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| Aviation Art Collecton - William Web Patterson |
Bill Patterson was born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1924. While growing up there he was active in both the Boy Scouts and Sea Scouts. World War 11 began while Bill was still in High - School, and he remembers reading about the epic battles in the Pacific. Upon graduation in 1942, he immediately joined the Navy as an aviation cadet. After extensive training he was awarded his wings, and commissioned in Pensacola, Florida as an Ensign in the Naval Reserve at the age of nineteen. Bill received operation training in the Grumman TBF torpedo aircraft. Later he would pick up a brand new TBM (General Motors produced version) at the factory in New Jersey, and would fly the aircraft to the West Coast. Here, Bill was assigned to VT-9 as a pilot, and commenced combat training with the unit, including carrier qualification. At this point in the War a typical carrier based torpedo squadron consisted of twenty-two pilots, who were generally between the ages of 20 and 22. The typical squadron commander was in his mid to late twenties, and the officers in the squadron were about 24 years old. VT-9 served on the carriers Essex, Lexington, and Yorktown in the Mariannas, Marshalls, Gilberts, Saipan, lwo jima, Okinawa, and Japan. Bill Patterson and his squadron also participated in the naval battle in the East China Sea on April 7, 1945 when the huge Japanese battleship Yamato, the cruiser Yahagi, and several destroyers were all destroyed. Bill put a torpedo into the Yahagi, and watched the Yamato explode in a giant mushroom cloud. Bill was awarded the Navy Cross for his action on this mission. When the War ended, Bill entered college on the G.I. Bill and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering. He spent his career in this field, while marrying and raising five children. Bill continued to serve as a 'weekend warrior' with the Navy Reserves. He flew with reserve attack and anti-submarine squadrons. Now retired and residing in Virginia, Bill enjoys visiting his children, walking, canoeing, gardening, and reading. Died : 2013 |
| Based on many years of experience in dealing with thousands of aviation signatures, we have estimated the value this signature adds to a print as £45 |
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