The Jolly Rogers; The Story of Tom Blackburn and Navy Fighting Squadron VF-17

New York, NY: Orion Books, 1988. First edition. First edition [stated]. First printing [stated]. Hardcover. Very good/very good. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. xviii, 270 p. Illustrations. Glossary. Bibliography. Index. Introduction by VAdm James Stockdale, USN (Ret). John Thomas "Tommy" Blackburn (1913 March 21, 1994) was a World War II flying ace, and first commanding officer of the famed F4U Corsair squadron VF-17 Jolly Rogers. Blackburn stood up VF-17 on January 1, 1943 at NAS Norfolk. It was the second Navy fighter squadron to receive the F4U-1 Corsair, the first to fly them in combat. Blackburn wanted to motivate his pilots with a squadron insignia which would live up to the Corsair name and chose the skull and crossbones and the name "The Jolly Rogers". In its two tours of duty in the Solomon Islands, VF-17 had 152 aerial victories and produced 11 aces. Blackburn ranked third with 11 victories behind Hedrick with 12 and Ira Kepford who led the squadron with 17. His pilots credited the skipper for its success; he taught them much and was successful in getting equipment and supplies they needed. Derived from a Kirkus review: Following a frustrating tour of duty in a training command after Pearl Harbor, Blackburn was ordered to form a new naval fighter squadron, VF-17. Flying gull-winged F4U Corsairs from an island base in the Solomons, VF-17 downed over 150 Japanese aircraft during the 76 days it was in action during the 1943-44 period. The Jolly Rogers (whose emblem was indeed a skull and crossbones) never lost a bomber they were escorting to enemy fire. Blackburn and his irregulars were innovative as well as effective. VF-17 devised the tactical doctrine for roving high cover and convinced the brass that Corsairs could carry bombs. . With the ably unobtrusive assistance of collaborator Hammel, Blackburn makes clear that the victories were achieved at no small cost. All told, 13 VF-17 pilots (including a Pillsbury heir) did not make it back. He also conveys the often ugly realities of waging war without mercy, e.g., strafing a Japanese pilot who had bailed out of his flaming Zero so he would not live to fight another day. A gritty, action-packed slice of WW II life for fans of the down-and-dirty aspects of military history.