July 4th 1944...a pistol in aerial combat at Iwo Jima
This 1943 Remington Rand M1911A1 s/n 976207 is documented in the National Archives as being in service at Iwo Jima on 4 July 1944. The pistol is listed on a loss report date 31 July 1944 as being lost in a plane that crashed at sea while in aerial combat with the enemy on 4 July. The loss report was filed from the USS Cabot CVL-28.
The pistol
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The loss report in the National Archives
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There is considerable official documentation provided from various sources to support this claim. I have a copy of the loss report from the National Archives, listing this pistol by serial number that was provided by author Charlie Pate when he was the historian at Springfield Research Service. Pate also provided a letter with background information about the pistol and the USS Cabot.
Research on the Cabot resulted in finding an online book The History of the USS Cabot (CVL-28), written by an officer who served on the ship during WWII. He wrote the book in 1986 to preserve the history for family members of the crew. Here is a link to the book: The History of the USS Cabot - CVL-28
Within that book, the author (Hudson) provides much detailed information directly from the ship's log and the U.S. Navy Air Group logs for for the squadrons that served on the USS Cabot during WWII. On 4 July 1944, Air Group 31 was serving from the USS Cabot. U.S. Naval Fighter Squadron VF-31 was engaged in aerial combat with the Japanese at Iwo Jima. Information in Hudson's book and the VF-31 flight logs indicate this was some of the toughest aerial combat of WWII. Of course, the Japanese were then defending their homeland.
The records actually list (4) F6F Hellcats being lost in the 4 July battle at Iwo Jima. Three of the four pilots (listed by name) were lost and not recovered. One F6F Hellcat pilot, Lt. (jg) Bob Wilson, managed to limp his badly damaged plane back to the U.S. Task Force. His plane was so badly shot up and his elevation was so low, he had to turn the plane over and bail out. He was quickly recovered by a U.S. destroyer in the area and survived to give a full account of the action in a military press release.
In recent years, I found a web site for Air Group 31. Here is the link: Fighter Squadron 31 (VF-31) - Torpedo Squadron 31 (VT-31) - USS Cabot - USS Belleau Wood On that web site is a wealth of supporting evidence. Because I knew Lt. (jg) Wilson was the only survivor from the 4 Hellcats lost on 4 July 1944, I was really thrilled to find photographs of him on the site. He is standing on the right end of the 2nd row in the group photo of VF-31. You can click on the Air Group 31 Pilots tab to see a photo of him in his F6F Hellcat and read all kinds of information provided from the air group log books.
You can click on The Missions Flown tab for information on the 4 July 1944 combat and read the military press releases with direct statements from the pilots.
You can click on the Aircraft Carriers tab for information about USS Cabot (CVL-28). Besides the VF-31 site, Hudson's online book The History of the USS Cabot (CVL-28), I strongly recommend "The Iron Woman", written by Ernie Pyle, WWII war correspondent who was aboard the Cabot and shares details one can hardly imagine unless you served at that time. Here is a good link to The Iron Woman: USS Cabot (CVL-28) You have to read all the way down to the bottom to get to the article Pyle wrote, but there is other good background info there, as well.
I purchase this pistol several years ago without any additional information. It took several years to run down all the facts I have now regarding the pistol, the ship, the pilot this pistol was most likely issued to, VF-31...the "Meat Axe" squadron and their impressive combat history. I would have been perfectly satisfied with history from another date on this pistol. I just think it is an added bonus that the documentation places this pistol in combat at Iwo Jima on the Fourth of July.
It serves as a good reminder of one reason I collect what I do, to preserve the history of those who served with such valor. Happy Independence Day!