WW2 Carrier memoirs?

Egan · 02-24-10, 04:55 AM

I'm in a real Pacific theatre thing at the moment and seem to be tearing through books as fast as I get them. One thing I'm looking for and have never really heard anything about is a memoir of life on board a carrier during the war - preferably a pilot but anything will do. I'm more interested in the little picture, so to speak - I have plenty of stuff dealing out the strategic information.

Does anyone have any ideas? It's an area I know very little about.

mako88sb · 02-24-10, 08:14 PM

I have one called "Fighting Squadron" by Robert A Winston. It's about his life aboard the USS Cabot where he flew Hellcats with "Fighting Squadron 31". Might not be easy to find but I highly recommend it. He also wrote one called "Dive Bomber" but it's pre WW2. However, I found it hard to put down as it gives a great perspective on the training new pilots went through and how they progressed to different planes. Reading about the pre-war bi-planes was some of my favorite chapters especially the Grumman F3F-2. There is some training aboard carriers but it's mostly land based. Still, a nother very engrossing read.

Rob

Egan · 02-28-10, 07:23 AM

Looks good. I see a couple of hardback copies on Amazon market place. I'll have to take a closer look. Cheers!

mikelangelo11 · 04-02-10, 01:06 AM

I believe one of international conventions prohibited shooting pilots while under chute, however paratroopers were exception.On the other hand it was common practice to kill enemy pilots this way by all sides of WW2.As for the sailors,there was also international convention that obligated wining party to pick up survivors and prevented them from being machineguned while in water.

Zoomer96 · 04-03-10, 10:47 AM

There's an older book Called "The Big E" came out in 1962. Covers the whole war and what happened to CV-6 form the beginning to the end. I had a copy but it disappeared long ago. Well written if I remember correctly and gives an insight to How it was right after Pearl Harbor. Hope this helps.

02-24-10, 04:55 AM	#1
Egan Admiral Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 2,019 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	WW2 Carrier memoirs? I'm in a real Pacific theatre thing at the moment and seem to be tearing through books as fast as I get them. One thing I'm looking for and have never really heard anything about is a memoir of life on board a carrier during the war - preferably a pilot but anything will do. I'm more interested in the little picture, so to speak - I have plenty of stuff dealing out the strategic information. Does anyone have any ideas? It's an area I know very little about.

04-02-10, 01:06 AM	#4
mikelangelo11 Nub Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 4 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I believe one of international conventions prohibited shooting pilots while under chute, however paratroopers were exception.On the other hand it was common practice to kill enemy pilots this way by all sides of WW2.As for the sailors,there was also international convention that obligated wining party to pick up survivors and prevented them from being machineguned while in water. __________________ acekard

02-24-10, 08:14 PM	#2
mako88sb XO Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 423 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I have one called "Fighting Squadron" by Robert A Winston. It's about his life aboard the USS Cabot where he flew Hellcats with "Fighting Squadron 31". Might not be easy to find but I highly recommend it. He also wrote one called "Dive Bomber" but it's pre WW2. However, I found it hard to put down as it gives a great perspective on the training new pilots went through and how they progressed to different planes. Reading about the pre-war bi-planes was some of my favorite chapters especially the Grumman F3F-2. There is some training aboard carriers but it's mostly land based. Still, a nother very engrossing read. Rob

02-28-10, 07:23 AM	#3
Egan Admiral Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 2,019 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	Looks good. I see a couple of hardback copies on Amazon market place. I'll have to take a closer look. Cheers!

04-03-10, 10:47 AM	#5
Zoomer96 Helmsman Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Missouri Posts: 106 Downloads: 109 Uploads: 0	There's an older book Called "The Big E" came out in 1962. Covers the whole war and what happened to CV-6 form the beginning to the end. I had a copy but it disappeared long ago. Well written if I remember correctly and gives an insight to How it was right after Pearl Harbor. Hope this helps.