History 

Tailcodes 

History 

The unit was commissioned at NAS San Diego, California on 5th October 1925. During 1938, the unit moved to NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In 1943, VJ-1 was split to form a new unit VJ-9. The commanding officer of VJ-1 during this period was Lt. R L Eldridge. On 15th June 1940, the unit moved to NAS Ford Island, Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. On 11th November 1943 orders were received to send ten crews to the USA to ferry JM-1 aircraft to Pearl Harbour. The crews went to NAAS Vernalis, California in early January 1944 where they received and trained alongside VJ-10 in ten donor JM-1 aircraft. The navigators attended a brief navigation course at NAS Alemeda, California. On 14th January 1944, five of the crews and aircraft returned to their units, and on 20th January the remaining five aircraft were flown to Suisun Field, Fairfield, California ready for ferrying to Pearl Harbour. The aircraft departed Fairfield on 23rd January and made the 12 hour and 15 minutes flight to Pearl Harbour. Two aircraft were dispatched to Johnson Island on 20th February to provide anti-aircraft towing services for the island, returning to Pearl Harbour on 26th February. Detachment A (VJ-1A) was set up at Majuro Atoll in the Marshall Islands on 31st March 1944 with four chrome yellow painted JM-1 aircraft (coded J2, J4, J5, and J7), plus a couple of TBF’s, to provide target towing services for the whole Marshall Island chain and for the fleet preparing for the invasion of Guam. The unit departed Honolulu on the USS Prince George on 29th March, for Majuro, via Apanama, Tarawa, and Makin. VJ-1A was relieved from duty at Majuro Atoll by VJ-17 on 13th July and returned to rejoin the parent squadron VJ-1 at NAS Ford Island, Pearl Harbour. One JM-1 aircraft was sent to Kwajalein Atoll on 6th April to provide  towing services for the USS Curtiss and shore installations on the Atoll. During April 1944, ASD radar was installed in the first of JM-1’s, with the remaining 8 aircraft modified during May. Also in May, two of the units JM-1’s were fitted with special equipment for radar countermeasures work. On 30th June, Lt. Commander L H Miller took charge of VJ-1. On 30th July 1944, VJ-1 is relieved of its duties at NAS Ford Island, Pearl Harbour by utility squadron VJ-7, and all JM-1 aircraft are transferred over to this squadron. During August 1944, VJ-1 started the move to NAS Moffett Field, California, relieving Utility Squadron VJ-18 of its duties at this field on 1st October 1944, and took charge of all of VJ-18’s aircraft, including 9 x JM-1 aircraft. VJ-1A was then established at MCAS Santa Barbara (Goleta), California, relieving VJ18A of its duties at this field from the same date. On 22nd January 1945, Lt. Commander Joseph Garrett transferred from VJ-10, became the new commanding officer of VJ-1. In January 1945 two of VJ-1’s JM-1 aircraft were equipped with droppable bomb bay fuel tanks for extended towing missions. In February 1945, AN/APS-3 radar equipment was started to be fitted to the units JM-1’s, with five aircraft converted by May 1945. Also during February 1945, the units JM-1 aircraft were equipped for use in vertical photography. During May 1945, AN/APX-2 IFF gear and AN/APR-2 homing receivers were installed in five of the units JM-1 aircraft, and AN/ARN-8 marker beacons were received for installation in the units JM-1’s. During June 1945, AN/APN-4 Loran equipment was installed in three of the units JM-1’s, and AN/APN-1 altimeters were received ready for installation. During August 1945, 2 x JM-1 aircraft were equipped with Radio Countermeasures equipment. Also during August 1945, one of the units JM-1 aircraft was sent to VJ-2 at Shelton, Washington for wave depth determination photography tests. Detachment A (VJ-1A) at MCAS Santa Barbara (Goleta), California was officially disbanded on 20th September 1945. By October 1945 the squadron is now operating JM-2 aircraft. On 1st April 1946, the units JM-2 aircraft flew a search mission for people washed out to sea off Big Island in Hawaii, helping the coast guard to pick up numerous people from the water. In November 1946 the unit was Redesignated VU-1. During April 1947 the last of the JM-2 aircraft are phased out and replaced by Douglas JD-1 Invaders.