Crew 12, U.S. Navy PB4Y-2 "Privateer" Patrol Bomber Squadron VPB-118

Information recounted here was obtained from the VPB-118 book, "The Old Crows, VPB-118, The History of Navy Patrol Bombing Squadron 118." Most of the crew names were compiled by James Pettit. Crew photo courtesy James Pettit of VPB-118.

Crew 12 in front of BuNo 59379 "Flying Tail?"; photo (Courtesy James Pettit)

PPC Lt. N. Michael Keiser

Crew 12 of VPB-118 consisted of:

(Back row, L-R) George P. Schwartz ARM2c (1st radio), Hubert A. Colclasure AMM1c (plane captain), Lt. N. Michael Keiser (PPC), Ens. Samuel I. Heublein (co-pilot), Lt. (jg) John O. Hanan (co-pilot), R.J. McKay AOM2c (bombardier)

(Front row, L-R) Stanley J. Labieniec AMM2c (4th mechanic/starboard waist turret), Glenn A. Barnes ARM2c (2nd radio/aft top turret), Donald V. Gray AMM2c (3rd mechanic/port waist turret), W.A. Van Thiel AOM2c (1st ordnanceman/bow turret)*, Winston D. Jones, Jr. AMM2c (2nd mechanic/tail turret)

Also listed but not in photo: Jerome F. Flanagan RDM1c (radar countermeasures)

*W.A. Van Thiel AOM2c (1st ordnanceman/bow turret) is listed on the photograph; however Dennis Clark, son of Robert E. Clark AOM3c (3rd ordnanceman), says that it's his father instead.

More photos