VF-17 The original "Jolly Rogers"

[TheDigger]

The Jolly Rogers began during World War II as Fighter Squadron 17 (VF-17) on January 1, 1943 under the command of LCDR Tom Blackburn. The squadron was one of the first navy squadrons to fly the Vought F4U Corsair fighter. Formally in charge of training new navy fighter pilots in Florida, Blackburn quickly got his new squadron up to speed and they soon deployed into combat aboard the aircraft carrier Bunker Hill (CV-17).

Prior to their deployment in the Pacific the Navy suddenly changed plans and the Navy decided to replace all Corsair squadrons on aircraft carriers with the Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter. The reason for this move was that many commanders had submitted negative reviews of the Corsair's carrier suitability, as it was a difficult plane to master, especially compared to the easy-to-fly Hellcat.

Time would correct this initial change and later during WW2 Corsair Squadrons would again be deployed as Carrier Aircraft and this continued in later years to the Korean Conflict.

So before VF17 had a chance to fire a shot, they were off-loaded from Bunker Hill and reassigned to land bases on the Solomon Islands in the Pacific. Because their plane was called the "Corsair", VF-17's men wanted a squadron name that would correspond with that pirate theme. They came up with the now-famous black flag with white skull and crossbones symbol and decided on the name Jolly Rogers.

"Whispering Death" was what the Japanese called the F4U Corsair during World War II. Appropriately so, as the last thing many Japanese pilots saw was a Corsair in their 6 o'clock position. More appropriate was the scull and crossbones, or Jolly Roger, painted on the noses of one particular group of Corsairs - those of Navy Squadron VF-17. This symbol flew from the masts of pirate ships who once sailed the seas looking for treasure to plunder. To cross paths with pirates meant death for those who chose to fight with them. From October 1943 to March 1944 many unfortunate Japanese pilots crossed paths with the Jolly Rogers and were dispatched in short order.

Tom Blackburn and VF17 wanted fearless, aggressive pilots in the squadron. He didn't always discourage the raucous behavior of his pilots, as some in the Navy thought he should, but he ended up with the type of team he needed. Aggressiveness was an essential in all successful fighter units of the war.

Under his command, Navy Squadron VF-17 became the highest scoring Navy Corsair squadron of WWII. They destroyed 154 Japanese planes in 76 days, beating the record of 'Pappy' Boyington's notorious Black Sheep VMF 214 a US Marine Squadron.

Although they were only there for a very short span of time, Navy Squadron VF-17 played an important role in shaping the course of WWII and the defeat of the Japanese in the Pacific.

The "Jolly Rogers" is continued to this day in the US Navy and a follow up post will continue a tradition of the skull and cross bones.

[herakles]

I can't for the life of me understand why there was opposition to Blackburn and his crews. It was total war after all!

[The Sailor]

Great post Digger. I just finished reading it all.

[TheDigger]

An interseting follow up to the Jolly Rogers was a tradition continued after WW2 in the later part of the War an actual skull and cross bones was cased and was passed down through active US Navy Squadrons.

After the completion of VF17'S tour of duty the history of the Jolly Rogers at this point is a bit fuzzy, with many saying the squadron transferred over to form the new VF-84 on Bunker Hill. It is true that many members of the former squadron were assigned to this new squadron (including its new CO, Roger Hedrick), but according to the Navy's records, the Jolly Rogers name and traditions were passed to VF-5B in 1946, which subsequently became VF-61 on April 28, 1948.

Also unclear is the timing of the legend of ENS Jack Ernie. Ernie, a new pilot to the Jolly Rogers, was shot down in combat during the invasion of Okinawa. On his last transmission to his skipper, Ernie said, "… remember me with the Jolly Rogers." After his remains were recovered, his family presented his skull and femur bones, mounted in a glass case, to the men of the Jolly Rogers as a living symbol and tradition of the squadron.

Now, before every new commander takes over the Jolly Rogers squadron, there is a ceremony, called "The Passing of the Bones," where the remains of ENS Jack Ernie are passed from the old skipper to the new one. Though this story is said to be true, there are a few discrepancies. It is unclear to which squadron Ernie was a member of - VF-17, VF-84, VF-61, or another squadron. In Tommy Blackburn's book, The Jolly Rogers, he recounts the exploits of his squadron's tour of duty, the original VF-17. Nowhere in his book does Blackburn, the CO of VF-17, mention a word about ENS Jack Ernie, nor was he listed on the squadron roster.

VF-17 was disestablished before the invasion of Okinawa, so Ernie seems unlikely to have flown with Fighting 17. This leads all historians researching the subject that Ernie was flying with another squadron at the time of his demise, probably before VF-61 became the Jolly Rogers, but after VF-17 was disestablished. That leaves either VF-84, which was not a Jolly Roger squadron, or another Navy squadron of the time. So this legend and mystery continue to this day

Interesting how traditions are formed and continued