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1930's-WWII USCG Aviator Grouping


KASTAUFFER
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Ebay pays off from time to time, and this grouping shows the good stuff can be found without selling your house! This group was acquired for basically what an average fixed bail M-1 would cost on Ebay.

 

Lt Carl H. Allen USCG led a very interesting military career. He enlisted in the US Navy in 1925 for 4 years, and during that time went to Pensacola to earn his wings as an NAP ( Naval Aviation Pilot - an enlisted pilot ) . He failed with some very bad comments in his logbook!!!! He decided after his 4 years were up in 1929 to enlist in the USCG instead. Aviation was still in his blood, and he again went back to Pensacola to attempt to earn his wings of gold, but this time as a Coast Guard enlisted man! This time he passed and was appointed a " Coast Guard Aviation Pilot" holding the rating of Radioman 1c. Before WWII there were less than 100 Aviators in the USCG and very few of them were enlisted men.

 

He spent the next 6 years rescuing folks off of places like San Diego , Cape May NJ , and Long Island. In 1941 the war started and he would find himself looking for German subs in cold locations ( Greenland, Iceland ) rather than rescuing people. During WWII he became an officer and served with VP-6 which was a PBY squadron that was completely manned by Coast Guard Personnel. For his service during WWII he earned the Air Medal with 1 Gold Star. As of 1946 only 250 Air Medals had been awarded to USCG members, and only 11 earned a Gold Star ( 2nd award ). He also earned a Commendation Ribbon, but I have not figured out what the action was yet.

 

In 1946 he left the service, and I am not sure what he did after that point. There is still a lot to research.

 

Most of the important paperwork you would expect to see is represented in the group... his discharges, his flight logbooks, citations , and some photos ETC. There is also a scrapbook with articles in it about rescues he participated in during the 1930's .

 

I will try and post some more pics of the group, especially some of the logbook pages when I have some more time.

 

This is dedicated to the hard working folks of the USCG, and the lives they have saved!

 

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USCG.JPG

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One of his regular " rides " . This is a photo of Douglas RD-4 Dolphin serial number 136 taken in 1935.

 

USCG10.JPG

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Photo of Lt Allen with a PBY while serving with VP-6 in Greenland. He is the one on the left.

 

 

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USCG9.JPG

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Temporary citation for the Air Medal. The Temporary citations were given during the war, and the "permanent" citations signed by the Secretary of the Navy were generally issued post war. There were exceptions however early in the war and with higher decorations.

 

USCG4.JPG

 

 

The permanent citation.

 

 

USCG6.JPG

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The temporary citation for the Air Medal Gold Star in lieu of 2nd award.

 

USCG5.JPG

 

 

 

I will post more if people want to see it .

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Garth Thompson

SWEET!!! w00t.gifw00t.gifw00t.gif Kurt you are luckey I didn't spot this one or the fight would have been on. I had the priviledge of flying as co-pilot for the Coast Guard's last enlisted pilot Master Chief John Greathouse. He may well have known your guy. Now you have shamed me into doing a thread on my type one USCG Good Conducts.

Garth

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SWEET!!! w00t.gifw00t.gifw00t.gif Kurt you are luckey I didn't spot this one or the fight would have been on. I had the priviledge of flying as co-pilot for the Coast Guard's last enlisted pilot Master Chief John Greathouse. He may well have known your guy. Now you have shamed me into doing a thread on my type one USCG Good Conducts.

Garth

 

Hey Garth, I was thinking of you when I posted this. I knew you were aware of how scarce groups to Coastie pilots are. I cant wait to see your USCG GCM thread!

 

Kurt

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I had some time so here are some more pics!

 

This is a recommendation written for Lt Allen by his CO at the time he left the USCG. It gives you a good idea of his service .

 

USCG102.JPG

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This is a " FLight Report Form" filled out by his flight instructor at Pensacola in 1928 during his last training flight before being eliminated from the US Navy's training course. The flight instructor didnt have anything nice to say :)

 

He passed it 7 years later !

 

USCG100.JPG

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1st entry in his USCG flight log while he was a radioman. The person who signed this page Cdr. Elmer F. Stone who was one of the Pilots of the NC-4, the first successful trans-Atlantic flight earning the Navy Cross . He is considered the father of USCG Aviation and is USCG Aviator # 1 . He died of a heart attack in 1936 .

 

Here is a link about him : http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/efstone.htm

 

USCG101.JPG

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Here are some entries from his WWII flight log showing what kind of adverse flying he had to do in the Arctic. The first is from Arctic Canada and the next month is from Greenland. He flew over Magnetic North Pole in August . During one of those months he flew 138 flight hours.

 

USCG105.JPG

USCG104.JPG

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Wonderful & exceedingly rare aviation group, Kurt! You do find the good stuff! Congrats........thanks for posting......... twothumbup.gif

Bobgee

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  • 1 year later...

That is a great grouping. Thank you for sharing.

 

Was he demoted? The reason I ask is that he is a LT in the first Air Medal Citation. In the second citation, he is named as a LT(jg).

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Garth Thompson
That is a great grouping. Thank you for sharing.

 

Was he demoted? The reason I ask is that he is a LT in the first Air Medal Citation. In the second citation, he is named as a LT(jg).

Paul,

If you look through the citations the one awarding him Air Medal was for period 1944-45 when he was a Lt. The citation for the second award gold star was for 1943-44. Even though his gold star is a second award it was for an earlier period when he probably was a LT(jg).

Garth

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Belleauwood

Kurt,

 

I really do love the old aviation groups, this one included. You always post some of the nicest items on this forum.

 

Regards, Dennis

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