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Pineapple Air Force Pilot Wings Luke Field (Ford Island) 5th Composite Group 1930's


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Salvage Sailor

So you like wings? Rather than post this in the ephemera section I'm placing it here as it has so many different types and styles of wings it will get more coverage here.

 

The yardlong photo was taken at Luke Field, Territory of Hawaii in the mid 1930's by the Eleventh Photo Section, Air Corps, and it includes staff officers (medical, chaplain, etc.) along with the pilots of the Air Corps. They are all wearing Hawaiian Department patches and a variety of AC insignia, uniforms, ribbons and also marksmanship badges. There are undoubtedly future WWII general officers and commanding officers among these pilots and I'll post some close up details of their wings when I have time.

 

Recognize anyone?

Luke Field TH 001.jpg

 

Luke Field TH 002.jpg

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I did not realize this was the oŕiginal airfield on Ford Island. aviation.hawaii.gov/airfields-airports/oahu/ford-islandluke-field/

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Salvage Sailor

Yep, this is the 5th Composite Group - Probably around 1930

Luke Field (Ford Island) Pearl Harbor, Oahu T.H.

 

By the numbers starting from top left to bottom right 001 to 008

 

001.jpg

001

 

002.jpg

002

 

003.jpg

003

 

004.jpg

004

 

005.jpg

005 UPDATE - Pilot No. 5 - The future Lt General Thomas S. Moorman Sr.? He earned his pilot wings in October 1934 and was assigned to the 4th Observation Squadron, 5th Composite Group at Luke Field, Hawaii until July 1936

 

006.jpg

006

 

007.jpg

007

 

008.jpg

008

 

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Salvage Sailor

009 through 016

 

009.jpg

009

 

010.jpg

010

 

011.jpg

011

 

012.jpg

012

 

013.jpg

013

 

014.jpg

014

 

015.jpg

015

 

016.jpg

016

 

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Salvage Sailor

017 through 024 - Number 18 may be wearing the first 'crusher' in the Air Corps

 

017.jpg

017

 

018.jpg

018

 

019.jpg

019

 

020.jpg

020

 

021.jpg

021

 

022.jpg

022

 

023.jpg

023

 

024.jpg

024

 

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Salvage Sailor

025 though 031

 

025.jpg

025

 

026.jpg

026

 

027.jpg

027

 

028.jpg

028

 

029.jpg

029

 

030.jpg

030

 

031.jpg

031

 

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Salvage Sailor

032 and 033 - the Flight Surgeon, Captain Medical Corps, Hawaiian Department

 

032.jpg

032

 

033.jpg

033a

 

033a.jpg

033 Flight Surgeon, Medical Corps

 

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Salvage Sailor

036 and 037 - Two more staff Captains, another Medical Officer and the Quartermaster

 

036.jpg

036a

 

036a.jpg

036 Flight Surgeon, Medical Corps

 

037.jpg

037a

 

037a.jpg

037 Quartermaster Corps

 

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Salvage Sailor

038 and 039 - two older officers, possibly the Adjutant and the Lieutenant is wearing 'coffin bars'

 

038.jpg

038a

 

038a.jpg

038

 

039.jpg

039a

 

039a.jpg

039

 

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Salvage Sailor

40 and 41 - Sitting beside the "Old Man", the Commanding Officer with overseas chevrons and another Lieutenant

 

040.jpg

040a

 

040a.jpg

040

 

041.jpg

041a

 

041a.jpg

041

 

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Salvage Sailor

42 and 43 - The Chaplain

 

042.jpg

042a

 

042a.jpg

042

 

043.jpg

043a

 

043a.jpg

043 5th Composite Group Chaplain

 

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Salvage Sailor

44 and 45 - There we go, check out the DUI on the epaulette, it's the 5th Composite Group (later 5th Bombardment Group) Kiai O Ka Lewa (Guardians of the Upper Regions)

 

Airship Pilot

 

044.jpg

044a

 

044a.jpg

044 Airship Pilot

 

045.jpg

045a

 

045a.jpg

045 First Lieutenant Pilot wearing spurs

 

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Salvage Sailor

Last one, bottom row right side - 46 and 47 - Another pilot with older wings, coffin bars and overseas chevrons, there are some early pilots and Great War veterans in this group

 

046.jpg

046a

 

046a.jpg

046

 

047.jpg

047a

 

047a.jpg

047

 

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Salvage Sailor

Mahalo,

 

We (the Pineapple Army collectors) are leaning towards the CO in photo No. 40 as being Major Maxwell Kirby, Commanding Officer of the 5th Composite Group from Aug 1929 to June 1932. (The other candidate being Major Vincent B. Dixon) Kirby was enlisted in 1904, commissioned as 2nd LT Cavalry in 1913, and detailed to the Aviation Section, Signal Corps in 1916. He served in the AEF as a Captain and was awarded the Silver Star Citation. He was retired for disability in the line of duty in 1934 which would place the period of this photograph in the early 1930's which matches the uniform styles of the younger officers.

 

Anyone have info or a photo of either Kirby or Dixon for comparison or Kirby's SS Citation?

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  • 3 weeks later...
Salvage Sailor
On 8/10/2016 at 5:22 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

44 and 45 - There we go, check out the DUI on the epaulette, it's the 5th Composite Group (later 5th Bombardment Group) Kiai O Ka Lewa (Guardians of the Upper Regions)

 

 

 

Airship Pilot (from Emerson)

 

After World War I many aviators thought dirigibles would be a major aviation form and the War Department created the airship pilot rating. Pilots of free floating balloons received a different rating since airships, with engines and a rigid form, required true pilots, at least as viewed by the Air Service. With the well-publicized crashes of the US Navy airships and the commercial Germany Hindenburg, by the late 1930’s it was clear airships would not compete with heavier-than-air machines. 6 The War Department established this badge on 14 October 1921. As with other pilot badges AR 600-35, of 31 December 1926 called for wings worn on the wool service coat to be embroidered on dark blue cloth, while metal wings went on all other uniforms. The army abolished the airship pilot badge in circular 21, 1940. Airship pilots had other ratings and the elimination of this insignia left no one without a badge. Major General Oscar Westover, Chief of the Air Corps from December 1935 until his death in a crash in September 1938, was an airship pilot besides being rated as a balloon observer (really a balloon pilot), airplane pilot, and an airplane observer. Airship Pilot badges, authorized from 1921 to 1940, have been heavily reproduced for collectors.

 

044a.jpg

 

044.jpg

 

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doinworkinvans

Some great images! I really enjoyed seeing these. These are by far the sharpest uniforms...in my opinion. Great examples of prewar dress and wings. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

 

The gentleman in No. 015 looks really familiar but I am probably making too much of it. It also appears he may be wearing a balloon wing too.

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doinworkinvans

No. 002 is not "Tinker" is it? The dark skin and mustache sure does look like him to me. And I know he was in Hawaii at some point in the 30s.

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Salvage Sailor

No. 002 is not "Tinker" is it? The dark skin and mustache sure does look like him to me. And I know he was in Hawaii at some point in the 30s.

 

There are similarities but it's not Tinker. Anyone have any ID's on these pilots, several of them are Great War veterans and perhaps early Air Corps pilots

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