See This Restored WWII Footage of the Rescue of a Corsair Pilot After a Water Landing

A Forced Landing Near San Diego

On March 16, 1945, Second Lieutenant Norman K. Reichwald of the U.S. Marine Corps faced a serious emergency while flying a Brewster-built F3A-1 Corsair. His aircraft’s engine began to fail during a training mission off the coast of San Diego. The cylinder temperature was too high, and oil pressure had dropped sharply. With little choice, Lt. Reichwald made a controlled landing in the water near his carrier during shakedown exercises before deployment to Pearl Harbor.

Eighteen minutes after the forced landing, the USS Childs (AV-1), a seaplane tender, recovered Lt. Reichwald from the sea. He was safely returned to his carrier. At the same time, the USS Childs also assisted in refueling the carrier while operations continued. The quick recovery of the pilot shows the coordination required during naval aviation missions, even in training.

Marine Squadrons and Escort Carriers

The footage comes from a period when Marine squadrons were first being assigned to escort carriers. This was a new idea during World War II, and four carriers were used to begin the program. These included the USS Block Island, USS Gilbert Islands, USS Cape Gloucester, and USS Vella Gulf. Each had its own mix of Marine fighter and torpedo bomber squadrons operating from smaller flight decks.

The Marine Corps and the University of South Carolina have worked together to digitize old film footage from this era. More than 19,000 reels are being preserved and shared online through private donations. This film of the water rescue and carrier training is part of that ongoing project, showing the work and risks taken by Marine aviators during World War II. The footage now helps document the training, rescues, and daily operations that supported larger combat missions across the Pacific.

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