Wayne Morris, the Flying Ace

When the United States entered World War II following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, so did Hollywood. Studios started producing an array of films that emphasized patriotism, group effort, and the value of individual sacrifice for a larger cause. Off the screen, stars led various recruitment and bond drives, and entertained the troops, both at home and overseas. In less than a year, 12 percent of all film industry employees had entered the armed forces and joined in the fight against the Axis Powers. Wayne Morris was one of them.

 

Promotional studio portraits of Wayne Morris in the 1930s.

The eldest of two children, Bert DeWayne Morris Jr. was born in Los Angeles, California, on February 17, 1914. After graduating from high school in 1932, he enrolled at Los Angeles Junior College as a theatre arts major. Later, he received a scholarship to study acting at the acclaimed Pasadena Playhouse, where he was spotted by a Warner Bros. talent scout in 1936. After a screen test, he was signed to a contract with the studio, and subsequently made his film debut under the stage name «Wayne Morris» with a bit part as a navigator in the aviation drama China Clipper (1936), starring Pat O'Brien and featuring Humphrey Bogart in a supporting role. Although he achieved success in mainstream pictures like Kid Galahad (1937), wherein he played the title character, and Brother Rat (1938), he was mostly relegated to work in the B movie unit.

 

While filming Flight Angels (1940), Morris developed a deep interest in aviation, as his role as the co-pilot of a commercial aircraft required him to take flying lessons. As a result, he soon earned his licence as a civilian pilot, flying regularly and logging in several hours of flight time.

 

LEFT: Wayne Morris in Kid Galahad. RIGHT: Wayne Morris with Virginia Bruce and Dennis Morgan in Flight Angels.

With the threat of war looming over the United States, Morris became one of the first Hollywood actors to join the military prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. On June 4, 1941, he accepted a commission as an ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve, going on active duty three weeks later. In April 1942, after serving as a member of the Aviation Cadet Selection Board, he began naval flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, which he completed that August.

 

Determined to see action, Morris put in a written request to the Bureau of Naval Personnel asking to be assigned to a fighter squadron. However, standing at six feet two and a half inches (1.89 metres) tall, and weighing 200 pounds (91 kilograms), he was considered «too big» to fit into the cockpit of a Grumman F4F Wildcat, the fighter plane that was being used by the U.S. Navy at that time. Instead, he was made a flight instructor and ordered to Naval Reserve Aviation Base Hutchinson, Kansas, where he trained new pilots from September 1942 to June 1943.

 

LEFT: James Stewart and Wayne Morris in 1942. Stewart served in the United States Army Air Forces during the war, flying Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers over Nazi-occupied Europe. RIGHT: Wayne Morris and Patricia O'Rourke applying for a marriage licence on February 24, 1942. They were married the following day.

One day, while Morris was at Hutchinson, Lieutenant Commander David McCampbell paid a visit to the base during a cross-country trip. Qualifying as a naval aviator in 1938, McCampbell had served as a fighter pilot aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CV-4) until May 1940. He was then assigned as a landing signal officer to USS Wasp (CV-7), surviving its sinking by a Japanese submarine near Guadalcanal, on September 15, 1942. Upon his return to the United States, he was posted to Naval Air Station Melbourne, Florida, where he was in charge of training other landing signal officers.

 

McCampbell was the maternal uncle of Morris's wife, Patricia O'Rourke, a former Olympic swimmer and sister of Western B movie actress Peggy Stewart. Taking advantage of this family connection, Morris asked McCampbell to intercede for him and find him a place in a fighter squadron. His request got him transferred to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, not for fighter duty, but to train as a pilot of PBY Catalina patrol bombers, which were used in reconnaissance and rescue missions.

 

Undeterred, Morris again asked McCampbell's assistance in his mission to become a fighter pilot. By that time, McCampbell had been tasked with forming a fighter squadron to fly the new Grumman F6F Hellcat in the Pacific Theatre of war. The Hellcat was a significant upgrade over the Wildcat, offering superior power, speed, climb rate and high-altitude performance, making it far more effective against the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the deadliest Japanese fighter at that time. It was also a larger plane, which would allow Morris to accommodate himself better in the cockpit. Although Morris had not amassed many flight hours as a naval aviator, McCampbell was impressed by his «burning desire» to fly in combat and selected him to be one of his pilots. «Bert was a jaygee [lieutenant junior grade] with the flying hours of an ensign, but he was determined, and that mattered,» McCampbell recalled.

 

LEFT: A F6F-3 Hellcat of VF-1 aboard USS Yorktown (CV-10) in May 1943. Yorktown was one of the ships in the Fast Carrier Task Force (called Task Force 58 when assigned to Fifth Fleet, and Task Force 38 when part of Third Fleet). RIGHT: A F6F-3 Hellcat of VF-16 landing on USS Lexington (CV-16) on November 26, 1943. Lexington was the flagship of TF 58/38 during the Pacific War. 

Under McCampbell's command, Fighter Squadron 15 (VF-15) was established at Naval Air Station Atlantic City, New Jersey, on September 1, 1943. It was then assigned to Carrier Air Group 15 (CAG-15), which also incorporated bombing, torpedo and night fighter squadrons, and posted to Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia, for flight and ground training. The schedule included multi-squadron group exercises, as well as gunnery and carrier landing practice. 

 

On January 15, 1944, VF-15 and the rest of the air group departed Norfolk aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-12) for a two-week shakedown cruise near Bermuda, in the North Atlantic Ocean. What should have been a golden opportunity to shape out CAG-15 proved to be a period filled with challenges. Bad weather delayed flying, and a series of mishaps occurred, as several aircraft failures caused the planes to either hit the water as soon as they took off, or crash on the Hornet's deck. Upon returning to Norfolk, the air group went through a series of changes to make sure it was ready for combat in the Pacific. The damaged Hellcats that could be salvaged were taken off the Hornet for repairs and alterations, and the squadrons were ordered to reduce their numbers. VF-15 in particular cut down five of its fighter pilots, which were later assigned to other duties.

 

A F6F-3 Hellcat of VF-15 being launched from the hangar catapult of USS Hornet during training in February 1944.

In March, still deemed unprepared for combat, CAG-15 was moved to Naval Air Station Pu'unene in Maui, Hawaii, for extended training. After six weeks of ground school, intensive flight practice, landings drills and battle exercises, they were finally considered ready to be deployed to the Pacific Theatre. On April 24, they boarded a new carrier, USS Essex (CV-9), and departed Pearl Harbor to join USS San Jacinto (CVL-30) and take part on a final training cruise. The Essex had already had a taste of war, having taken part in strikes against the Gilbert, Marshall and Mariana Islands, between May 1943 and February 1944. On board the San Jacinto was future U.S. President George H. W. Bush, who flew a Grumman TBM Avenger bomber as part of the torpedo squadron of Carrier Air Group 51.

 

VF-15 squadron photo, taken at Naval Air Station Pu'unene on April 19, 1944. Wayne Morris can be seen in the back row, second from right. David McCampbell is also in the back row, sixth from right. Behind them is a F6F Hellcat.

On May 8, the Essex arrived in Majuro in the Marshall Islands, now being used by the United States Navy as a staging area for the invasion of the Marianas, which had been captured by the Japanese shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. A week later, the ship sortied from Majuro as part of a task group that included not only the Essex and the San Jacinto, but also another carrier, USS Wasp (CV-18), five cruisers and 11 destroyers. Their first targets were Marcus Island, where a Japanese garrison was stationed, and Wake Atoll, which the American forces had surrendered to the Empire of Japan in December 1941. During the three-day run towards their target area, VF-15 and the rest of the air group attended lectures on flight discipline and formation flying, as part of the final preparations for combat. All pilots were issued with bolo knives and other survival gear, which would be essential in the event of being shot down. Morris was tasked with drawing up the initial flying rosters, and later handed out the flight assignments to the other members of his squadron.

 

Between May 19 and 23, CAG-15 carried their strikes against Marcus and Wake Islands. Although they encountered no aerial opposition from Japanese fighters, they were met with intense enemy anti-aircraft fire. Several American planes were lost, and nearly all — including Morris's Hellcat, nicknamed Galahad in reference to his most famous film role up to that date — were mangled, but not before causing «considerable damage» upon their land targets.

 

LEFT: USS Essex underway at sea, on May 14, 1944. RIGHT: Flight deck crewmen removing Lieutenant J. J. Collins of VF-15 from his badly-damaged Hellcat, after he crash-landed on board the Essex during the raid on Wake Island, on May 23, 1944.

From June 12 to August 13, the Essex joined Task Force 58 in support of the occupation of the Mariana Islands, hitting targets in Saipan, Guam and Tinian. Early on in the invasion, Morris was in a group of Hellcats that destroyed several Japanese seaplanes on the ground, and later scored his first aerial victory by downing a Kawanishi N1K floatplane fighter. On June 20, they took part in the «Great Marianas Turkey Shoot,» the name given by American pilots to the airborne phase of the Battle of the Philippine Sea, during which VF-15 was credited with 68½ confirmed kills, the most in one day of any Navy squadron. Over Guam, Morris struck a Japanese Zero with his Hellcat's machine-gun fire, but it was unclear whether it crashed into the water or not. The Marianas Campaign ended with a decisive American victory, inflicting crippling loses on Japan's naval air forces. 

 

LEFT: Fighter aircraft contrails over Task Force 58, on June 19, 1944. RIGHT: A Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat landing aboard the Essex-class carrier USS Lexington (CV-16), the flagship of Task Force 58, during the Battle of the Philippine Sea,

On September 6, the Essex sortied with Task Force 38 to launch an assault against the Palau islands. Three days later, they were ordered to sail west to the Philippines and strike enemy shipping at Mindanao. During the first sweep of the island, Morris hit the wing tank of a Mitsubishi Ki-57 troop transport plane, causing it to erupt in flames. The following day, he led a group of Hellcats who attacked two airfields and destroyed camouflaged fuel dumps hidden in Mindanao's dense jungle. For the remainder of the month, the Essex and the other carriers stayed in the area to support the landings at Peleliu, one of the islands in the Palau archipelago. During this time, Morris shot down a Mitsubishi Zero and a Nakajima K57 fighter. He and other pilots from VF-15 also put a Japanese submarine out of action, and sunk two freighters and several patrol boats.

 

On October 6, after weathering a typhoon while replenishing at Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands, the Essex departed with Task Force 38 for the Ryukyus to launch a strike against Okinawa. Morris led a group of fighters in a mission to sink another Japanese freighter, and scored his fifth confirmed aerial victory when he downed a Kawasaki Ki-61 who tried to outmaneuver him. Following an attack on Formosa (Taiwan), they headed back to the Philippines to take part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval engagement of World War II. On October 24, during the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the first main confrontation on Leyte, most of the attacking Japanese planes were intercepted and shot down or driven off by VF-15 Hellcats. Morris himself downed two Zeros who were escorting Japanese bombers attacking the American fleet, while McCampbell, who had been made commander of CAG-15, gunned down a record nine enemy aircraft. VF-15 and the rest of the air group was also involved in a strike that sank a Japanese battleship. After Leyte, the Essex remained in the area to continue the search for enemy fleet units, and returned to Ulithi on October 30 for supplies. They resumed the offensive in early November, with attacks on Manila and the northern Philippine Islands.

 

Wayne Morris (second from left) and three other VF-15 pilots aboard the USS Essex, following a strike against Formosa.

On November 18, after six months of combat, CAG-15 was relieved of its duties by CAG-4, and sailed back home aboard the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17). By the time they arrived at Naval Yard Puget Sound in Bremerton, Washington, on December 6, 1944, the VF-15 fighters had destroyed a total of 660 Japanese planes, more than any other squadron in the Pacific War, with an additional 388 probably destroyed or damaged, when considering both aerial combat and ground attacks. Twenty-six of its pilots had become aces, including Morris, who flew 57 missions and shot down seven enemy aircraft. McCampbell alone was credited with 34 confirmed aerial victories, becoming the U.S. Navy's all-time flying ace. VF-15 became the most successful U.S. Navy fighter squadron in history, earning the nicknames of «Satan's Playmates» and the «Fabled Fifteen.»

 

VF-15 pilots posing with their score card aboard the USS Essex, on December 1, 1944. Wayne Morris is in the front row, fourth from left. David McCampbell is also in the front row, fourth from right. In the background, is McCampbell's Hellcat, Minsi. 

Back home, Morris was posted to Naval Air Station Armitage Field, California, where he served as a flight and experimental project officer until being honorably discharged in 1946. By then, he had attained the rank of lieutenant commander, and been awarded several decorations, including four Distinguished Flying Crosses and two Air Medals. In 1947, after a six-year interruption, Morris restarted his film career, appearing in 36 pictures and dozens of televisions shows over the next 13 years. He acted mostly in low-budget Westerns, but also appeared as one of the main characters in Stanley Kubrik's critically acclaimed anti-war film Paths of Glory (1957).

 

On September 14, 1959, McCampbell invited Morris and other former members of VF-15 aboard the Essex-class carrier USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31), of which he had been the commander for two years. At that time, the ship was docked in San Francisco Bay and was to begin a short cruise into the Pacific to conduct air exercises. On the way back into the bay, Morris climbed a series of ladders to the carrier's command deck to get a good view of the passage under the Golden Gate Bridge, and collapsed when he reached the top. A helicopter then flew him to Oakland Naval Hospital, but he was pronounced dead of a massive coronary occlusion, at the age of 45.

 

LEFT: Wayne Morris seating in the cockpit of his Hellcat. The seven Rising Sun flags represent the number of Japanese planes he shot down. RIGHT: Jack L. Warner (centre) cutting a cake at a «Welcome Home» party staged by Warner Bros. for four of the studio's returning servicemen. From left to right: Wayne Morris, Ronald Reagan, Gig Young, and Harry Lewis.

During his tour of duty in the Pacific, Morris found himself in a number of perilous situations. Three of the Hellcats he flew were so badly damaged by Japanese fire that they were stripped of their serviceable parts and pushed overboard. Yet, he said, «it wasn't the Japs I feared, but my own shipmates. Every time they showed a picture aboard the Essex, I was scared to death it would be one of mine.» Although his life was cut short, Wayne Morris lives on not only as the last B Western movie star, but as one of the flying aces of the United States Navy.

 

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SOURCES:

«Bert DeWayne Morris, Jr.» Veteran Tributes, http://veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=1548.

Cleaver, Thomas McKelvey. «Relentless in Battle.» HistoryNet, May 2 2014, https://www.historynet.com/relentless-in-battle/. 

«Essex IV (CV-9).» Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/e/essex-iv.html.

Habeeb, Lee. «Hollywood Goes to War: The Story of Wayne Morris - the Brad Pitt of His Day.» Our American Stories, 21 June 2023, https://www.ouramericanstories.com/podcast/military/hollywood-goes-to-war-wayne-morris.

Moore, Stephen L. Fighting Fifteen: The Navy's Top Ace and the Deadliest Hellcat Squadron of the Pacific War. Caliber, 2025. 

«Morris, Bert DeWayne 'Wayne', LCDR.» Togetherweserved.com, https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.webapp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=607615&binder=true. 

«Navy's Top Flyer Home; Comdr. McCampbell Heads Air Group 15 That Got 660 Planes.» The New York Times, 15 Dec. 1944, https://www.nytimes.com/1944/12/15/archives/navys-top-flier-home-comdr-mccampbell-heads-air-group-15-that-got.html. 

«A radarman kept his own log for USS Essex battles.» Times Observer, 28 July 2014, https://www.timesobserver.com/news/local-news/2014/07/a-radarman-kept-his-own-log-of-uss-essex-battles/. 

Russell, David Lee. David McCampbell: Top Ace of U.S. Naval Aviation in World War II. McFarland & Company, Inc., 2019.

Stewart, Cindy Kay. «From Hollywood Actor to Ace Fighter Pilot.» Cindykaystewart.com, 1 May 2021, https://cindykaystewart.com/from-hollywood-actor-to-ace-fighter-pilot/. 

«Wayne Morris.» The Old Corral, https://www.b-westerns.com/wmorris.htm. 

«Wayne Morris Home After 57 Sorties.» The Daily Pantagraph, 15 Dec. 1944, https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph/5840267/.