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Description
It all began in 1 January 1943. At 0800, then CDR Tom Blackburn, read the orders that established Fighter Squadron 17 (VF-17). Ten Ensigns and eight enlisted personnel heard the orders. No more staff. No instructors. And no planes. As CDR Blackburn maneuvered through the bureaucratic maze to get his warriors from the available pool, 10 SNJ trainers and 8 F4F Wildcat fighters were assembled for training purposes, while the squadron awaited the delivery of the spanking new Vought Corsair. Somewhere in this period, the squadron insignia was born. Blackburn ordered a "piratical" theme, and soon someone came up with a black flag with white skull and crossbones. Thus were the Jolly Rogers born. Eager as they were, they decided that the insignia would go on the engine cowling, leaving the usual space bellow the cockpit for kill markings. Time would prove then right. Last combat mission came on March 6, 1944. During their combat tour they claimed 154.5 kills, a record at the time. They had 13 aces.
We see here the "White 3" of Ens Frederick "Big Jim" Streig following "White 5" of Lt Thomas Killefer into a fictional engagement with Zeros over Solomon Islands sometime around early ´44.

Created with Cinema4D, rendered with Maxwell, PP with Photoshop.

Description
It all began in 1 January 1943. At 0800, then CDR Tom Blackburn, read the orders that established Fighter Squadron 17 (VF-17). Ten Ensigns and eight enlisted personnel heard the orders. No more staff. No instructors. And no planes. As CDR Blackburn maneuvered through the bureaucratic maze to get his warriors from the available pool, 10 SNJ trainers and 8 F4F Wildcat fighters were assembled for training purposes, while the squadron awaited the delivery of the spanking new Vought Corsair. Somewhere in this period, the squadron insignia was born. Blackburn ordered a "piratical" theme, and soon someone came up with a black flag with white skull and crossbones. Thus were the Jolly Rogers born. Eager as they were, they decided that the insignia would go on the engine cowling, leaving the usual space bellow the cockpit for kill markings. Time would prove then right. Last combat mission came on March 6, 1944. During their combat tour they claimed 154.5 kills, a record at the time. They had 13 aces.
We see here the "White 3" of Ens Frederick "Big Jim" Streig following "White 5" of Lt Thomas Killefer into a fictional engagement with Zeros over Solomon Islands sometime around early ´44.

Created with Cinema4D, rendered with Maxwell, PP with Photoshop.