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WWI 2nd LT Pilot to WWII USAAF General Grouping


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I was not going to buy the ribbons as they wanted $50 for them and they looked like they were home made and kind of janky but I found the logs and other paperwork in the basement in some boxes so I went ahead and bought them . My question is do the ribbons and photo belong with the booklets? Also any info you might see that stands out would help. The logs go from 1917-1930s sometime.

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I would say it all belongs together. Great pickup! You didn't miss anything else, did you? Uniforms?

 

First time I have seen the use of the word " janky" outside of the show, American Pickers. (and good that you were able to "bundle" it all, which left enough "meat on the bone" for you. (sorry, couldn't resist)

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Airborne-Hunter

Looks like an excellent research project. The WW1 stuff is very nice. In WW2 he was awarded a Cloud and Banner as well - very good research material

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I am going back this weekend to see if I missed anything else. They were not allowing anyone down in the basement but I talked my way into them letting me go down. Its a huge sale with 2 big houses and like 6 barns so I didnt even look through everything before I had to go to work. The weird thing is the last name of the people were Ford and I got some Korean War slides so I guess there was a bunch of families there.

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I think I found him on google

 

https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/107216/brigadier-general-claude-e-duncan/

 

 

BRIGADIER GENERAL CLAUDE E. DUNCAN
Died December 01,1971
Claude Edward Duncan was born in Boulder, Colo., in 1895. He graduated from high school at San Diego, Calif., in 1914, and then attended the University of California for one year.
In August 1917, he enlisted as a private first class in the Aviation Section of the Signal Reserve and entered the Aviation ground school at Austin, Texas. Upon graduation in November 1917, he was transferred to the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe, where he continued his pilot training and on March 13, 1918, graduated from flying school at Foggia, Italy, was rated a pilot and commissioned a first lieutenant in the Air Reserve.
General Duncan continued to serve with the AEF after receiving his commission and later with the Army of Occupation in Germany until October 1919. The following month he was assigned to the First Aero Squadron at Mitchel Field, N.Y. In February 1920 he was transferred to Hawaii, where he served successively at Luke and Wheeler fields. He received his regular commission as a first lieutenant in the Air Service July 1, 1920.
In December 1923, General Duncan became an instructor at the advanced flying school at Kelly Field, Texas, and in September 1927 assumed that position at the primary flying school at Brooks Field, Texas. He entered the Air Corps Technical School at Chanute Field, Ill., in October 1929. He completed the maintenance and engineering course in April 1930 and was assigned to the Seventh Bomb Group at Rockwell Field, Calif. In October 1931 he joined the 17th Pursuit Group at March Field, Calif. In September 1935 he entered the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Ala., graduated in June 1936 and assumed command of the First Bomb Squadron at Mitchel Field, N.Y. In December 1938, General Duncan was named assistant executive in the Office of the Chief of Air Corps.
General Duncan, in January 1942, was assigned as a special observer with the Eighth Air Force in England. The following month he became chief of staff of the Eighth Bomber Command there, and in June 1942, assumed command of the First Provisional Wing of that command. From August to November 1942 he was commander of the XII Bomber Command in England and North Africa.
In February 1943, General Duncan was assigned to the II Bomber Command at Spokane, Wash., and the following month went to North Africa on a special mission. He was assigned to the plans section of the Second Air Force at Colorado Springs, Colo., in May 1943, and two months later was named chief of the supply section of the 58th Bomb Wing at Marietta, Ga. From November 1943 to July 1944 he served successively as assistant executive and assistant chief of staff of the XX Bomber Command in India and China.
General Duncan assumed command of the air base at Pyote, Texas, in September 1944; and in January 1945 was named chief of staff of the Second Air Force at Colorado Springs, Colo. He assumed command of the air base at Camp Pinedale, Calif., in April 1946, and the following September became commander of the air base at Long Beach, Calif.
In August 1950 General Duncan was appointed deputy for operations of the Fourth Air Force at Hamilton Air Force Base, Calif. The following October he became chief of staff of the Fourth Air Force and in December 1950 was named vice commander of that organization.
General Duncan has been awarded the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star Medal.
He is rated a command pilot, combat observer and technical observer.
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Those ribbon bars are beautiful...made from the small pieces of ribbon that come with the medals in the coffin cases. Plus, with the foreign awards, it might have been all the ribbon he could get his hands on at the time to make up the bars (and is why so many ribbons from that time period are embroidered...so much easier than finding the actual foreign-made ribbon material!)

 

Overall, this is a SUPER group with the early aviator logs and IDs...tremendous!

 

Dave

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Thanks! I only bought the ribbons because I always regret it when I come here and post stuff and then everyone tells me I need to go back haha. I normally rush back and its all gone so I decided to bite the bullet and pay up. Luckily everything else was 5 or 6 dollars so it offset paying so much for the ribbons.

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Salvage Sailor

Excellent Grouping,

 

If you have them, check out the pilot logs for Luke Field in 1920. If he was attached to the 6th Aero or 2nd Observation squadrons I may have some photos of him in my archives.

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Will do! Thanks. I put them in the freezer for awhile as they were covered in white mold. I feel like I am breathing fire still from that basement. I have some slides from Korea 1950s that came from the basement too that I am hoping he is in.

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Salvage Sailor

Looks like he was in the 4th Aero Squadron at Luke Field in 1920.

 

Extract from U.S. Air Service, Volume 5 Number 1 February, 1921 (In regard to his postings after the 12th Aero Squadron in Europe 1918-1920)

Duncan, Claude E., 1st Lieut., Luke Field, Pearl Harbor, H.T.

“Doings”: After 12th (Aero Squadron WWI) left, transferred to 4th Corps A.S. Hq. Stationed at Sinzig, Germany, Soft, good bunch of officers from 12th, three very nice “Y” girls, three Cadillacs, two Salmsons, one German castle, and nothing to do. Assigned to 88th May 1. Transferred to 1st at Weissenthurm. Assigned to Mitchell upon arrival in States and came over here (Hawaii in 1920) with the 4th (Aero Squadron). Flying here is pretty rough, as there is always lots of wind coming from over the mountains, but there is a lot of interesting work in connection with interisland flights.

After this service, these were his other Air Service command postings (as usual, a very long time in rank as a Lieutenant and Captain in the interwar Army)

 

US Army Order of Battle 1919–1941 Volume 3
The Services: Air Service, Engineers, and Special Troops, 1919–41
By Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Steven E. Clay
Commanders, 42nd School Squadron
42nd Bombardment Squadron 1st Lt. Claude E. Duncan 1 May 24-10 Mar 26
Commanders, 76th Service Squadron
1st Lt. Claude E. Duncan 25 Aug 31-24 Sep 31
Commanders, 70th Service Squadron
1st Lt. Claude E. Duncan 4 Nov 31-1 Dec 31
Commanders, 64th Service Squadron
Capt. Claude E. Duncan 1 Dec 31-11 Mar 33
Commanders, 1st Observation Squadron (I)
1st Bombardment Squadron Maj. Claude E. Duncan 20 Jul 36-29 Jan 39

Much more detail on the locations and history of these squadrons in the text

online reference link https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a562278.pdf

 

 

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The slides are his! All the Japan and Korea slides are in black and white and look older than the Korean war , probably in the period between the wars. It also looks like he went around and took pictures of all his old buddies. I looked up a couple and found a MOH winner

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