CASU-1 Hawaii (Joe Genne photo colection) 56K beware!!

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:49 am

I just received a seriously important photo collection from Joe Genne who served with Carrier Aircraft Service Unit #1 at NAS Pearl Harbor. The collection includes over 200 photos of the various naval aircraft that passed thorugh their possession, as well as some excellent photos of the personnel there at work and at play. I'm going to tranfer this collection to CD-ROM in the future and try to pass it around so this guys memories aren't lost forever. We are the first folks to see these photos outside of Genne's immediate family. Here are a few examples:

Dan K · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 12:18 pm

More please!!! :shock:

Michel Lemieux · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 1:56 pm

Did someone spotted the first Corsair on the third pic ?

Rare beast and pic.

I wonder if could be Race 57 or the Champlin bird ?

Randy Haskin · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 2:10 pm

Michel Lemieux wrote:

Did someone spotted the first Corsair on the third pic ? Rare beast and pic. I wonder if could be Race 57 or the Champlin bird ?

Based on the list http://www.airrace.com/CorsairStatusList2.html, I'm guessing it's 88461 or 88462, as those are the ones that saw operational service.

RMAllnutt · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 2:21 pm

Rob.... these are some seriously awesome photos! Not only are the subjects in each shot fascinating, but the quality of most (composition and sharpness) is some of the finest I have ever seen! If you are putting these into hi-res on a CD/DVD, I would love to buy a copy from you if that's ok. It's important that the relevant information of the collection as a whole stay integral to the images as well. Some seriously important images here... do you have any details behind them (who, what, where and when?)? Well done Rob!

Cheers,
Richard

wendovertom · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 3:13 pm

Wow - neat shots Rob - put me on the list for a copy when you get to that point.

Neat to see Ford Island and the old battleship row to. When I was in school at Laie it was always worth the bus trip around the island to Pearl Harbor just to watch the comings and goings.

Tom P.

RareBear · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 4:11 pm

Great shots !!

The third Corsair in the 3rd photo appears to have the same canopy configuration as the first one, so it might also be one of the FG-2's.

Walt

airnutz · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 4:14 pm

These are nice, thanks Rob! Are these in the "medium format" 6x4 film?

The Curtiss SC-1 "floater", in foto5 is a rarety of an image. Also liked
the "action" shots in the gear-retract tests..I assume that is a hydraulic
auxillary pump plugged into the crane-supported birds?

Do you have a close-up of the badge or emblem displayed on the cowls
of the Corsairs and the side of the TBM ?
Thanks again!

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Rob:

Thank you for sharing those great photos!

If you copy them to CD, I would very much like a copy, and would of course, reimburse you for your expenses.

Saludos,

Tulio

RMAllnutt · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 5:24 pm

I agree... it's a bearcat.

Cheers,
Richard

C170BDan · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 7:04 pm

Hi Rob,

I was shocked to see your pictures and quickly dig these out of my collection. A family friend said that her dad was stationed in Hawaii during WWII as a photographer and let me copy these pictures. They look familiar!! Check out the SNJ with a buzz number like yours! Maybe you can help me ID more of the photos. I have more of TBF/Ms, SB2C, C47, C46 and all seem to be from Hawaii. Below are just a few of the shots...

The above picture was labeled Col. Moore on the back of the photo.

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Wed Jan 26, 2005 12:22 am

"I-5" is definitely one of the CASU-1 birds. The various pictures in this collection show SNJ I-1, I-3, I-6, I-7, I-15 & I-36.

Man, the buzz letters are huge on those F4Us

I haven't seen those markings before. Very exciting!

None of the photos show a close up of the badge shown on some of the planes. It's a CASU-1 badge (probably a sticker) that they stuck on the various aircraft. I'm hoping some internet surfing might turn up a good view of one.

The pictures themselves are pretty huge. Mr. Genne scanned them large and I've reduced them to roughly 40% of their original size to post them here. All of the photos have dates, descriptions, and even the guys names who are in them. The photographer did an exemplary job of documenting his time on Pearl.

Tracey is dead on about the F2G-2 being BuNo.88462. If my AOL account will allow me the server space, I'll post a pic of it earlier on in solid glossy sea blue. With the various bits of planes coming to light in Hawaii lately, I'd sure love to see part of the F2G turn up in some dump somewhere. :lol:

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:05 am

Ok, here's another group of pics and their descriptions:

#1 - F6F-5N during September of 1945.

#2 - F6F & F8F on August 1, 1946.

#3 - SNJ's I26 & I-33 during 1945

#4 - DeJoy, Clott, & Mex during 1945

#5 - F2G-2 taxiing (Starkes - pilot) 4-15-1946

#6 - Ops office group - 1946

#7 - Blacky Holtz 8-27-1946

#8 - F6F drop check 8-1-1946

#9 - McCaffrey & Costar 4-27-1946

#10 - Henderson in TBM 8-19-1946

#11 - Genne in the SB2C rear pit

airnutz · **Posted:** Wed Jan 26, 2005 6:47 am

Man..these are SWEET!!..Thank-you Rob!!! So Crisp!!! I'm really curious,
as to what camera and format Genne was using??

JohnH · **Posted:** Wed Jan 26, 2005 8:20 am

darn Rob, just absolutely stunning stuff....The Marauder pic alone is incredible.

John

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CASU-1 Hawaii (Joe Genne photo colection) 56K beware!!

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