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PBM
Manufacturer :
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PBM
PBM Artwork Collection |
  Antarctic Mayday by Stan Stokes. |
| Signatures for : PBM | |||
| A list of all signatures from our database who are associated with this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | |||
| Name | Info | ||
 Capt James L Ball USN Click the name above to see prints signed by Capt James L Ball USN
| Capt James L Ball USN James L. Jimmy Ball joined the Navy in 1939. He completed his recruit training in Norfolk, Virginia, and was assigned to the USS Reina Mercedes at Annapolis, Maryland. Jimmy applied for flight training and in August of 1942 he graduated from Flight Training School at Pensacola. In August of 1943 he was commissioned an Ensign. From late 1942 through November of 1946 Jimmy served in Patrol Squadron 74 which was engaged in antisubmarine operations in the North and South Atlantic. During the War his squadron was credited with destroying a total of seven German submarines for which it earned a Navy Unit Commendation. In November of 1946 Jimmy volunteered to participate in Admiral Byrd's Operation High Jump. He was assigned to the USS Pine Island as a pilot of a PBM Mariner. As commander of the PBM George 2, Captain Ball was awarded the Air Medal for locating and assisting in the rescue of the survivors of George 1 which had crashed on the Antarctic Icecap. The survivors had been stranded for fourteen days. Following the expedition Jimmy served in various aircraft squadrons, and also attended the University of Mississippi. Upon completion of his studies he was assigned to Staff COMFAIRWING14, and completed General Line School in 1953. He served as an instructor in the All-Weather Flight School based at Corpus Christi, Texas. While stationed at Norfolk with Air Transport Squadron 22 Jimmy was involved in flying experimental routes over the North Pole from Alaska to Norway. In 1958 he served as Executive Officer of FASRON-104 in Kenitra, Morocco supporting the Sixth Fleet in its Lebanon Campaign. Captain Ball then returned to Naval Air Station Anacostia, Washington where he served as the pilot for the Chief of Naval Operations. From mid- 1963 until mid- 1964, Captain Ball commanded a P3A squadron which won several awards for anti-submarine warfare excellence. During this time he surpassed the 10,000 hour mark as a pilot with no accidents. In July of 1964 Jimmy reported to Staff COMFAIRWING as Operations Officer, and in August of 1965 he was promoted to Captain. From 1966 until 1968 Captain Ball was stationed in Iceland where he served as Chief of Staff and Aide to COMAIRKEFLAVIK. He was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal and was authorized to where the Bronze Star in lieu of a second Navy Unit Commendation. He graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and George Washington University in 1969. Captain Ball's final assignment was as Commander of Fleet Air Wing Ten during the Vietnam War. He is married to the former Audrey Kolbe of Annapolis. The Balls have two daughters, a son, and three grandchildren. James Ball passed away on 16th December 2006. | ||
 Lt William Kearns USN Click the name above to see prints signed by Lt William Kearns USN | Lt William Kearns USN Bill Kearns was born in Lexington, Massachusetts in 1924. At the outbreak of WW 11 Bill was living in Panama where his father was Chief Engineer for the 15 h Navy District. Bill decided to join the Navy as an Aviation Cadet. Within a year he had earned his wings and was commissioned at Corpus Christi, Texas. He was assigned to the Pacific where he served as a replacement pilot for F6F carrier-based squadrons. After the War Bill served as a flight instructor at Corpus Christi. Applying for a commission in the regular Navy, Bill was transferred to Florida for training in twin-engine seaplanes. Following his training he was assigned to Fleet Airwing Five based in Norfolk, as a co-pilot of a PBM-5 Mariner. Kearns volunteered for Operation Nanook, a six month assignment to the Arctic, where he flew numerous exploration missions. Upon his return, Bill was made aware of Admiral Byrd's large expedition to the Antarctic, Operation High Jump. Volunteering for the expedition, which was the largest exploration expedition ever mounted, Bill was assigned to the USS Pine Island as a PBM co-pilot. Bill was onboard George-1 when it crashed in terrible weather. Flying in white out conditions, and with the aircraft heavily burdened with ice, the PBM gradually lost both speed and altitude. Bouncing off a mountain pass, some of the PBM's fuel tanks were ruptured. This resulted in an explosion with Kearns literally being blown out of the burning aircraft. Despite being seriously injured in the crash, Kearns braved the fire in the wreckage of his PBM to rescue his pilot, Frenchy LeBlanc. Although three died in the crash ' the six survivors managed to survive horrific conditions for fourteen days until they were spotted by another Mariner piloted by Lt. Jimmy Ball. Following his rescue Kearns spent several months in the US Navy Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. He attended Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service after leaving the Navy. He became a Washington correspondent for several magazines including Time. Later he served in a number of overseas assignments, retiring from the company as head of its Latin American Division. Kearn retired to Florida with his wife S'Ann. The Kearns have six children, and fifteen grandchildren. On of Bill's sons carried on in aviation, retiring from the Air Force as a Colonel, having served as a pilot of Air Force One. | ||
 Aviation Technician Chief Jame H Robbie Robbins USN Click the name above to see prints signed by Aviation Technician Chief Jame H Robbie Robbins USN | Aviation Technician Chief Jame H Robbie Robbins USN James H. Robbins, known as Robbic to his friends, was born in San Diego, California on April 28, 1926. He enlisted in the Navy on his seventeenth birthday. After completing all training necessary to become a T1317 Combat Air Crewman, he was transferred to ASW Tailhook Sqdn. (VC-36) based at NAS Pungo Field, Virginia. Robbie was deployed on the USS Mission Bay where his squadron flew convoy escort and anti-sub missions. Robbie participated in the sinking of a German refueling submarine, and his squadron participated in missions to provide air cover for the task force which took President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Malta Summit. VC-36 was decommissioned in July 1945 after VE Day. Robbie was then assigned to a PBM Mariner Air Crew Training unit at Bannana River, Florida. Following his training he reported to VP-19 based at NAS Norfolk, Virginia. Robbie volunteered for Operation Nanook in the summer of 1946, and he flew numerous Arctic exploratory missions while assigned to the USS Norton Sound anchored in Thule Harbor, Greenland. Later in 1946 Robbie was headed to the opposite pole, this time as part of Admiral Byrd's Operation High Jump. The purpose of this large scale operation was to map the Antarctic continent for the first time. Robbie's first and only flight during Operation High Jump ended in tragedy as his P13M crashed on the tip of the Thurston Peninsula. Three of the nine on board died in the crash and explosion which followed. The six individuals which survived owed a great deal to Robbie, who being one of the least injured, played a major role in the survival and eventual rescue of the survivors after thirteen days on the ice. Robbie's account of the flight, ordeal, and rescue is entitled Antarctic Mayday and is available from the Mariner/Marlin Association. He received the Navy Marine Corps Medal for heroism displayed during this mission. Robbie continued flying P13Ms for several more years logging more than 5000 hours. His love of the P13M, and the close knit pilot/crew relationships which developed, remain foremost in his memories. Robbie was medically grounded in 1952, but remained in the Navy, serving at NAS Point Magu, NATTC Memphis, Midway Island, NAS Miramar, and NAS North Island, until his retirement in 1965. Following his retirement from the Navy as Aviation Chief Technician, Robbie had a second career working for the Naval Electronics Systems Engineering Center in San Diego as a civilian employee for twenty-three years. Robbic is now happily retired and lives with Dale, his bride of more than forty-nine years, in Palm Desert, California. Robbie has a son Jim, and two grandchildren. | ||
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