I'm going to quote Steve Whitby through this thread as he knows much more than I do and I don't want to screw it up. Steve's father served on the USS Hornet (along with my dad) during WWII as well. Steve is a Photographer for Riverside County Fire / Cal Fire.
Steve's facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/steve.whitby.1 ... vk&fref=nf"On this Memorial Day, for EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE. One family member that never made it home and gave his last full measure for this country, Dad's cousin
Stanley Nelson Whitby died at the age of 20 in the South China Sea Oct. 13th 1944 as a rear gunner in SB2C-3 Helldiver dive bombers from VB-15, USS Essex CV-9. Stan and his pilot Earl Mallette were shot down and killed while attacking a Japanese naval installation in the Pescadores Islands. Just three months prior to his death Stan and his first pilot Cliff Jordan were shot down off the island of Tinian while dive bombing targets the day before the Marines landed. Jordan was seriously injured but was pulled from the sinking Helldiver and kept afloat by Stanley until rescued by a Navy UDT team. For this he was awarded the Navy & Marine Corps Medal for Heroism, but never lived long enough to be presented with it. Stan and Cliff Jordan were also a member of a very small exclusive club, while out on patrol in their dive bomber, they spotted and chased down a Japanese torpedo bomber, then shot it down, not to many in that club.. RIP Stan.. still trying to get you your DFC..."
THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY
"My father, Robert L. Whitby, ( Ships company, RM2/c, USS Hornet, 1943-46) died on October 29th, 2003 from complications connected to several strokes while in a board and care for that last several years. Dad had a lot of physical problems but to the very end had an alert quick mind. He had related this story to me many years ago but close to the end, before he slipped into a coma, he talked about it again, with tears in his eyes. This starts back in Pennsylvania in the 1930s, my father and his first cousin, Stan Whitby lived close to each other and played together as friends. In 1939, my Dad's family moved out to Southern California and lost contact with the rest of the family. The war started and by 1943, Dad enlisted in the Navy. Unbeknownst to him, back in Pennsylvania, Stanley also had enlisted in the Navy
Dad was assigned to ships company USS Hornet, a brand new Essex Class Carrier, and came aboard in early January, 1944 as a radio operator prior to Hornet’s shakedown cruise in the Atlantic. Her new air group was CVG-15, the same air group Stan was assigned to as a gunner in VB-15 dive bombers. Stan survived the training over the Atlantic in these "not so dependable" aircraft (they lost several due to structural or mechanical failure).
The Hornet transited the Atlantic, Caribbean, Panama Cannel and eastern Pacific to Hawaii. On March 5th, while at Pearl Harbor, Air group 15 left Hornet for further training at Maui, later to be assigned as CV-9 USS Essex's air group. Neither Dad nor Stan was aware that they were both on the same ship for those three months. Not surprising considering the size of an Essex Class and the number of people. Several months later (around Christmas 1944) A Chief Petty Officer from Hornet's Aviation Dept. looked Dad up to ask him if he knew or was related to a Stanley N. Whitby. It turned out this CPO had become friends with Stan in the three months he was aboard Hornet. Dad was surprised and said yes, he's my first cousin. The CPO had some bad news.
Stan, after 31 combat missions against the Japanese, and his pilot, Earl C. Mallette, were shot down and killed on October 13, 1944 while attacking the Japanese at the Ansan Navel Base on Boko Island in the Pescadores west of Formosa while flying from the Essex.
Their SB2C was in a dive on the target when they were hit by AA fire and shot down. This was also seen by Commander David McCampbell the Air Group Commander while flying fighter cover for the dive bombers during the attack. He later went on to become the US Navy’s leading ace in World War II with 34 kills. This was the only loss of the day.
Dad also found out that just three months before Stan's death, he had been shot down before, off the island of Tinian in the Marianas after making a successful water landing and saving his wounded pilots life until help arrived. For this, Stan was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for Heroism. Lt. Jordan went back to the states to recover from his wounds, Stan went back to the Essex and was assigned another pilot. ARM2c Stanley N. Whitby was killed before he was ever presented the medal and citation. My father was shocked and deeply hurt over the loss of his cousin, and the fact that he never knew that for those three months, Stan was on the same ship. They hadn't seen each other in six years, but may have passed each other on the hanger deck without ever knowing it. That would have been a great reunion if they had found each other. Dad carried this with him all of his adult life, and at the end, still shed a tear over it. He told me that soon, he would finely get his reunion, I believe that happened."
ARM2c Stanley Nelson Whitby
Tinian
Pescadores
"Above Seven gunners from VB-15, most having the distinct honor of being part of the Dunkers Club aboard Essex, that of ditching in the Pacific and surviving.
Back row, left to right, ARM1c Paul Sheehan, The "Old Man" of VB-15's gunners and senior to all of them, Paul flew with the deputy commander of VB-15, Lt. Roger Noyes, they were shot down and killed Nov. 13th 1944 while attacking a Notori Class light cruiser in Manila Bay, Next was ARM1c Bob Cribb, Bob flew with Lt. John Bridgers in command of VB-15's Div. 2, they survived. Next was ARM1c Arne Frobom, gunner for VB-15's Commander James Mini, they survived. Front row left to right, ARM2c Joe Laborde who flew with Lt. Frank West, they survived, next was ARM2c Stan Whitby, my fathers cousin, his second pilot was Lt.(jg) Earl Mallette, they were shot down and killed Oct. 13th 1944 while attacking the Ansan Naval base in the Pescadores, South China Sea. Next was ARM2c Ray Kataja who flew with Lt. Dick Glass, they survived, and last ARM2c George Dwyer who flew with the squadrons third in command Lt. John Brodhead, they survived. I was very lucky to have stumbled across this photo while doing my research on the squadron."
"Above These six young men, all from the same little town, Blakely Pennsylvania, all enlisted the same day and trained together at the Bainbridge Naval training station in Bainbridge Maryland, they were all trained as Aviation Radioman gunners and assigned to Air Group 15 ending up aboard the USS Essex in 1944. Back row center was my Dads cousin Stan Whitby, VB-15 rear gunner who was shot down and KIA over the Pescadores Islands South China Sea, Oct. 13th 1944. The two boys flanking Stan were twin brothers Howard and Homer Beattys, turret gunners with VT-15 both KIA while flying from the Essex in 1944."
ARM2c Stanley Nelson Whitby circled.
"Members of VB-15 as they were crossing CV-9's flight deck heading for their Helldivers and another mission, from left to right: Sumner Rulon-Miller, Operations Officer for VB-15, Lt. (jg) George Prendergast, Lt. (jg) Vince Zanetti, Lt. (jg) Al Woods, Lt. J.D. Bridgers and Lt. (jg) Scotty Matthews with the Colt 45."
"Quite a story behind these three photos below of two very lucky guys, Lt.(jg) Jim Barnitz (in rudder) and ARM2c Neal Stienkemeyer, safely back aboard the USS Essex (CV-9) May 20th 1944. after hitting Japanese targets on Marcus Island. In the last photo, Chuck Rowland, Stan Whitby & Dale Hughes in the background."
Part of its rudder shot away by enemy fire, an SB2C-1C of Bombing Squadron (VB) 15 pictured after recovery aboard the carrier Essex (CV 9) on May 20, 1944.
Relieved crew. Essex (CV 9) on May 20, 1944.
"Jill Mattison's Dad in the gunners position, SB2C-1C from VB-15 orbiting over the Essex, 1944. John Miller, gunner & Calvin Platt pilot."
SB2C-1C of VB-15 landing on USS Essex (CV-9) 1944.
SB2C-1C's from VB-15 aboard USS Essex CV-9 on their way to Marcus and later Wake Island for their baptism of fire, May 18th 1944.
SB2C-3 flipped on it's back aboard the Essex crushing the cockpits, June 1944.
USS Essex SB2C from a mission with some tail damage, 1944.
VB-15 Helldiver #58
VB-15 SB2C-3 from the USS Essex making a run for it after dive bombing the Japanese Super Battleship Musashi, Oct. 1944, Leyte Gulf.
VB-15 Helldivers after returning from a mission aboard the Essex, 1944.
VB-15 SB2C deck launch from the Essex, 1944.
Airdales towing a VB-15 Curtiss SB2C-3 Helldiver into catapult launch position aboard USS Essex CV-9, south central Pacific September 1944.
ARM2c Stanley Nelson Whitby Medal Collection
Continue to RIP Stanley .................................... Thank you. You'll never be forgotten.
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