AOM 3/C Burt Arnold - Red Div 4 CVE-84 / CASU-44 Tinian 1945
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Burt Arnold joined the Navy at 17 and was assigned to ordinance school to learn the skills needed to arm and maintain the aircraft on board carriers. He would serve in the ordinance group on a small escort carrier supporting the invasion of Okinawa. During the war he participating in several flights as a back up replacement gunner on a TBM Avenger. He would meet the wars conclusion on the island of Tinian with CASU-44.

WORK IN PROGRESS Feb 23

Burt Arnold was born on Buffalo New York. His father George served in WWI and was recalled to active duty as a Major in 1939 for service in the Army Aircorps as a flight surgeon. His mother Sylvia was a home maker.


Burt was listening to a the Bears trouncing the Red Skins in football when the announcement about Pearl Harbor came over the radio.

[ News papers and war time posters along with a flag flown in windows for sons & husbands in the fighting. ]

I was recruited at NRS New York, New York. Went to boot camp at NTS, Sampson, New York. Attended NATTC, Norman, Oklahoma. CA School, Yellow River, Fla. then to CASU5, Alemeda, Ca. then to the Shamrock Bay, Then to NAB N939 Guam, then to CASU 44 Tinian

When I graduated from Boot Camp at Sampson Naval Training Center, I was assigned to Aviation Ordinance Scool in Norman , Oklahoma. This school trained you for all aspects of ordinance used on a carrier or CASU unit, or a Naval air base. You received instructions about 30 and 50 Cal. machine guns; how to break them down to removing cosmoline from new weapons.

We learned about all types of fuses and their applications as well as installing them in various bombs and torpedos. We learned how to attach bombs and torpedos on the planes, both on the wings and in the bomb bays. Also learned about installing the wires on torpedos so the arming fins would not rotate in flight, thus prematuring the bomb to before it was to be dropped.

This basically is what ordinance school was all about, you were tested after each phase that you were taught, if you flunked, it was bye bye, off to sea. From there a selected few were sent to Combat Aircrewman school.. This a school that orientated you to the duties of a gunner aboard aircraft. Again this school was about getting into a turret, blister bubble, belly position, etc. We had instruction how to shoot, basically using a 12 gauge shotgun, shooting clays. Then the big day going up in aircraft and shooting at a large banner type sleeve being pulled by another plane.Again if you failed any of the steps, it was see you later time. CAC school was at a place called Yellow River NTC in Florida, near Pensacola,


The Pacific Theater and main campaigns of WWII.

Burt was assigned to the v4 division on the Shamrock which was Aviation ordinance. Burt "This was from April 1945 till the Shamrock BAy was sent home, then I was sent to CASU44 in Tinian. I served as a backup combat crewman because I had my wings and was a designee as such but my time was spent in V4 (ordinance). My specific duties were arming and maintanence of all 50 cal. machine guns as well as the belly 30 cal. I also placed the fuses in all torpedos, as well as the vane wires. Fuses in 1000 popund armor piercing bombs. I also made sure all solenoids were working properly, solenoids were the attachments to all types of bombs carried in the bombg bays of TBM s. Most torpedos, etc. had lugs that fit into the solenoids. My berth was below deck in a area that was hot. I often slung a hammock in a 20MM gun turret and would sleep there as the crew quarters were too crampt. I was never caught or it would have been a Captains mast. Recreation included boxing matches, and old movies seen many times over.

On the deck of the Shamrock Bay some time in 1945 ( see the island on the right) Burt is in the back row center circled.


CASU members 1945
CASU-44 Carrier Air Service Unit 44.
[ The CASU's were developed to service and supply the Fleets behind the lines ashore. They assembled aircraft, repaired damaged ones, kept instruments and other gear functioning.


From the CASU 44 Reunion Book 1994
CASU was comissioned on February 23rd 1944 at Point Mugu California. Shipping out to Hawaii and then later to the Island of Tinian where they were the primary support to squadrons of PV-1 Venturas and PB4Y Catalinas

There were shortages of spares, supplies, recreational facilities and opportunity for obtaing "rate" for the enlisted men but they kept the over crowded air fields and equipment operational. The Navy men of CASU even serviced the Armys B-29's to help them become operational and performed much of the crash recovery work.

Burt got a photo of the Enola Gay while on Tinian

In return the grateful Army staffs loaned to the CASU several of their Cletrac's used for towning aircraft and other work as the Navy never had enough of these vehicles. The Arrival of the Army units also improved the general supply situation. The Pay Plane from the states being directed to its hardstand.


Burt on Tinian 1945
Being on Tinian was not always as safe as people might have believed. Japanese Army holdouts did occasionally fire on the service personnel who naturally believed they were on a secured island by 1945. Several Japanese boarded a PV-1 on the airfield and burned the plane with them selves before the attack was over. Japanese long range aircraft attacked the fields at low level.

Burt served in CASU-44 on Tinian, he directed aircraft to hardstands also worked on the crash truck which left him with his worst war time experience.

Burt: While on Tinian with CASU-44 I was on the crash truck when an SNJ went down after take-off. We found the plane in a cane field and both the pilot and passenger (a Lt Commander) on his way home were decapitated. This was the worst thing I ever experienced.

The best thing about the TBM was its carrying capacity. The TBM had a couple of bad characteristics, one its slow speed and the manual charging of the wing 50 calibers. When these cables broke it was hard to splice the cables back together and your arms would get scratched up by the sheet metal in the wings as you tried to work.

Burt returned home on the USS Heritage in July 1946 docking in San Diego Harbor Briefly assigned to PSC Lido Beach, Long Island to be discharged in 1946. He would return to finish his education with the help of the GI Bill.

With TF.77 Korea 1950 USS Princeton

Task Force 77 of which the USS Princeton was a part and the Korean Service Medal (Est 1950) Dates: 1950-54 Criteria: Participation in military operations within the Korean area during the above period.

As a reservist Burt was subject to recall and as the North Koreans pushed across the 38th Paralell. He served on the USS Princeton with Task Force 77 along with another profile Travis Ivy. Burt was attending Rutgers University and was able to graduate in 1951 with a degree in education while playing well enough on their football team to be drafted by the Chicago Cardinals. The Korean war ended his professional career hopes but he played semi pro ball for several years becoming a teacher and coach for Rahway High School and the Fighting Indians. He and Rita who he met at a freiend wedding in the mid 50's raised five children.

These days Burt has retired to South Jersey after a carrer in teaching and coaching in High schools. He still shoots clay pigeons and works in his garden and with wood working.







World War II (WWII) Victory Medal (Est 1945) Dates: 1941-46 Criteria: Awarded for service in US Armed Forces between 1941 and 1946. Notes: None.

Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal - WWII (Est 1942) Dates: 1941-46 Criteria: Service in the Asiatic-Pacific theater for 30 days or receipt of any combat decoration.

Air Medal (Est 1942) Criteria: Heroic actions or meritorious service while participating in aerial flight. Devices: Bronze Oak Leaf, Silver Oak Leaf, Stars

Philippine Liberation Medal - World War II (Est 1945) Criteria: Service in the liberation of the Philippines between 17 October 1944 and 3 September 1945. Devices: Bronze Star

A Few Links & Credits
Thanks to Robert Borgman for his help in making ocntacts on the CASU units & to Mike Deery for his information and CASU insignia.

CASU (Carrier Air Service Unit 44 )

Contact: Michael Derry
1604 N.E. 67th Place
Gladstone, MO. 64118-3621

USS SHAMROCK BAY CVE-84

Contact: Tony Mammola
7 North Meadow Rd., Old Saybrook, CT 06475-4126
Phone: 860-388-9170

CASU-44 story Mike Deery CASU-44 somewhere on this link.

TBM-3E Avenger in Detail by Cal Cochran

CVE-84 Shamrock Bay

CV-37 Princeton CASU 44 Tinian Island

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