Skip to content

This Damn Navy

The Diary of a Naval Aviator
  • Home
  • About James Claire Nolan

Category: April, 1943

April 20, 1943 (Tuesday)

April 20, 2018 1271941

“Button,” Espiritu Santo In the squadron exactly one year today. It’s been a damn fine outfit, although at the moment,…

Continue Reading →

Posted in: April, 1943

April 19, 1943 (Monday)

April 19, 2018 1271941

“Button,” Espiritu Santo Went to see the Doc this morning about my still persisting gut ache. He says he thinks…

Continue Reading →

Posted in: April, 1943

April 18, 1943 (Sunday)

April 18, 2018 1271941

Henderson Field, “Cactus,” Guadalcanal — “Button,” Espiritu Santo Still have a few cumulus underfoot this morning. Got two pieces of…

Continue Reading →

Posted in: April, 1943

April 17, 1943 (Saturday)

April 17, 2018 1271941

Henderson Field, “Cactus,” Guadalcanal Heard that the remainder of last night’s strike at Kahili was snafu. The TBFs saw some…

Continue Reading →

Posted in: April, 1943

April 16, 1943 (Friday)

April 16, 2018 1271941

Carney Field, Guadalcanal Over to Henderson Field this morning. The road is long. dusty, and crowded, and is patrolled by…

Continue Reading →

Posted in: April, 1943

April 15, 1943 (Thursday)

April 15, 2018 1271941

Carney Field, Guadalcanal Swam in the river today. Good clean water. Went downstream about 3 miles and was picked up…

Continue Reading →

Posted in: April, 1943

April 14, 1943 (Wednesday)

April 14, 2018 1271941

Carney Field, Guadalcanal Shifted to my new boots today after wearing the old pair for well over one year –…

Continue Reading →

Posted in: April, 1943

April 13, 1943 (Tuesday)

April 13, 2018 1271941

Carney Field, Guadalcanal Charley came over last night but dropped no bombs. Patrolled north 700 miles today to a point…

Continue Reading →

Posted in: April, 1943

April 12, 1943 (Monday)

April 12, 2018 1271941

Carney Field, Guadalcanal Got one hours notice to leave Button this morning. Threw our gear into the plane and took…

Continue Reading →

Posted in: April, 1943

April 11, 1943 (Sunday)

April 11, 2018 1271941

“Button,” Espiritu Santo Still waiting to go to Cactus.

Continue Reading →

Posted in: April, 1943

Posts navigation

← Older posts
Newer posts →

A secret for 75 years

Kailua resident James Claire Nolan kept a secret most of his life. A Navy pilot during World War II, he kept a detailed diary and drew pictures throughout the conflict, a practice frowned upon by security-minded authorities. When he died in the early 1990s, he entrusted the pages to his friend and military historian Burl Burlingame of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Burlingame is now Historian at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.

Trained as a navy bomber pilot, Nolan was rushed to the Dutch East Indies as war broke out and returned to Pearl Harbor, where he was pressed into service flying PBY “Catalina” flying boats on patrol.

Later, Nolan served with distinction at the battle of Midway, on Guadalcanal and became the personal pilot for Vice Adm. Aubrey Fitch. Nolan said his proudest moment came when in the summer of ’43 he discovered the slowly sinking bow of USS Helena, sheared off by a Japanese torpedo several days before and covered with desperate survivors. He stuck with the ship until help arrived.

After the war, Nolan joined the US Air Force and continued to fly. In civilian life, he was a historian at Hickam Air Force Base.

We are publishing these diary entries exactly 75 years to the day after these pages were written. Except for very minor spelling and grammatical updates, they are as written — including observations that may seem not “politically correct” these days. It is a look into the mindset of a young man fighting a war across a vast ocean.

This site will remain active for five years. It is sponsored by historical-interpretation company Pacific Monograph.

Categories

  • April, 1942
  • April, 1943
  • August, 1942
  • August, 1943
  • December, 1941
  • December, 1942
  • December, 1943
  • February, 1942
  • February, 1943
  • February, 1944
  • January, 1942
  • January, 1943
  • January, 1944
  • July, 1942
  • July, 1943
  • June, 1942
  • June, 1943
  • March, 1942
  • March, 1943
  • March, 1944
  • May, 1942
  • May, 1943
  • November, 1941
  • November, 1942
  • November, 1943
  • October, 1942
  • October, 1943
  • September, 1942
  • September, 1943
Copyright © 2025 This Damn Navy — Primer theme by GoDaddy