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Listings: 1 to 28 of 28
The website is of the 2nd ERS but mostly the Website is devoted to the OA-10, PBY, or Catalina in its role as a rescue vehicle. A site well worth visiting if you are interested in the role of the OA-10 in Air sea rescue
Last Updated: 1 September 2020   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
A brief history of the 3rd Emergency Rescue Squadron from Gulfport, MS, to New Guinea, and ultimately to occupied Japan, with an emphasis on the role of the OA-10A, and hardly a mention of crash boats. The 4th Emergency Rescue Squadron has, in broad terms, a similar history. Notice the lack of the word "boat" in the title of either the 3rd or 4th..
Last Updated: 25 April 2021   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
The website of the 10th Emergency Rescue Boat Squadron which was based in Alaska during World War II. Includes a history of the unit, mission reports and a scrapbook, which is mostly a memory book.
Last Updated: 5 December 2021   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
Approximately five and a half minute film of a B-17 losing engines having to ditch, and a A-24 spotting the downed crew in a raft. At about four minutes into the film P-429 comes to save the crew. The skipper of the 85' rescue boat is the best dressed I've seen; almost looks British.
Last Updated: 18 December 2019   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. This 45 minute video was originally presented by the Home of the Brave Foundation and produced, written, and directed by Ms. Trish Kinney in 2002. The video was made with the expectation that a TV station would buy it but to the best of my knowledge it never aired. Since this is the semi-official site of the AAF/USAF Crash Rescue Boat Assn. and it was filmed at their 2001 reunion and the interviewees were association members, I include the link here.
Last Updated: 19 September 2022   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
Terrific site documenting the history of many World War II airfields, including the Pacific Islands which are listed as part of Hawaii. Does not mention crash boats but provides context about the bases where the boats were located. In some cases, you can see the docks from which they operated. DEFINITELY WORTH YOUR TIME.
Last Updated: 2 January 2023   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
Historical Documents from World War II. Here you will find a collection of class books, manuals and pictures about the United States Army Air Forces (AAF) during World War II. Prior to World War II and early during the war the AAF was officially the Army Air Corps. This is an ever-growing collection of information about Army Air Fields and training facilities, including pilot, navigator, bombardier, radio and gunnery schools.
Last Updated: 1 September 2020   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
AVR Society was formed in 2009 to preserve and share the history of AVR 63s. Their emphasis is on the post-military life of many of these boats, especially their use by Sea Scouts of the San Francisco Bay area. There are lots of photos of Sea Scout boats, converted boats, and photos of P-619, the last restored 63 foot rescue boat of which I am aware. Does not appear to have been updated since about 2012.
Last Updated: 23 December 2022   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
This is a YouTube video presenting a history of Beach Jumper and some OSS operations primarily from WWII and Korea. it liberally mixes in PT boats and British boats in the video without making clear which you are seeing at the moment.
Last Updated: 23 March 2024   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
WORKING AGAIN This is old, silent footage and not of the best quality, but is worth the 11 minutes just to see how they handle in heavy seas. Naval Photographic Center film #15967. National Archives description "Cut 1) MS 85' boat underway on high seas. Cut 2) LS Same as above; Pan, lead boat plows through high seas, throws spray high in air; it is followed by second boat in column; spray flies over boats. Cut 3) LS 85' army boats undergo tests in rough seas; they move toward camera at high speed. Cut 4) MS Army boat lying to. Cut 5) MS Beat underway at high speed; bow of boat high as it cuts through water. Cut 6) MS Boat undergoing tests in rough weather
Last Updated: 23 December 2022   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
A collection of 15+ crash boat photos, most from the World War II era. Several pictures of some of the less common or early designs. Click on "View Items" then choose "Browse by Categories" the in the third window enter "Crash".
Last Updated: 22 November 2020   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
An advertising video produced for or by Hall-Scott promoting their engines in multiple applications. There is video of crash boats at speed at about the 4 minute mark. The video is of poor quality and probably dates from shortly after World War II.
Last Updated: 9 January 2023   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
Herreshoff Marine Museum/ America's Cup Hall of Fame, Bristol, Rhode Island, the museum of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. Herreshoff was the premier yacht builder of the late 1800' and early 1900s and built 100 boats from 63' to 140' for the war effort during WW II.
Last Updated: 4 April 2016   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
This is an Elco film on the construction of PT Boats, but the basic construction techniques were the same, especially the hull construction. While every crash boat builder may not have used the inverted hull method, several certainly did.
Last Updated: 3 June 2016   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
All kinds of Korean War links. When you click on the link the site may ask for a certificate, click on "cancel" and it will take you to the site in a moment. Then click on the little square in the top right corner to see the full page.
Last Updated: 18 December 2019   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
While the focus is not on air-sea rescue operations, they are mentioned a couple times. Excellent quality authentic live footage (36 minute clip) of this conventional air assault on the Japanese mainland, just before A-Bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Footage of some the members of what WE consider to be THE GREATEST GENERATION! To think of 600 B-29s all taking off to bomb Japan at one time is beyond imagination. We have often heard about the A-Bomb raids, but the raids that took place before that are often overlooked. This is live footage of the 3,000 mile round trip air assault upon the Japanese mainland, with 3 bomber wings and a host of P-51's. No matter what war footage you have seen before, this will keep your undivided attention. The P-51 & B-29 footage is remarkable. The strafing runs by the P-51 pilots were incredible. There are several "breaks" as the film canisters are changed.
Last Updated: 22 November 2019   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
Video of photo album. Some of the locals became quite close to the men stationed there. Multiple families opened their homes to them, almost like unofficial service clubs, where they could hang out and play horseshoes with the local children. In return they would take the kids out on some of the boats. One lady recalled from her childhood that when her family came downstairs one Christmas morning, the men had a roaring fire built in the fireplace for them. In fact, her big sister married one of those crew members. Theirs was one of eight similar marriages that resulted when WWII came to Murrells Inlet.
Last Updated: 27 March 2023   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
William Disanza was in the Merchant Marine at the start of WWII and got out to join the Army because he did not like the ocean. He was assigned to crash boat training, the to the OSS and ended up in the China Burma India Theater running a guerrilla group. This will link you to an Oral History of the World War II Museum in New Orleans, LA.
Last Updated: 23 March 2024   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
CURRENTLY NOT WORKING, MAY HAVE BEEN TAKEN DOWN. This is a worthwhile site showing P-520 before and after restoration. In addition it covers some of her cruises. P-520 is the only restored 85 foot rescue boat remaining and is covered in some depth elsewhere on the U.S. Crash Boats website. This P-520 website does not appear to have been updated since 2007.
Last Updated: 23 March 2024   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
An excellent collection of photos, especially interiors, of the 85 ft. crash boat P-520 in January, 2012 by photographer Greg Bishop. At that time it appeared that the P-520 was going to be donated to the Pacific Battleship Museum, but that never came about. At the opening page SCROLL DOWN.
Last Updated: 26 February 2019   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
While this video refers to the Packard 4M-2500 as the PT boat engine, the same engine was the only engine used in the 85 ft. air-sea rescue boats and in the 16 model 168 boats of 63 ft. The video starts with coverage of aero engines Packard developed in WWI and a comparison the to Rolls Merlin engine. The first mention of the 1A-2500 comes at about 4:30 into the video and the 4M-2500 at about 8 minutes into the video. This is a very good quality video, far superior to the Hall-Scott video.
Last Updated: 9 January 2023   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
On this website you will find every ship/boat builder of reasonable size and the boats they built by year and length. There are many tables that cover many builders and a huge number of boats, so it may take some time to find the boat you are looking for. Rescue boats may also appear as patrol boats. You will need to know which builders built the type of boat you are looking for or be a very persistent searcher. A great website and the source of a lot of information on this website.
Last Updated: 31 May 2022   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
This PT Boat Message Board has been around in one form or another for over 15 years. They continue to aid and educate visitors and members about PT boats and other related aspects of the Motor Torpedo Boat service and World War II. This forum also enjoys the discussion of small combatant boats from other countries as they also pertained to World War II.
Last Updated: 13 May 2016   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
This is a Link to a Sea Scout Base Facebook page. When you get there, click on “Photos” along the left side of the web page. While I don’t highlight Sea Scout boats generally, the saga of R-37A-1357 is broadly typical of many rescue boats that went to Sea Scout service. Military duty, decline, repair and use by Sea Scouts, eventual decay. R-37A-1357 went into service 31 August 1954. About 1961 the US Army Corps of Engineers at Caven Point, NJ acquired R-37A-1357 for conversion to a recreational boat. By late summer of 1972 the engineers were done with her and she arrived at the West Hudson Sea Scout Base in Kearny, NJ where she was restored generally to a rescue boat configuration. It was never a museum quality restoration because the boat was in continual use, training young men in maritime skills. The Sea Scout Base folded in 1996 and R-37A-1357 wound up at a private PT boat restoration organization, Fleet Obsolete, Kingston, NY where she was found in 2008.
Last Updated: 29 November 2020   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
A tribute to all servicemen.
Last Updated: 29 May 2016   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
This site chronicles the role of the U.S. Coast Guard in the development of air-sea rescue techniques and duties, with heavy emphasis on its World War II activities.
Last Updated: 15 November 2018   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
The Warboats of America website provides introductory, historical and current information about the primary military fast attack, patrol and rescue craft built and used between World War II and the present. Their information on air sea rescue boats is limited and somewhat dated, but still worth a look if you are interested in the rest of the group.
Last Updated: 14 February 2016   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]
This group is not affiliated with U.S.Crashboats. This is a group of Sea Scout Intrepid Alumni who have formed an association to preserve and maintain an 85 ft. crash boat on the west coast of the U. S. There does appear to be an affiliation with the AVR Society which also has a link on my website.
Last Updated: 29 November 2020   [Located in Category: Category 1 (PA)]