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- April 3.
- Squadron arrived Guadalcanal from Espiritu Santos via SCAT.[FN#1]
Replaced VMF 124. (exception 2 pilots – Winnia & Thomas)
Boag - fever, severe retro orbial & bone aches.
Symptomatic treatment 5 sick days
Tate - 5 days after accident, catapult into water when engine failed.
- Now having sl-productive cough. Fever 100-102. Sulfathiazole.[FN#2]
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-
-
- April 4.
- Started operations. – local patrols.
Tate – no improvement to MAG12 Hospital
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-
-
- April 5.
- Boag – unimproved, - to MAG12 Hospital.
Livingood – made Mess Officer.
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-
-
- April 7.
- Aerial battle – defense of Russels & Tulagi.[FN#3]
Spoede shot down one zero. Britt, Humberds’ divisions contact. [FN#4]
(Big day for 214 & 221 – Swett -> 7 planes)[FN#5]
DeFabio – ground loop landing, plane turned over, no injuries.
- APRIL 8
- Boag – returned to duty well.
Tate – returned to duty. Had flight without exam., had diff. in landing.
Checked à grounded sl. Fever. Rx – rest.
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-
-
- April 10.
- Examined for promotion 1. Hilton, 2. Eckart, 3. Harrison to 1st Lt.
Thomas – returned to squadron to duty. From Base III Hosp.
- Illness – Malaria, species, undetermined
- .
Jones – developing jaundice, slight.
- April 12
- Cloake joined squadron.
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-
-
-
- April 13.
- Britt killed in crash on before day break take-off. Mistook
- tail lights of parked planes for run-way lights(?). Crashed
- into two planes-all three burned. Apparently killed instantly
- and burned. Miller and Bernard (214) attempted to extricate
- but couldn’t. 2 mechs burned - 1 succumbed later. Burial
- in Army Navy & Marine Corps Cemetery (Row 42 – grave
- 2) (probably killed from explosion and force of collision -
- body burned and charred beyond recognition - fire
- extinguished on body - on removal from plane. Identified
- by operational roster & attendant circumstances - radio
- conversation.) Services by army chaplain.
3 divisions on mission over Choiseul & Kolombagara.[FN#6]
Coffeen missing in action – near So. Coast of Choiseul,
- last seen losing altitude rapidly with apparent engine trouble.
Examined for promotion 1. Johnson, 2. Garrison, to 1st Lt.
Weissenberger becomes C.O.
Peyton “ E.O.
Tate – returned to duty.
Thomas – vesicular, pustular eruption in left axilla. Rx
- calamine & sulfanilamide[FN#7] powder. No response until
- taken off atabrine.
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-
-
- April 14.
- Examined for promotion 1. Peyton 2. Leary to Major.
Jones – apparently acute infectious jaundice. Atabrine discontinued.
- High CHO diet.[FN#8] G.I. complaints, Sick days – 7.
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- April 15.
- Examined for promotion: 1. Shaw to 1st Lt.
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-
- April 16.
- Examined for promotion: 1. Boag to 1st Lt.
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-
-
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- April 18
- Hilton – Malaise, retro orbital pains, backaches, headaches for past
4 days. Sl. fever. Rx salicylates, High CHO diet.
- Winnia – rejoined Squadron from Noumea. D.- Dengue Fever.[FN#9]
To duty well.
- Hodde – gastric disturbances, anorexia, back pain, sl. jaundice, brownish
urine, atabrine discontinued. High CHO diet.
- April 20
- Brown – began Rx to remove callouse (sic) on foot (Menthiolate[FN#10] & Salicylic acid)
- April 21
- Jones – returned to duty.
- April 22
- Greg’s division strafed Vila & Munda.
- DeFabio – lost 46 inches of rt. wing due to AA or trees. Able to return
to base & made crash landing after dark 1845 on runway
as rt. tire blew. Plane went on nose. No injuries.
- April 25 (Easter Sunday)
- Aerial battle over Vangunu.[FN#11] Peyton’s division on return from
strafing mission intercepted 40 Jap planes (about 30 Zeros 10 bombers)
apparently headed for Guadalcanal. Peyton shot down three zeros,
received 78 holes in plane but returned to base. Puncture wound
in left Deltoid and lateral side of left knee, (-?-)[FN#12] shrapnel present.
- Peck returned to base after shooting down 1 zero. Vedder
and Eckart missing in action. Eckart seemed to be straggling
in formation.
- (Vedder – 3 days later reported in – shot down 2 zeros)[FN#13]
- April 26
- Treffer – nausea, vomiting, & other stomach disorders – no diagnostic
findings – 4 sick days
- April 27
- Vedder - reported picked up by C.W. [FN#14]
- DeFabio - acute cat. Fever.[FN#15] Rx apc,[FN#16] Sulfathiazole gargles, bed.
Sulf. later by mouth. 4 sick days
- Tate - had diff. landing, stalled in from too high
off runway. Nosed plane over with brakes. Examined
= Shneider O., pulse rapid 130 and prolonged after exercise,
T=99.6
-
Peck- acute cat. fever. Rx apc, Sulfathiazole gargle,
ephedrine nose drops. Good results.
April 28
Peyton - 20th station hosp. advised against removal of
shrapnel in Deltoid.Vedder returned to base by PBY.[FN#17]
Story: shot down two planes then was shot down,
parachuted out at 500 ft. Picked up by natives and
cared for by C.W. One 20 mm hit sending shrapnel in
several places into right leg. Numerous penetrating
shrapnel wound, sl. Suppurating – had been dressed c sulfathiazole.
Rx Sulfanilamide locally.
Hilton - no improvement. Tests: urinalysis & CBC negative.[FN#18]
April 29
Vedder - wounds healing, edema & redness resolved.
Given ½ cc tetanus toxoid & polyvalent anti gas gangrene
serum at MAG 12.
X rays taken at 20th station hospital - entered in health
record.
Hilton - developed acute rhinitis, also cough.
Tate - T=101, pain in left chest, coughed up very foul
smelling chunk of sputum – probably Brochiectasis.
X-Ray chest impression: Probable unresolved pneumonia
process, left lower lobe. wbc 10,000[FN#19]
May 1.
DeFabio- returned to duty well.
May 4.
Evacuated to Base Hospital #2 via SCAT (later reports)
Hilton D.- Chronic bronchitis à chronic bronchitis
Tate D.- bronchriectasis à atypical pneumonia
Hodde D.- jaundice à jaundice & malaria
May 6.
Peyton to duty
May 7.
Livingood -relieved as Mess officer
Vedder – Mess officer
May 11.
1st echelon left for Espiritu Santos. via SCAT
Leary & Halls & Treffer divisions
Vedder to duty
VMF 213 relieved by 124.
May 12
2nd echelon arrived at Espiritu Santos from Guadalcanal. Via SCAT
Greg’s, Peyton’s, Humberd’s divisions
END OF 1st Combat Tour
[FN#1] SCAT means Southeast Combat Area Transport, the marine’s airborne transportation system.
[FN#2] The handwriting is a bit unclear but “Sulfathiazole” is the best estimation.
[FN#3] Tulagi is an island with a deep water harbor off the coast of Florida Island and was a primary target of the August 1942 Allied offensive.
[FN#4] In the extreme left hand margin of the page a box with a “1” in it was place with this entry, apparently noting one plane shot down.
[FN#5] 1st Lieutenant James Swett of VMF-221 on his first combat mission shot down 7 enemy bombers and received a Medal of Honor. On this day, he flew a Grumman F4F Wildcat.
[FN#6] The handwriting is a bit unclear but “Kolombagara” is the best estimation; it is a major island in the New Georgia Group between New Georgia and Vella Lavella. It is distinguished on maps with the Vila Airdrome.
[FN#7] The handwriting is a bit unclear but “Sulfanilamide” is the best estimation.
[FN#8] CHO has been found elsewhere to reference rice, wheat noodles, potatoes, bread, cereal, etc.
[FN#9] Dengue fever is an infectious disease carried by mosquitoes and caused by any of four related dengue viruses.
[FN#10] The handwriting is a bit unclear but “Menthiolate” is the best estimation.
[FN#11] Island in the New Georgia Group.
[FN#12] Could not determine word; could be “several.”
[FN#13] In the extreme left hand margin of the page a box with a “6” in it was place with this entry, apparently noting six planes shot down.
[FN#14] Doc. Livingood said this probably meant Coast Watcher and is consistent with its use elsewhere.
[FN#15] Catarrhal Fever.
[FN#16] APC tablets contained aspirin, phenacetin, and caffeine, hence the name APC.
[FN#17] The PBY, also known as the Catalina, or "Cat", was one if not the most successful and famous flying boats ever in service and saw extensive service in the war, both in the Atlantic and Pacific, in Anti-Submarine Warfare, in search and rescue, in reconnaissance and attack, in freight and mail services, and even as tow plane for gliders.
[FN#18] Complete blood count
[FN#19] Doc Livingood said this meant “white blood cell count 10,000.”
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