How/Where To Find Info for a Particular F4U-1A Corsair?

[rwright142]

I'm trying to locate information on a F4U-1A Corsair flown by Lt. JG Jim Streig when he flew one marked as #3 with VF-17.

Is there an online resource where I can find the BuNo or more information on this plane?

Here's a picture:

Last edited by rwright142 on Fri May 30, 2008 1:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[corsair166b]

Tried to find some numbers for you in my book "Corsair aces of WWII" but it gave no numbers for the plane....will check more at home...

M

[rwright142]

Thanks for your kind offer!

[Rob Mears]

I've come across a substantial amount of USN history cards for the various VF-17 Corsairs, all in the 17XXX range. Trouble is, there's no records (that I know of) that match each plane's Bureau Number to its fuselage "buzz" number. I find it amazing that Navy squadron commanders wouldn't have at least made some notes showing the correlation between the two numbers. All of the official record keeping and pilot log books dealt directly with the Bureau Number, while I assume the fuselage numbers were more for flight deck and plane-to-plane recognition. Both were specifically important, yet I've found no records from any squadron or C.O. that specifies the relationship between them.

I've been hopelessy absent from home for months now, or I'd try to assemble a comprehensive list of all the VF-17 Bureau Numbers directly from the aircraft history card records. Your best bet in determining the BuNo. for Lt. JG Jim Streig's plane is to locate someone who's seen his log book. As popular and historically relevant as VF-17 is, I imagine someone has certainly taken the time to take notes of, or make copies of the individual pilot's log book pages. If not, I think it would be an extremely important undertaking to do so, before they find their way into the hands of potentially less concerned heirs or beneficiaries.

[Jack Cook]

Here's a few.............
F4U-1A 17692 LTjg J. Miller
F4U-1A 17680 #12 Ens. C.H. Dunn
F4U-1A 18057 LTjg D. Malone
F4U-1A 17949 #26 Ens. P. Divenney
F4U-1A 18005 #4 LTjg H. Burriss
F4U-1A 17666 LTjg T.Kropf
F4U-1A 17668 #31 LTjg. S Beacham
F4U-1A 17684 #29 LTjg March
F4U-1A 17684 #29 Ltjg Kepford
F4U-1A 17686 #9 Lt M. Davenport
F4U-1 18070 #2 Lt. D.H. Gutenkunst
F4U-1A 17685 #33 LTjg Burriss
F4U-1A 17676 Lt. T Bell
F4U-1A 18064 #11 Ens. L. Fitzgerald
F4U-1A 18061 Ens. R. Hill
F4U-1A 17659 LTjg H. Hogan
F4U-1A 55822 LTjg J. Farley
F4U-1A 17650 LTjg T. Kropf
F4U-1A 18011 LTjg C. Smith
F4U-1A 17651 #2 LTjg D. Gutenkunst
F4U-1A 17804 Lt. C.A. Pillsbury
F4U-1A 17693
F4U-1A 17669 Ens. B. Baker
F4U-1 17454 LTjg Anderson
F4U-1A 17655 Ens. Hill
F4U-1A 17671 Ens. Baker
F4U-1A 17743
F4U-1A 17661 LTjg J. Keith
F4U-1A 17670
F4U-1A 17649 #1 LCDR T. Blackburn
F4U-1A #28 ENS POPP
F4U-1A # Lt Chenoweth
F4U-1A #8 Lt May
F4U-1A #15 LTjg Cunningham
F4U-1A #22 ENS Smith
F4U-1A #17 LCDR Hedrick
F4U-1A #3 ENS Streig

[corsair166b]

Yeah...I did'nt see anything online, photos or other wise, that helped the situation or reveald a number....all of the shots of Streig's #3 seem to be at a distance...even checked some decal sheets on models for a lead and got bubkus...

May be an uphill battle...

M

[rwright142]

Thanks guys. I think you are right about it going to be a challenge to find the info. I'm not finding much but I'll still digging. I may have to hit up the National Archives but I'm sure you all know how daunting a task that is...

Thanks for the list Jack. Can you provide your source? Maybe I can search using the existing BuNo's as a start and fill in the blanks to see where that gets me...

[Chicoartist]

I believe you're the guy who emailed me today - I checked my stuff and all I can add is that Jim's "White 3" had a whip aerial rather than the mast, well-worn/faded upper surfaces with chipping much in evidence, and the prop dome/maybe the hub, too, was in intermediate blue.

Wade

[Jack Cook]

I'll post photos of Jim and #3 tonight.

[rwright142]

I believe you're the guy who emailed me today - I checked my stuff and all I can add is that Jim's "White 3" had a whip aerial rather than the mast, well-worn/faded upper surfaces with chipping much in evidence, and the prop dome/maybe the hub, too, was in intermediate blue.

Wade

Hi Wade and yes that was me.

As for the antenna, that's what I thought too, but I found a picture that Jack posted and you can see a spine mast.

Thanks.

Here's the picture I'm referring to...

[kenlyco]

No numbers ,nice drawings.

[Jack Cook]

He's a better list now that I'm home.

F4U-1A 17649 #1 “Big Hog” LCDR T. Blackburn
F4U-1A 17651 #2 LTjg D. Gutenkunst
F4U-1A 18070 #2 Lt. D.H. Gutenkunst
F4U-1A #3 ENS Streig
F4U-1A 18005 #4 LTjg H. Burriss
F4U-1A 56146 #4 “Ruthless II” Lt Chenoweth
F4U-1A #5 Ltjg Killefer
F4U-1A #8 Lt May
F4U-1A 17686 #9 “Lonesome Polecat” Lt M. Davenport
F4U-1A 18064 #11 Ens. L. Fitzgerald
F4U-1A 17680 #12 Ens. C.H. Dunn
F4U-1A #15 LTjg Cunningham
F4U-1A #17 LCDR Hedrick
F4U-1A #20 Ens Jack Chasnoff
F4U-1A #22 ENS Smith
F4U-1A 17949 #26 Ens. P. Divenney
F4U-1A #28 ENS Popp
F4U-1A 17684 #29 “Dirty Eddie” LTjg March
F4U-1A 17684 #29 Ltjg Kepford
F4U-1A #30 Country Landreth
F4U-1A 17668 #31 LTjg. S Beacham
F4U-1A 17685 #33 Ltjg “Teeth”Burriss
F4U-1A #34 17838 “LA City Limits” Ens Chico Freeman
F4U-1A 17692 LTjg J. Miller
F4U-1A 18057 LTjg D. Malone
F4U-1A 17666 LTjg T.Kropf
F4U-1A 17676 Lt. T Bell
F4U-1A 18061 Ens. R. Hill
F4U-1A 17659 LTjg H. Hogan
F4U-1A 55822 LTjg J. Farley
F4U-1A 17650 LTjg T. Kropf
F4U-1A 18011 LTjg C. Smith
F4U-1A 17804 Lt. C. Pillsbury
F4U-1A 17693
F4U-1A 17669 Ens. B. Baker
F4U-1A 17454 LTjg Anderson
F4U-1A 17655 Ens. Hill
F4U-1A 17671 Ens. Baker
F4U-1A 17743
F4U-1A 17661 LTjg J. Keith
F4U-1A 17670

[Chicoartist]

There's a famous shot of Kepford leading a flight, including Jim and #3, near the end of the second tour - Feb/Mar 44. I believe all have the whip aerials in that shot. I'm sure Jack has it handy, but all my USN refs are packed away till the next USN/USMC project.

In fact, looking again at your very first picture at the top of this thread, I'd argue that that picture shows the Hog sans mast ... it would be visible in your shot behind the open canopy. His beard is also missing - that plus his full score of flags tells me he's cleaned up and looking to head stateside soon. Another indicator of late in the second tour.

Here's a link to a nice photo similar to your angle of view in the first picce ... notice how if your first wartime shot had a mast, it would be visible:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Vought-F ... 0404238/L/

Wade

[Jack Cook]

Ike Kepford

#29 LTjg Ike Kepford
#8 Ens Hal Jackson
#3 LTjg "Big Jim" Streig
#28 Ens."Beads" Popp

[Rob Mears]

That's an excellent list Jack!