R4Ds on skis launching from USS Phillipine Sea

[Baldeagle]

From the National Naval Aviation Museum page on Facebook, hope it's OK to post them:

"On January 29, 1947, sixty-four years ago today, R4D Skytrains launched from the deck of the carrier Philippine Sea (CV 47) in Antarctic waters as part of Operation Highjump. One of them carried Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd."






http://www.facebook.com/#!/NavalAviationMuseum



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[The Inspector]

Interesting markings with the air sea rescue yellow and even though it's 1947, no red bar in the national insignias. Anyone have the buaerno? Thanks for finding and posting these

[Nathan]

Would this be the same operation depicted in "Island In the Sky' with John Wayne?

[Ken]

The R4D pix refer to Antarctica. Island in the Sky took place in Canada, well north of Newfoundland during WWII. It was based on a true story in the life of Ernest K Gann. The story constitutes a chapter of his Fate is the Hunter and, as I understand it, Gann thought enough of the incident to develop it into a book of its own, later the movie you mention.

[JohnB]

The story constitutes a chapter of his Fate is the Hunter and, as I understand it, Gann thought enough of the incident to develop it into a book of its own, later the movie you mention.

Not to be too picky...but Island in the Sky, both the book (1944) and film (1953), predate Fate is the Hunter (1961).
Island in the Sky is a novel, a fictionialized version of actual events that Gann was involved in, as a friend of the missing fliers and as a search pilot.
The chapter in Fate is the Hunter is his non-fiction memior of the events.