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Early NAVAL AVIATION group 1914-1931 PENSACOLA


KASTAUFFER
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I normally dont use the term " museum quality " very often , but this group deserves it in my opinion. This is a large group of documents and photos to ACMM Bert Strand . In 1914 he was part of the original group of 42 Officers and men to disembark the USS Mississippi and helped create the US Navy Aeronautic Station Pensacola ( later known as the Pensacola NAS ) . Bert was a flying mechanic who first joined the US Navy in 1911 and retired in 1931 . The group includes in Naval Aviator Flight Logbooks with his first " recorded flight " in 1917 , even though he did fly from 1914-1917 , but those flights were not entered into the logbook. He served a long career, all of it in Naval Aviation including a lot of time on the USS Langley . After he left the service he became the Sheriff of San Diego County and held that post until 1962 .

 

Finding Naval Aviation items that pre-date WWI is not easy . Enjoy !

 

 

bert1.JPG

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Group photo of the mechanics at Pensacola from the 1915 time period . FYI - Note the Marines in the front , USMC collectors .

 

 

bert2.JPG

 

 

The first page from Bert's CSC book showing his early service .

 

bert10.JPG

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Early Naval Aviation was a dangerous profession and Bert took plenty of pictures of aircraft accidents . Most of these were taken at Pensacola in the 1919-early 20's time frame .

 

bert18.JPG

bert19.JPG

bert20.JPG

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Lastly a commendation Bert received while serving on the USS Langley ( the Navy's first aircraft carrier , unless you count the USS North Carolina ) . He risked his life to save a plane and pilot .

 

bert11.JPG

bert17.JPG

 

 

There is a lot more in this group, and I have only scratched the surface withthe pics I took . If interested, I can post some more.

 

Kurt

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After looking at the crash photos again , I think my time estimate is too late. They are more likely from the 1916-1917 time period . Most of them are N-9 aircraft which were in use at that time.

 

Kurt

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Kurt,

BRAVO! BRAVO! One of the most historical military grouping to appear on the FORUM WEBSITE! This is NAVAL AVIATION HISTORY at it's BEST!

Navyair-WW2

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teufelhunde.ret

Kurt, thank you sharing... look forward to more. Was stationed there in late 60's loved the whole time, best beaches in US. When they say not to drive off the road onto the sand, they mean it.. I know from first hand experience pinch.gif s/f Darrell

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Kurt, thank you sharing... look forward to more. Was stationed there in late 60's loved the whole time, best beaches in US. When they say not to drive off the road onto the sand, they mean it.. I know from first hand experience pinch.gif s/f Darrell

 

Did ya sink into the sand :) A number of the photos I have show wooden boards laid over the sand so that the planes didnt sink into the sand when bringing them up from the water .

 

Kurt

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Interesting guy - born in 1891 in New York, does his career in Navy Aviation and then ends up as a western sheriff (by the way we have a forum member who's a retired Marine now working as a San Diego County Sheriff's Deputy).

 

I found a photo of Deputy Strand in 1937 before he became sheriff. He was sitting next the to the Sheriff and Undersheriff in a group photo so even then he must have had a pretty high post in the department:

 

bertstrand.jpg

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usncollector

Absolutely amazing collection! You've got some pretty rare stuff there, as early naval aviation history is very obscure. Thanks for sharing!

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Here are some more pics!

 

The first 2 are more crash photos from the 1916-17 time period at Pensacola .

 

 

 

Bert3.jpg

Bert4.jpg

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