Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: Frodo on March 29, 2020, 09:56:36 AM

Title: Looking for info on a Marine F4U pilot
Post by: Frodo on March 29, 2020, 09:56:36 AM

His name was Donald Morton.

All I know at the moment is he flew F4Us as a Marine in the Pacific.

Broke his back and have no idea what the circumstances were.

Any links or info appreciated. Looking for his squad info and F4U model he flew, and any more info I can find.

His son is my neighbor and has limited info from what I can tell at the moment.

 :cheers:

Title: Re: Looking for info on a Marine F4U pilot
Post by: Nefarious on April 01, 2020, 08:38:32 AM

Quote from: Frodo on March 29, 2020, 09:56:36 AM

His name was Donald Morton.

All I know at the moment is he flew F4Us as a Marine in the Pacific.

Broke his back and have no idea what the circumstances were.

Any links or info appreciated. Looking for his squad info and F4U model he flew, and any more info I can find.

His son is my neighbor and has limited info from what I can tell at the moment.

 :cheers:

Can you find a DD214? Serial Number? You might try NARA, but without that info it could take a long time to find out.

Title: Re: Looking for info on a Marine F4U pilot
Post by: Chalenge on April 01, 2020, 10:21:38 AM

A lot of ensigns didn't survive the F4U.

Title: Re: Looking for info on a Marine F4U pilot
Post by: Frodo on April 01, 2020, 02:17:05 PM

Thanks for the replies. That is all the info I have at the moment.

He survived the war and when I heard broken back, I thought of the Ensign eliminator. Don't know the circumstances yet but trying to find out more.

 :cheers:

Title: Re: Looking for info on a Marine F4U pilot
Post by: Chalenge on April 01, 2020, 02:20:55 PM

A lot of F4U pilots that ended up on the aircraft's back got their spines, or necks broken. Might have been that.

Title: Re: Looking for info on a Marine F4U pilot
Post by: Frodo on April 01, 2020, 02:53:20 PM

Yea very possible. I remember a story of an F4U spinning like a leaf from high alt. and the pilot survived with a broken back.

Will do some more research. Certainly have the time.  :cheers:

Title: Re: Looking for info on a Marine F4U pilot
Post by: donna43 on April 26, 2020, 11:12:19 PM

I came across this names aren't in alphabetical order.

https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/USN/F4U.htm

Title: Re: Looking for info on a Marine F4U pilot
Post by: whiteman on April 27, 2020, 03:50:11 AM

Scrolling through that list there were a bunch for VF-17 and only 1 I recognized the name and that was Burriss. I’ll have to go back through and look up the training accidents, the book I have I don’t think names those killed in those type of accidents.

Title: Re: Looking for info on a Marine F4U pilot
Post by: Frodo on April 27, 2020, 08:24:08 AM

Quote from: donna43 on April 26, 2020, 11:12:19 PM

I came across this names aren't in alphabetical order.

https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/USN/F4U.htm

Thanks for the link.  :cheers:

Did a scroll through the list and didn't see anything. Struck by how many there are and some pilots on that list for multiple incidents.

Hard to get much info from his son so far. Not sure if he doesn't know or doesn't want to talk about it. The son was a Huey flight engineer/door gunner in Vietnam with 6 air medals. He has his own stories and when we talk the conversation goes to Vietnam and I understand that.

Haven't been able to talk to him much lately with this virus crap. I will keep at it gently as I don't want to make him mad.

 :cheers: