What would be the UNIT name to use for USMC Air Operations

Question

What would be the unit to use in this template for Thornwell Rogers?

{{World War II |branch=United States Marine Corps|startdate=1941|units=|enddate=1944|unit= |rank=Lieutenant

}}

Rogers, who was attached to Air Intelligence, Air Operations , was an observer aboard the lead aircraft of a four plane squadron from VMB-423, which was on a bombing run over Rabaul, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. The plane was lost for unknown reasons.

Answer 1

This is a tough one without finding some better sources. Air Intelligence would typically be separate from the VMB (Marine Bombing Squadron) - so he was in one unit and he just "rode with the VMB" so to speak (not actually in their unit).

I did find a few items that would help with his profile  though:

1. Draft Registration (6 Oct 1940) which lists his wife as Adrienne Christensen Rogers[1]
2. Thornwell was a lawyer in his father's footsteps, and worked for Harry Lee (Jerry) Giesler who was a high profile criminal trial attorney who previously worked under Thornwell's father, Earl Rogers (known in his own right).[2]
3. Official death date appears to be 23 Jun 1945, not the 1944 date listed.[3]

[1]The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 1543

[2]Lincoln, Barnett. 1944. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=BlAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false. Jerry Giesler: The Smartest Criminal Lawyer On West Coast, He Gets The Famous Of Hollywood Out Of Jams]". LIFE, , 1944.

[3]National Archives and Records Administration. "[https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=4283&h=124853&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=xXg89&_phstart=successSource Register, World War II Dead Interred in American Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil and World War II and Korea Missing or Lost or Buried at Sea]". Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.

Comments

Found it. Service was listed as:

HqSq-14, MAG-14, 1 MAC FMF

Headquarters Squadron 14, Marine Aircraft Group 14 (2nd Marine Aircraft Wing), I Marine Amphibious Corps Fleet Marine Force (there are tons of muster rolls on Ancestry for him, I don't have full access).

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the death date appears both 44 and 45 in multiple documents.  I think I went with the find a grave, but not sure.

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I have ancestry and got most from there. I think I have done a  few Squadron 14 entries lately...

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Thanks Steve. I used Marine Aircraft Group 14

Answer 2

MCWP   3-2 Aviation Operations, find on Google

Comments

I had seen one yesterday something like that. Can someone either add that category for VMB-423 or tell me where it is now.

Answer 3

The Long answer that most Marine aviators were usually assigned to a squadron. The Letters in front of the the numbers changed from time to time based on the squadron's function, usually bombers, Fighters or Pursuit. They also had some torpedo squadrons also (I think)

Anyway, I believe those designators are the Units called for in the template.

But there were overall Marine air groups, who, when embarked on an aircraft carrier fell under the Navy embarked Air Wing, with all sorts of Task Force/Group and Fleet numbers.

Tracking the squadrons and ships involved is easy, the Task forces changed almost daily, and depended on where the ships were at any given time. Have fun