Here's something interesting (or not) depending on if you like this kind of stuff, regarding the childhood location of the US Navy's 9th highest scoring ace Lt Charles R. Stimpson, VF-11 Sundowners (one of dad's old outfits) who had 16.33 confirmed kills.
I guess I could chalk it up as
a small world thing perhaps. Never the less I do find it ironic and interesting so perhaps a few others will as well. It's one thing to live in the same State, City or town as someone you view as interesting and have somewhat of a connection to, but quite another when you find out you lived two doors away. Abiet my time at my address there and his time were seperated by a couple of decades, it's still quite a coincidence.
A big thanks goes out to WIXers Jim MacDonald and Jack Cook for sending me some real outstanding stuff that also brought this information to my attention. Thanks a lot both of you.
Lt Charles R. Stimpson
VF-11 pilots in the ready room aboard the USS Hornet, Stimpson third row from the front and dad sitting in the back.
My address was 109 Rametto Rd, Santa Barbara, CA (left red box) Stimpson's was 1 Rametto Rd (right red box), If I recall the numbers on Rametto Rd are kind of funky. I'm quite certain that's 1 Rametto Rd. If not he was very close by as Rametto is not a large road at all. Rametto Rd is on a hillside that overlooks the Monecito CC and out to the ocean. If he grew up in that area there's a good chance he and his buddies rummaged around in my old place as it was a guest quarters of a much larger estate at that time (late 1920's early 1930's) and quite the playground for kids. You never know.
A Biography on Stimpson from Acepilots.com:
One of only four Navy fliers to "make ace" in both the Wildcat and Hellcat
Born in Salt Lake City on Aug. 24, 1919, Charlie Stimpson grew up in Santa Barbara, California, and graduated from Pomona College. He completed Navy flight training in June, 1942, and was assigned to the newly established VF-11 "Sundowners" at San Diego. They arrived at Guadalcanal in April, 1943, by which time Stimpson was a Lt.(jg). In only three combat missions in the Solomons, Stimpson scored six confirmed victories in Wildcats, four coming on June 16, his first combat mission when the Japanese staged their last big raid on Guadalcanal. Flying a Hellcat with the carrier Hornet's VF-11, Lt. Stimpson, nicknamed "Skull" because of his emaciated appearance, scored 5 kills on October 14, 1944, during the big raids on Formosa. Stimpson was one of eight Hellcats under the leadership of Lt. Jimmy Savage, assigned to the Hornet's CAP. They took off and climbed to 20,000 feet. Shortly after detecting the enemy, Lt. Savage discovered a defective compass; Stimpson took over the lead role. Stimpson's division went after the fighters; Savage's for the bombers. Stimpson's division surprised the enemy; all four of them (Stimpson, his wingman Blair, Dayhoff, and Zink) all scored on the first pass. Stimpson quickly brought down another two Hamps, as did Zink, but this time the Japanese struck back, downing both Dayhoff and Zink. Savage's division had also been cut up. Very quickly only Stimpson, Blair, and Savage remained in the battle. Stimpson intercepted a Zero threatening a wounded pilot; his deflection shot caught the Zero perfectly. It exploded for Stimpson's fourth victory of the day. He scored one more kill that day, but not without the loss of his wingman Blair.
Stimpson had another big day on Nov.5, getting three kills over Manila's Clark Field.
He finished with war with 16.33 confirmed kills.
A brief Wiki Biography on Stimpson:
Charles R. Stimpson (24 August 1919 - 20 August 1983
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Stimpson graduated from Pomona College in 1941 and enlisted in the navy as an aviation cadet. He received his commission and aviator wings in May 1942 and was assigned to Fighting Squadron 11, which became known as The Sundowners.
Flying Grumman F4F-4 Wildcats from Guadalcanal in the summer of 1943, "Skull" Stimpson shot down six Japanese aircraft. He remained with the squadron during its second combat deployment, flying F6F-5 Hellcats from USS Hornet (CV-12) in the Western Pacific during late 1944. He scored ten more kills, including five confirmed and two probables off Formosa on 14 October.
At the end of the war Stimpson was the Sundowners' top ace with 16 victories, receiving the Navy Cross, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, and three Air Medals.
Released from active duty in October 1945, Stimpson participated in the naval reserve program until 1956. He settled in the San Diego area, having married into the hotel business. He was widely known as the genial, popular host of The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, but maintained his interest in aviation. He died at a Blue Angels performance at NAS Miramar shortly before his 64th birthday.
Top Navy Aces
David McCampbell 34.0 MH VF-15 F6F
Cecil E. Harris 24.0 NC VF-18 F6F
Eugene Valencia 23.0 NC VF-9 F6F
Alexander Vraciu 19.0 NC VF-6/VF-16 F6F
Cornelius N. Nooy 19.0 NC VF-31 F6F
Patrick D. Fleming 19.0 NC VF-80 F6F
Douglas Baker 16.3 SS VF-20 F6F
Ira Cassius "Ike" Kepford 16.0 NC VF-17 F4U
Charles R. Stimpson 16.0 NC VF-11 F4F/F6F Arthur R. Hawkins 14.0 NC VF-31 F6F
John L. Wirth 14.0 NC VF-31 F6F
Lt. Elbert McCuskey 13.5 NC VF-3/VF-42/VF-8 F4F/F6F
George C. Duncan 13.5 - VF-15 F6F
Roy W. Rushing 13.0 - VF-15 F6F
John R. Strane 13.0 - VF-15 F6F
Dan R. Rehm 13.0 AM VF-8/VF-50 F6F
Wendell V. Twelves 13.0 - VF-15 F6F
James A. Shirley 12.5 - VF-27 F6F
Daniel A. Carmichael Jr. 12.0 - VF-2/VBF-12 F6F
Roger R. Hedrick 12.0 DFC VF-17/VF-84 F4U
William J. Masoner Jr. 12.0 - VF-19/VF-11 F6F
Hamilton McWhorter III 12.0 - VF-9/VF-12 F6F
P. L. Kirkwood 12.0 - VF-10 F4U/F6F
Other Noted Navy Aces
Frederick E. Bakutis 11.0 - VF-20 F6F
John T. "Tom" Blackburn 11.0 NC VF-17 F4U
James B. French 11.0 - VF-9 F6F
William A. Dean, Jr. 11.0 - VF-2 F6F
Donald E. Runyon 11.0 NC VF-6 F4F
Stanley W. "Swede" Vejtasa 10.3 NC VF-10 F4F
Charles Mallory 10.0 DFC VF-18 F6F
Harris A. Mitchell 10.0 - VF-9 F6F
Whitey Feightner 9.0 - VF-10/VF-8 F4F/F6F
Arthur Van Haren, Jr. 9.0 DFC VF-2 F6F
Ralph E. Elliott 9.0 - VC-27 FM-2
Butch Voris 8.0 DFC VF-2 F6F
Edward "Butch" O'Hare 7.0 MH VF-3 F4F
Bert DeWayne "Wayne" Morris 7.0 DFC VF-15 F6F
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