The Cellar - The WTF NSFW thread

This young crewman of a US Navy “Dumbo” PBY rescue mission has just jumped into the water of Rabaul Harbor to rescue a badly burned Marine pilot who was shot down while bombing the Japanese-held fortress of Rabaul. Since Japanese coastal defense guns were firing at the plane while it was in the water during take-off, this brave young man, after rescuing the pilot, manned his position as machine gunner without taking time to put on his clothes. A hero photographed right after he’d completed his heroic act. Naked.

The "blister" toward the back of the plane is his position
http://legendsintheirowntime.com/PBY...203_p177_W.png
http://legendsintheirowntime.com/PBY...203_p177_W.png

Gravdigr

09-12-2015 01:47 PM

Nice find, Feet! Thanks for the backstory.

Big Sarge

09-13-2015 12:33 AM

Strange, history records the photographer and the pilot who was shot down, but not the name of the naked gunner who had rescued the pilot.

"PBY Air Sea rescue plane picks up Lt. Robert A. Schaeffer, badly burned USMC F-4-U pilot of Dayton Ohio, shot down in St. Georges Channel near Rabaul. Gunner who helped bring in pilot is back at station." April 1944: St. Georges Channel; Horace Bristol; 80-G-473978."

Clodfobble

09-13-2015 08:52 AM

So, it's a sea rescue plane, which means pretty much every rescue includes jumping in the water. They didn't see fit to issue him appropriate water clothes, I can accept that--the military had other things to spend its money on, for one thing, and guys swimming naked wasn't a huge deal then, to the point that wearing some kind of swimsuit might have even seemed feminine in its modesty. But the Pacific Ocean is cold, that had to interfere with the rescuer's muscles upon being plunged in. And I would imagine that since time was of the essence, guys like this were probably just hanging out naked for most of the flight out there, waiting for the moment the downed plane was spotted to jump in. I wonder if this sort of thing happened all the time.

xoxoxoBruce

09-13-2015 09:02 AM

At least give him a jockstrap for hitting the water. After he was in that cold Pacific it would be moot. :haha:

Gravdigr

09-13-2015 11:20 AM

Since they were being shot at, before, during, and after the rescue, I would imagine that time was of the essence.

footfootfoot

09-13-2015 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clodfobble (Post 938871)

That's why god invented adrenalin.

Also I'm pretty sure the gunner isn't intended to jump from his gun into the water as SOP. Probably he saw what needed to be done and leapt in.

Gravdigr

09-15-2015 02:49 PM

1 Attachment(s)

Attachment 53384

Go grandma!