not quite yesterday
not quite yesterday
WILMINGTON, NC -- This fancy bit of jewelry (a Vought-Sikorsky XOs2U-1 Kingfisher) hangs on the stern of the USS North Carolina, here under a moon rising over downtown Wilmington, NC
Michael Goulian reports in In Flight USA: “The North Carolina was equipped with as many of three of the Kingfishers at once during World War II. The battleship’s aviation detachment consisted of a staff or 23 men consisting of three pilots, as well as three crewmen who acted as radio operators/gunners. The remainder of the aviation detachment acted as support crew dealing with repair, maintenance and ammunition detail.”
“The Battleship North Carolina has one Kingfisher left as part of the present day memorial. This craft’s history is an interesting, and, in some ways, charmed one. The aircraft crashed in Canada during World War II and was eventually restored (as a result of efforts by the Battleship North Carolina) through volunteer efforts by retired Vought-Sikorsky workers and engineers. The plane was installed as part of the Battleship’s Memorial in 1971 and has since been a distinctive part of the visual profile of the USS North Carolina ever since.”
I took this photo September 17, 2016.
Kingfisher
September 18, 2016