ARTHUR LLOYD TRIMBLE

Name: ARTHUR LLOYD TRIMBLE

Entry Date: 43

Exit Date: 45

Rating:

Squad: 111

Status: D: 11/07/2012

“I enlisted into the Naval Reserve Air Base at Oakland, California on December 19, 1939 and was assigned to Squadron VS-15R. I later received active duty orders to report to NRAB Oakland on October 10, 1940 and this continued through July 1943. I then was assigned to duty at NAS Livermore, California from July through December 26, 1943.

I received orders to report to the USN Photography School at Pensacola, Florida starting on January 2, 1944 and completed the four months training course in April, graduating as a Photographers Mate First Class.

I then received orders to Aerial Gunners School from May through June 1944 at NAS Jacksonville, Florida for additional training as a combat air crew member aboard the PB4Y-1 aircraft. I was then assigned to the crew of Lt. William C. Bender as First Photographer and Tail Turret Gunner.

In November 1944, our flight crew received ten days leave followed with orders to report to NAAS Camp Kearny, San Diego, California, for additional air combat training.

The following month, we were transferred via troop ship to Pearl Harbor, and, on arrival, given orders to report to NAS Kaneohe, Oahu for further search and strike patrol training.

During January 1945, we transferred to Johnston Island for two weeks of daily patrol duty and then were sent to NAS Rogers Field, Oahu. On arrival there, we were then assigned to VPB-111 and departed to report to our squadron on February 15, 1945 at Leyte, Philippines Islands.

Our first patrol was on February 18, 1945, when we were assigned to drop leaflets over Swatow, China during a flight time of 14.4 hours. We completed nine combat flights that totaled 120.7 hours while operating from the Tacloban airstrip on the shore of Leyte Gulf.

On April 12, 1945, our squadron began moving to Puerto Princessa, Palawan, Philippine Islands. We began our first of 30 more missions from this base on a 14.5 hour patrol to the area surrounding Singapore. This was followed by assigned strikes and reconnaissance patrols throughout the surrounding Southwest Pacific areas, including Okinawa, Swatow and Amoy, China, Singapore, and all coasts of Borneo and the Celebes, as well as many other areas. My crew members and I destroyed or damaged 12 enemy aircraft and 32 various supply and armed ships.

While on Palawan, we had completed 496.6 more hours of patrols for a total time of 590.3 hours on combat missions. Our last mission was on August 15, 1945; we were two hours outbound when we received a recall to return to base as the war was now over!

Five days later, we were transferred from VPB-111 to Fleet Air Wing #2 at Pearl Harbor, with orders to the USS Maryland for transfer to San Diego (arriving six days later). Within a week after arriving in San Diego, I arrived by train at Camp Parks, California, where I received my Active Duty Honorable Discharge on October 3, 1945.

I re-enlisted at the Naval Reserve Air Station, Oakland, California on October 3, 1946 as Photographers Mate First Class and was assigned to Squadron VF-77R. I was promoted to Chief Petty Officer, Photographer, on December 11, 1948. All personnel and aircraft were transferred from Oakland to NAS Alameda NARTU in March 1962, and I was then assigned to Air Wing Staff 87-(L). I retired on March 24, 1963.

During my Navy career, I received the Distinguished Flying Cross, nine Air Medals, Combat Aircrew Wings with three stars, American Defense Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign with two battle stars, and many other medals and awards.

My entire civilian career was spent with Foster & Kleiser outdoor advertising, first as a photographer and eventually as Sales Promotion Manager. I married Jacquelyn Adams on November 26, 1942, and we had two children, Michael and Patricia.

Note: Chief Trimble was born November 9, 1920 and he passed away November 7, 2012 (just missed 92 by 2 days).”