Some US Navy Mitchells

[Dave Homewood]

These photos come from the collection of the late Neville Jackson, who flew Corsairs with No. 21 Squadron, RNZAF, and did two tours at Bougainvile. I thought the Mitchell fans might be interested. I think these are designated as PBJ's by the Navy, aren't they?







And a formation being escorted by Neville in his Corsair, an interesting angle.

[The Inspector]

Wonderful stuff! THANX!!

Now looking @ photo #3, imagine yourself as an Imperial Army soldier stationed on ________ and you hear a whining, look up in time to see that roaring @ you at around 200 MPH with all 14 .50's blazing and not too much higher than it is in the photo, make you want to put in for another duty station? It makes me sweat-

[Craig59]

Always love to see photos of Marine Corps PBJ's. All are J models and with the exception of the head on shot of the solid nose PBJ-1J, all have the wingtip mounted radar pod. I'm familiar with later J's operated by VMB-433 and none I've ever seen had markings so, I'm guessing these are from another VMB squadron.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks for the correction regarding them belonging to the US Marine Corps, these things are all foreign to me and I know little about the Mitchells of either air arm, so it's nice to learn something new.

The firepower indeed must have been formidable, especially when the whole squadron was making at attack, and no doubt the escorting Corsairs also got into the strafing and bombing too.

[rwdfresno]

Neat photos. Interesting picture with the Ford GTB "Burma Jeep" bomb truck with the bomb hoist removed.

Ryan

[Dan Newcomb]

I have never seen these particular photos before! Thanks a million and I wish you had more of them. The first picture is exactly what our bird looked like. Sadly our PBJ-1J is the only one left.

Dan

[Cking]

I had never seen a B-25 with a wing tip mounted radome...Untill I came to WIX that is and saw Dan's little project!
Rgds Cking

[jdvoss]

As the USN was the procurement agency for the USMC does anyone know if the USN actually operated any PBJ's other than possibly VU or VX sqdns??

[Dave Homewood]

I have never seen these particular photos before! Thanks a million and I wish you had more of them. The first picture is exactly what our bird looked like. Sadly our PBJ-1J is the only one left.

Dan

I'm glad you liked them Dan. You won't have seen them before because they're from a private collection I have unearthed and this is the first time ever that they have seen the light of day in the public arena, along with several other photos from the photographer, the late Neville Jackson's collection. He was a Corsair pilot in the RNZAF.

Any idea where these Mitchells were based? No. 21 Squadron was based during Nevilles time at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal; Piva, Bougainville; Green Island and Jacquinot Bay. My guess is these are at Piva?

[Craig59]

Any idea where these Mitchells were based?

According to, History of Marine Corps Aviation in WWII:

VMB-413 - Espiritu; Stirling Island; Munda; Emirau

VMB-423 - Espiritu; Stirling Island; Green Island; Emirau; P.I.

VMB-433 - Green Island; Emirau; Malabang

VMB-443 - Espiritu; Emirau; P.I.

VMB-611 - Emirau; Zamboanga

VMB-612 - Saipan; Iwo Jima; Okinawa

VMB-613 - Kwajalein

VMB-614 - Midway

...does anyone know if the USN actually operated any PBJ's other than possibly VU or VX sqdns??

No. Marine Corps only.

[Steve Nelson]

Great pics..thanks for posting!

Hmm..for some strange reason I've now got a craving for a Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich...

SN

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Craig, well the only place that seems to tie in with No. 21 Squadron's postings is Green Island, which would make it that these were taken on neville's second tour (the third tour for the squadron) and be between April and May 1945 if that's the case.

Of course either the Mitchells or Neville were visiting elsewhere, but this is the more likely scenario that they're from VMB-423 or VMB-433.

Can anyone tie up those serial codes seen (218 and 244) to those squadrons?

[Craig59]

Dave,

Based upon those dates my best guess would be VMB-423. They were on Green from June '44 to June '45. VMB-433 was there only from Jul-Aug '44.

My Dad joined 433 at Emirau in May '45 and in all the photos I've seen of their later aircraft, they did not carry modex numbers like the ones in the photos you posted. So, again, 423 would be my guess.

Unfortunately, not much in the way of pictures on their website, VMB423.net. You might try contacting Roberet Yanacek who builds and maintains most of the VMB websites, I bet he'd be happy to add the photos to the appropriate site. You can contact him through the website: vmb613.com; vmb433.com; vmb423.net.

[Dan Newcomb]

Well it looks like Craig saved the day! I spent yesterday down at CMA working on the PBJ so I couldn’t respond to Dave’s questions. Also as to the question of the Navy operating PBJs in combat my impression was no. But I could be (and often I am) wrong.

Thanks again for the photos!

Dan

[Dave Homewood]

In that fourth photo the Mitchells look slightly stretched. Is this an optical illusion? Or were the PBJ's a longer version of the B-25 Mitchell?

It's not stretched in Photoshop, the original print is like that.