A BIT OF HISTORY: PB4Y Circa 1951 Crew "...My father was Gayle G. Varner, a CWO in the navy with the rating AMSC (Chief Aviation Structural Mechanic Structures). He served in active duty from 1933 to 1953. During the Korean War he was made an acting ensign and an acting lieutenant (as there were no senior or master chief ratings then). After 10 years at reserve status he retired as a CW-2. During this time he became a missile engineer and eventually worked on the Apollo and Skylab missions in the 1960s and 1970. This photo shows my father, Gayle Varner, in the first row. He is the chief at right with no mustache. His crew are standing in front of a P4Y-2 Consolidated Privateer. I believe this is from about 1951. The aircraft has the new P4Y-2 designation. The BuNo is 59924. This patrol plane had an acceptance date of 26 May 1945 and a delivery date of 23 August 1945. It was assigned to patrol squadron VP-114. On 15 November 1946 the squadron was redesigned VP-HL-6. If I’m reading the remarks for the airframe history, it was detached from VP-HL-6 in late 1947 and became an aircraft in the small utility squadron VU-4..." Contributed by Steven Varner parsa9@yahoo.com 24JUL2023

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...In May and Nov of 1946 the squadron changed its designation to "Patrol Squadron" VP-114 and then "Heavy Patrol Squadron" VP-HL-6, as well as receiving its first tail code, "HB". Jan 1947 saw the squadron moving again, this time to NAS Atlantic City, NJ. 26 Jun 1948, VP-HL-6 took on a more compassionate mission, becoming an active participant in "Operation Vittles" otherwise known as the "Berlin Airlift". The squadron flew numerous missions bringing medical supplies to airfields in the Allied Zone of Occupation where they were then transferred to unarmed transport aircraft flying missions into Berlin. As the 40s drew to a close, the squadron saw its designation change to the present one of "Patrol Squadron" VP-26..." http://www.cpw5.navy.mil/vp26/History.htm [05JUL2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...The squadron's history may be traced back to August 26, 1943. When Bombing Squadron 114, flying the PB4Y Liberator from the NAF Lajes, Azores, Portugal, was asked with Convoy protection duty in the Atlantic during WW II. On 1 October 1944 was designated VPB-114, and on 15 November 1946 VP-HL-6 with HB as tail code on its PB4Y-2 Privateers. Successively the squadron adopted the code EK and in 1947 was based in NAF Port Lyautey, Morocco, with temporary detachments at Hal Far, Malta. On 15 September 1948 the squadron was designated VP-26. One of its PB4Y-2 was shot down in the Baltic Sea by Soviet fighters in 1950. In 1951 the squadrton received the P2V-3 Neptune and subsequently moved from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland to NAS Brunswick, Maine. in 1953 the code was EB. In 1958 the VP-26 passed to the P2V-5, with code LK. Some of the highlights..." Contributed by Claudio Antonelli clantos@tin.it [24DEC2000]

Circa 1944 - 1949

A BIT OF HISTORY: PB4Y-2 Squadron Assignments "...PB4Y-2 Squadron Assignments 1944 - 1949 by W. T. Larkins 5-11-1984. A review of the aircraft history cards for the 740 aircraft 59350-60009 and 66245-66324 allows the following squadrons with one or more aircraft. Unfortunately the original assignment on many in 1944 is simply "PAC" for Pacific area. No card was found to verify VB-200 as the first squadron delivery or any Marine Corps squadrons. Squadrons listed include VP-12, VP-21, VP-22, VP-23, VP-25, VP-26, VP-27, VP-28, VP-29, VPB-100, VPB-101, VPB-10, VPB-102, VPB-104, VPB-106, VPB-107, VPB-108, VPB-109, VPB-111, VPB-114, VPB-115, VPB-116, VPB-117, VPB-118, VPB-119, VPB-120, VPB-121, VPB-122, VPB-123, VPB-124, VPB-143, VPB-197, VPB-200, VP-HL-1, VP-HL-2, VP-HL-4, VP-HL-6, VP-HL-7, VP-HL-8, VP-HL-9, VP-HL-10, VP-HL-11, VP-HL-12, VP-HL-13, VPM-1, VPW-1, VPW-2, VPW-3, VX-1 and VX-2..." Contributed by Bill Larkins wtl@earthlink.net [01AUG2010]

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"VP-HL-6 Summary Page"

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