR SIX MONTHS. WHILE WE WERE ON DEPLOYMENT, VP-28'S HOME PORT WAS CHANGED TO NAS BARBERS POINT HAWaii. I flEW AS CO-PILOT FOR JIM GOODMAN FOR MOSTOF THE 1949 DEPLOYMENT BUT MADE PLANE COMMANDER IN MAY BEFORE JIM COMPLETED HIS TOUR OF DUTY AND DEPARTED. I INHERITED CFF-9 WITH A FINE CREW. WE DEPLOYED AGAIN TO GUAM IN JAN 1950. MY PLANE CAPTAIN WAS CPO WILSON. WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL DEPLOYMENT AND WERE IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING TO LAUNCH ALL SQUADRON BACK TO BARBERS POINT ON 25 JUNE 1950 WHEN THE KOREAN CONFLICT COMMENCED. NONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT WERE AIRBORNE BUT IT WAS VERY CLOSE TO LAUNCH TIME WHEN WE WE RECEIVED THE WORD FROM COMNAVMARIANAS (CFAW ONE TO STAY ON GUAM AND PREPARE FOR FURTHER DEPLOYMENT TO OKINAWA. THE SHIP WITH OUR GROUND CREWS AND OTHER PERSONNEL WERE WITHIN ONE DAY'S SAILING TIME FROM HAWAII. THE POWERS TO BE ALLOWED THEM TO LAND FOR ONE NIGHT AND THEN TO REEMBARK AND RETURN TO GUAM. 75 OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND LT BOB LANKFORD WERE AT APRA HARBOR, GUAM IN THE PROCESS OF BOARDING A MARS FLYINGBOAT FOR THE FIRST EVER FLIGHT OF THAT KIND FOR DEPLOYED VP PERSONNEL. THEY WERE STOPPED IN THE PROCESS AND SENT BACK TO NAS AGANA.TO JOIN THE REST OF THE VERY DISAPPOINTED FLIGHT CREWS. A NIGHT OR TWO LATER, CF-9, MY CREW, WAS LAUNCHED AT AROUND 2Q00 TO CHECK OUT SEVERAL STRANGE SIGHTING OF SUBMARINES OR UNIDENTIFIED LIGHTS IN THE GUAM AREA. THEY LOADED US UP WITH WW11 DEPTH CHARGES AND WE SPENT THE NSXT 9 TO 10 HOURS SCARING THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF MANY FISHERMEN IN THE AREA BY MAKING BOMBING RUNS ON THEM WITH SEARCHLIGHT ON AND BOMBBAY DOORS OPEN. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE FOUND NO SUBMARINES. WE LANDED BACK AT AGANA JUST AT SUNRISE WITH A VERY TIRED CREW. WE SUBSEQUENTLY DEPLOYED ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE SQUADRON TO NAHA AFB IN OKINAWA AND COMMENCED THE FORMOSA, NOW TAIWAN, STRAITS PATROLS. WE RIGGED A LOT OPF SHIPS BUT SAW NO SUBMARINES. ONE INCIDENT INVOLVED CF-1 WITH BOB KIRSCHNER IN COMMAND WHO WAS FIRED UPON BY A PAIR OF CHICOM JETS BUT DID NO DAMAGE AND DID NOT PRESS THE ATTACK. WE RETURNED TO NAS BAR BERS POINT IN AUG 1950 AND THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE LAST PB4Y2 DEPLOYMENT TO WESTPAC. MY TOUR ENDED IN JAN 1951 AND I DEPARTED FOR LINE SCHOOL IN MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA. I LOVEDTHE PB4Y-2 AIRCRAFT AND WOULD HAVE TAKEN IT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WITH A 5000 FT RUNWAY. I HEARD LATER THAT VP-28 DID DEPLOY AGAIN AS FLARE OR PHOTOFLASH BOMB CARRIERS. I WAS A NEIGHBOR OF LT BILL CAMPBELL IN THE EWA HOUSING IN AND KNEW HIM WELL.

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