Captain
Robert Thurston Davis Jr., (1921-1999)
was
born in Memphis, Tennessee on 2 December 1921 to George Washington Davis
and his wife Mrs. Davis. Bob originally joined the Tennessee National
Guard and was assigned to Battery B, 115th Field Artillery, 30th
Division on 20 December 1939. On 6 October 1940, Bob enlisted as an
aircraft man with the Royal Canadian Air Force at Toronto Manning Depot.
He completed Basic Military and preflight training at Number 1 Intial
Training School, Toronto, Ontario and promoted to leading aircraft man
in February 1941.
In May 1941 he completed 50 hours of basic
flight instruction in the Fleet Finch trainer at Number 12 Elementary
Flying Training School, Goderich, Ontario. He completed Advanced
multi-engine flight instruction in the Anson Mark II trainer at Number 5
Service Flying Training School, Branford, Ontario. Bob was promoted to
Sergeant in July 1941. After completing 3 months of operational flight
training in the Grumman Goose flying boat and Noordyn Horseman Utility
Cargo plane at Number 13 Squadron (Operational Training) Patricia Bay,
British Columbia in October 1941.
After completing training he
was assigned to operational duties on a Supermarine Stranraer and
Consolidated Canso, a patrol bomber on the west coast performing
anti-submarine patrols for Number 6 Squadron, (Bomber Reconnaissance)
based at Alliford Bay, British Columbia. On 1 July 1942 he was appointed
as Pilot Officer and promoted to Flight Officer - 1 January 1943. On the
29 July 1943 Bob was assigned as an instructor pilot to Number 3
Operational Training Unit flying the Canso A and the Stranraer Patrol
bombers at Patricia Bay, British Columbia. He returned to operational
duties as a pilot of the Canso A patrol bomber flying west coast patrols
with the Number 4 Squadron (Bomber Recon) based at Ucluelet, British
Columbia on the 15 January 1944.
He was reassigned from the Royal
Canadian Air Force on the 30 July 1944 to accept commission in the
United States Army Air Corps under auspices of the War Department's
inter-allied personnel board initiative to repatriate American citizens
serving with Allied Armed Forces. Assigned to Army Air Force Training
Command in Ft. Worth, Texas on the 31 July 1944 and appointed First
Lieutenant. On the 20 August 1944, he was further assigned to the Army
Air Forces Air-Sea Rescue and Emergency Rescue School at Keesler Field,
Mississippi where he would be trained in the Air Sea rescue operations
in the OA-10A Catalina. After traveling to San Franciso, California he
departed for the Pacific theater on the 14 February 1945 and joined the
student detachment, 360th Service Group, Nadzab, New Guinea on the 7
March 1945. Upon receiving his combat pilot orientation at Nadzab, Bob
joined the Second Emergency Rescue Squadron on the 18 March 1945, on
Morotai Island. He flew search and rescue for the 2nd ERS from both
Morotai and Palawan where Flight A was located. Bob had flown more than
300 hours on 36 combat missions by the 30 June 1945. Lieutenant Davis
would receive the
Distinguished
Service Cross
for a mission on the
08 April 1945 [Read the mission report]
After this, Lieutenant Davis continued flying search and rescue
missions from Morotai, Palawan, and Clark Field in the Philippine
Islands until the 17 October 1945 when he was returned to the United
States and assigned to Santa Ana Army Air Force Base, California for
leave awaiting discharge. On the 15 February 1946 he was transferred to
Squadron B, 2518th Army Air Force Base, Enid, Oklahoma pending
discharge. Bob was promoted to Captain on the 06 March 1946 and
discharged from active duty at Camp Chafee, Arkansas on the 28 April.
His awards and decorations included the
Distinguished Service
Cross,
Air Medal, (1 OLC), (2 OLC)
American Campaign Medal,
Asiatic-Pacific
Campaign Medal, (with 3 Bronze Service Stars for Southern Philippine
Islands, Leyte, and Luzon campaigns)
WWII Victory Medal and
Distinguished Unit Citation, British Commonwealth 1939-1945 Star Medal,
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, (with Silver Maple Leaf Clasp) and
Royal Canadian Air Force Operational Wing. He earned the Royal Canadian
Air Force Pilot Wings, U.S. Army Air Corps Pilot Wings, Expert Marksman
Badge, (Pistol Bar) Sharpshooter Badge. (with Carbine Bar) Also awarded
by the Philippine Government - Philippine Presidential Unit Citation,
Pilippine Liberation Ribbon with Bronze Service Star.
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