Richard Wilson

Veteran of VB-107

In June 1942 Richard Wilson was working for the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. In September the same year he decided to join the U.S. Navy and begun training as an Aviation Radioman and Gunner.

After completing his training he was sent to Brazil, to Patrol Bombing Squadron 107, the famous VB-107 stationed in Natal. He participated in 46 missions, most of them in 107-B-8, which had no nose art by the time. While with number 8 he participated in the attack on U-848, when they had number 2 engine shot out.

In January 1944 he was accepted in to Flight School. After some interuptions in and out of flight school because the war was going very well and too many pilots he was sent to Hutchinson, Kansas training flight crews for the Pacific Theater. Ultimately he was sent to the Philippine Islands for the invasion of Japan when the war ended.

One of the planes he flew was 107-B-4, " Macahyba Maiden". She was promoted to "Macahyba Madam" after her first kill. Richard was always regard as the Squadron Historian and has an unpublished work called " History of VP-83 VB-107 VPB-107 In the South Atlantic Ocean WW2", which is dedicated to the memory of Commander Bertram Joseph Prueher and to all others who lost their lives while serving with the Squadron.

After the war he worked in the electroplating industry - electroplated wire for insulators, tail wire for resistors and capacitors. After 40 years in the wire industry, he retired  as vice president of marketing.

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