County of sign: New Hanover County
Location of sign: 1 Battleship Rd. NE, North Carolina Battleship Museum, Wilmington
Fee to visit Display: $14.00
Phone: (910) 251-5797
Sign: Garciously Funded by Hank & Terry Falkowski
Marker text:
V Division: The Aviation Gang
NORTH CAROLINA'S Aviation Division arrived August 23, 1941, several months after her April 9, 1941 commissioning. During the War, the division consisted of two or three aircraft and 23 men. Three officers wee the pilots and three enlisted men flew with them as radiomen/gunners. The remaining 17 enlisted men included specialists such as aviation repair and maintenance and aviation ordnance (ammunition). The division even had its own aviation supply, clerk and photographer.
Two of ten men killed in action aboard the NORTH CAROLINA were in V Division. George E. Conlon was killed during the Battle of the Eastern Solomon's when a Japanese plane strafed the ship. Eddie E. Means, a radioman, was killed during the recovery of an aircraft.
Crew Memories
A Desirable Division
Seaman in the deck force were always applying to be assigned in the Aviation Division. Aviation Division didn't have to work to clean the Ship and the few firemen transferred in were always happy to be there, even though they'd have to forget Ship's boilers and become aviation machinist's mates. For them, it was like being transferred out of the dungeon.
--- Joseph Underwood, Aviation Machinist's Mate 1/c
From His Book THE EIGHT SAID NO
Turner Publishing Company, 1998
Deals Between Cooks and Aviation Division
...the NORTH CAROLINA cooks wanted to trade some of their special treats for the Bakelite, aluminum, chrome, and stainless steel used on the OS2U's to make knives and rings. The valued metal quickly won the Aviation Division favor with the cooks. Often the cooks would bring cakes or pies to the Aviation Workshop.
--- Joseph Underwood, Aviation Machinist's Mate 1/c
From His Book THE EIGHT SAID NO
Turner Publishing Company, 1998
Perks for Cooks
When sailing at sea there is not much to do on your off time. So we had three airplanes that we used for morning patrol and different things. That was an extra hobby of mine. Every so often we'd be invited to take a flight in the morning for two or three hours. We'd go around Casco Bay, Maine and the vicinity and come back and the next day maybe somebody else would go. Quite a lot of the cooks frequintly had the opportunity to fly their morning flights.
--- Herbert Sisco, Cook 1/C
NAVAL AVIATION UNIFORMS
Standard White Uniform with Naval Aviator's Wings of Gold
Standard Service Blue Uniform with Naval Aviator;
's Wing of Gold
Khaki Naval Uniform worn as Summer uniform with Aviator's Wings of Gold
Marine Dress Green Winter Uniform with Aviator's Wing of Gold, -- and flight suit with flight gear.