Reformed Squadron VC-10
Narrative History of Composite Squadron Ten

A special thanks to Norm Van Dine for preparing this narrative
originally written by Harry T. West, Lieutenant, USNR
Click here for printable version

Officially, in the Records Office in Washington, the records say:"-VC 10 reformed at NAAS Ventura County Airport ,1 January . Lt. Cleland S. Hattaway,USN 95583, acting Commanding Officer.". And thus began the second cruise of Composite Squadron Ten.

Actually Compron Ten was steel tempered in the great Battle for Leyte Gulf, and forged in the action off Samar Island on the 25th of October in 1944 when a handful of escort carriers and their screening destroyers engaged a major Japanese task force for more than two hours in broad daylight, fighting a heroic and successful battle " in the highest tradition of the service", although the cause seemed hopeless. Compron Ten was reformed on an ideal, an ideal best exemplified in a skipper who in the thick of battle, without bombs or torpedoes, made repeated dummy runs at low altitude over the enemy column of heavy cruisers in order to divert the intense anti-aircraft fire from other planes in the squadron. The extraordinary heroism and leadership he displayed became a symbol for the rest of the squadron and an ideal on which to base the future greatness of Composite Squadron Ten, the second.

All the members of the "old squadron" were on leave when the squadron was reformed, but a nucleus of the new group were present in the form of new pilots from Operational Training Schools, eager to prove that they were able to conform to the traditions laid down by the experienced pilots. This group was lead by Lt. Cleland S. Hattaway,USN, an experienced pilot, formerly with Composite Squadron Seven aboard the USS Manila Bay. "Hatt" had gone from the Fleet to Operational Training and then back to sea again as the second senior fighter pilot in the reformed squadron. Formerly from Kansas city, Kansas, Hatt had stopped off there on his way to the West Coast and reported in to the squadron on December 19,1944, only to find Ensign Edward D. Slovek already there by one day and waiting for somebody to tell him what to do. They had company the next day when Ensign G.E.Masse and Ensign John L Moore reported aboard. December 20th found Dick Arnicar, Art Custer, Bob Frank aboard, and on the next day Joe Carroll, Clyde "Chief" Caudill,Ed Gaertner, and long Bob MacGill came in. On December 22nd that ferocious foursome Oscar Ayers, Bill Fleming, Chuck Ewers , and Al Jones found themselves rooming together with "Ek" Echard, Norman Van Dine, and Dick Whitcomb in nearby huts. Rich DeSomer and John Martin came in on Dec. 22nd. "De" was so quiet and likeable, everybody thought that he was a fighter pilot for the first two weeks until they found him out.

And the "Bill Budd's Boys" began coming in and peace was known no longer in the vicinity of Oxnard, Calif. Bill chose Christmas Day to report( what a gift to the girls in Ventura County!) and found his boys all waiting for him.(They still wait for him) Don McMullen had reported in on Dec. 23rd, and John P. "Hit me ,Bill" Enright, Warren" Felix" Feldmeyer, Walter Fuchs, and Stanley "Pete" Piotrowski reporting on Christmas Eve. They were all torpedo pilots and lived in two adjoining rooms and when Merl Wee, another of "the boys", reported in from Air Group 98 on Jan. 13th, the seven caused more commotion than all the rest of the squadron combined.

In the meantime Robert Boggs had slipped quietly in on Dec. 24th and Lonnie McKeel, but not quietly, on Dec. 27th. Howard Atha came in on Dec.28th saying " You otto seen me running that CASU outfit", and "Providence Don" Mair ( pronounced "Mayuh) reported on New Year's Day with "Tex" McNabb, that genial rustler with the W.C.Field's nose. Stan Jensen reported in from Air Group 98 on Jan.13th and Charles Becker, the last of the new men, reported on Jan.28th.

In the meantime former members of the original squadron began coming aboard. The first to report was Lt.H.B.Bassett, Executive Officer, who reported on Jan.9th, followed on Jan.14th by the Skipper, LtCmdr. E.J.Huxtable. The other pilots and crew began to come in in fast order from then on until Jan. 29th when Jim Lischer reported in like a hurricane. He was the last to report and the flying personnel of the squadron was complete.

Ground Officers? Yes, we had them, but they came in more slowly. ACIC Harry West was first on the ground, reporting on Jan. 6th. Tom Smith, Personnel-Administrative Officer came in on Jan.28th. Ens.W.A.Borwnlie, Radar Officer reported on Feb.7th. The flighty Flight Surgeon,Lt.R.D.Anderson, came aboard Feb.14th, and Lt.jg. Irish Dan Sweeney, Ordnance Officer, finally showed up on March 14th.

Squadron training had been progressing satisfactorily in the meantime. Even before the first planes were delivered on Jan.6th, ground training was going strong with classes in Recognition and Navigation, and as soon as there were sufficient planes, the flight schedule went into force.

The training schedule was interrupted Jan.27th for the official Recommissioning ceremonies. This was presided over by Capt. John G. Crommelin, USN, Director of Fleet Air Training. Capt. Crommelin also presented awards earned in the Occupation of Saipan. Lt.Cmdr. Huxtable received the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medals were presented to Lt. Bassett,Lt(jg).Dugan, Chiefs Blaney and Martin, and Aviation Machinist's Mate Blanford. It was a joint ceremony for both VC-10 and VC-5, also in training at Ventura County, and the two squadrons made a very nice showing in the parade grounds at the Air Station.

That same night it was decided to try night flying from Ventura County but visibility was poor and the air field's lighting inadequate, so no planes were airborne. However, night flying was in the future! Saturday, Feb.3rd brought lots of excitement for Felix Feldmeyer and taught a worthwhile lesson to the rest of the squadron. Some power lines were in the valley near Santa Paula, California, got too close to Feldmeyer's plane and he limped home(safely) with a damaged left wing and a vertical stabilizer nearly cut in two. Lucky Felix!

Feb. 9th brought its excitement to Chubby Bill Budd, but it was a different kind of excitement. A telephone call resulted in Skinny coming down to the hangar with a grin wider than a TB's bomb bay and the announcement that he was PAPA of a thirteen pound six ounce boy. Of course, as most suspected, little William Isaac Budd actually weighed only six pounds, thirteen ounces, but a few mistakes at such a moment were understand- able. Needless to say "Budd's Boys" celebrated that night.

A little now about Ventura County Airport. Also known as " Oxnard" and as "Mira Loma", Ventura County was an Auxilary Air Station under the supervision of NAS San Diego. Formerly a private flight academy and later a training base for the Army, Mira Loma was used by the Navy as a training base for ACORN units and for CASU(F) units as well as for fleet air squadrons. The usual gripes were in evidence as always with healthy young pilots. "It was too cold","it was too hot"; "It was too damp". Actually there were some legitimate complaints. The food was poor. The living quarters were cold and damp. There was no hot water. The officers and crew went unshaven for days at a time rather than try to shave in cold water. And, worst of all, a squadron in training was being controlled by units also in training and consequently inexperienced.

But in spite of inconveniences, training went on apace, and the squadron began to round into condition. Gunnery exercises, navigation, glide bombing, low-level bombing, radar training, formation flying, night flying, field carrier landings, all in order and at the proper time. A few minor accidents, of course. Those that happened to the "Old timers" brought chuckles of glee. Hattaway made a wheels up landing. He "just forgot to roll his wheels down". Stewart ground looped, Dugan made a wheels up landing. Each contributed to the "kitty fund" and the squadron made plans for a party at the expense of these luckless pilots.

The first squadron party was held at the Officers' Club, Ventura County, on Feb. 17th. It was a good party. Practically every officer was there. The married ones brought their wives. The single ones brought fair ones from all over sunny California. How those boys did get around! A good party and not too many headaches the next morning, but who cares about headaches-after the ache is gone?

Feb.27th and March 1st brought the first training in air support and the squadron began to feel as though there was a purpose in its existence. "The enemy were attempting a landing on the California coast." The fact that we were "the enemy" just made it that much more interesting. On the 27th we were to support the landing forces as they stormed the beach on San Clemente Island. By March 1st, "the enemy" were prresumed to have landed in California and to have made its way up the Eliso Canyon into Mojave Desert. "Why?", we did not ask ourselves. That was the PLAN.

Away went the squadron on schedule on the 27th. Twelve torpedo planes and fourteen fighters. The engineering department had done a great job. On to San Clemente! Only-the weather was bad and the exercise had to be cancelled. The powers that be had forgotten to notify us! But it was a nice flight down and back, good training in navigation, good training in formation flying, and particularly good training for the whole squadron in briefing practices, chart reading, code messages, and all the other details that must be covered before an operation begins. The flight to Mojave was cancelled also because of bad weather.

March 3rd was a bad day for the Ground Officer personnel. Tom Smith, Personnel Officer, left for NAS Norman , Oklahoma. He thought it was a terrible mistake and so did the rest of the squadron, but telephone calls to San Diego and two calls to Washington still left Tom with set of orders in his hand, and Tom had to go.

April 7th brought another group of medals, but these weren't the kind the boys try to win-Purple Hearts. Congratulations were in order for Leading Chief Andrews and for Dudley, Horton, Clarkson, Fauls, Chapman and Subers. The Skipper presented the awards and made the ceremony very impressive.

The first of those moral building events, the Squadron Beer Party, was held on Thursday, April 12th. Ice-cold beer was plentiful, together with coke for those who preferred it (I saw two bottles). This, plus the best frankfurters ever manufactured, made the afternoon a success for the those who believed in keeping the inner men happy. There was a volley ball game-twenty-two on a side-in which the officers soundly trounced the crew. But there was a baseball game which the officers still refuse to discuss. You can't score more than twenty-two runs in one inning! Even with both umpires favorable to the pilots, the score was decidedly unfavorable. Wheeler, as usual was thrown in the ice barrel, but beer floats on water, and so did Wheeler. Merl Wee stood too close to the wrong end of a ball bat late in the game and contributed three teeth to the good of the cause. His good sportsmanship was testified to by a bloody but toothless grin as he tried to tell the group that he was all right and not hurt a bit. It was a good party and generated good feeling among the members of the Squadron.

Things began to hum on April 15th. Carrier qualifications next week. Two hard days on bounce drill and catapult practice at Ream Field and then aboard the USS Matanikau (CVE101). April 19th qualifications began. The pilots went at it with a will and a sure know-how. The carrier's deck gang knew just what to do also. Sixty - three landings and take-offs in sixty minutes was a mark to brag about-that plus the complete absence of barrier crashes. It was a job well done. Ironically, the Landing Signal Officer, Ens. R.G. "Sandy" Sandridge reported aboard April 28th, just too late to work on the qualifications. He was to get plenty of work later on.

April 24th the squadron moved to the desert; fighters to Holtville, torpeckers to Salton Sea. Holtville was nice though hot; Salton Sea was-Salton Sea. Strangely enough the Ground Officers all decided it was essential that they stay with the fighter pilots. Both groups of pilots enjoyed this rocket training immensely, especially when they fired the five inch HVARs. The fighters were particularly proud to have been chosen the first squadron to be trained under the new "ballistic aiming" method and rightfully proud of the record they made in the rocket course. The torpedo pilots did the good job that they could always be counted upon to do.

Anti- Submarine Warfare Training! " Does this mean we'll be a hunter-killer group???" It started at NAS San Diego, May9th and that was the question on every pilot's lips. A couple of days of lectures and then bombing practice. Not good at first, in fact deplorable. Then the boys started hitting. Bill Budd set off the fireworks with thirty-four consecutive hits. Pyzdrowski never had more than one miss on a flight. " Hux" reached perfection on the second half of the course,100%, a hit for every bomb dropped. Capt. Jno.G.Crommelin,USN, in his report on the training said:

"VC-10 set a new record for bombing when compared to all carrier squadrons trained to date, although the amount of practice fell short of the syllabus time. It is to be congratulated for the interest, enthusiasm and attitude shown during the training period in addition to setting such a high standard of bombing proficiency."

After the first week the fighters left ASW and moved to Twenty-Nine Palms for training in air support work. The Fleet Post Office didn't know where anybody was, so some of the squadron mail was sent to Ventura, some to Holtville and some to Twenty-Nine Palms, and very little to San Diego. Finally it all got together, but very late. May23rd---ACIO West was talking: " I think we'll be here until the middle of August. We weren't through our training program yet and there are five Composite squadrons on the coast that have been in training longer than we have. You should be perfectly safe to wait and have your wife come out here in June or later."

May24th---"Composite Squadron Ten will embark for Pearl Harbor May31st."

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