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AAF Crash Boat P-107


hink441
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I have this picture of a 104' Army Air Force crash boat. I am trying to find out where this boat may have operated and learn about the crew. The picture is signed by each member of the crew.

 

Here is a few pics. Any help would be great.

 

post-10825-0-24177900-1563238806_thumb.jpeg

 

post-10825-0-32933300-1563238947_thumb.jpeg

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Hink,

 

I don't know if you saw this website, but they may be able to help you.

 

https://uscrashboats.org

 

Great photo by the way!

 

TH1

Thanks for the link!

 

I previously searched that website and unfortunately did not find a lot of info on this particular boat. Would really like to find out where this boat was operated. The website did mention that this boat was built by Ventnor Boatworks in Atlantic City NJ. In October of 1942.

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MastersMate

Might be worth trying for clues from the shoreline Do the trees appear to have leaves on them, may indicate the NE region during the winter months. Anything particularly note worthy about the buildings? The shoreline itself, in particular the dark line at the waters edge. Could it be a rocky shore or possibly seaweed. A wide area could indicate a big difference in the height of tide where the photo was taken. The range of tide could indicate the NE region. Any Army Airfields along the NY, Conn, RI , Mass or Maine coasts that could fit the picture..

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Might be worth trying for clues from the shoreline Do the trees appear to have leaves on them, may indicate the NE region during the winter months. Anything particularly note worthy about the buildings? The shoreline itself, in particular the dark line at the waters edge. Could it be a rocky shore or possibly seaweed. A wide area could indicate a big difference in the height of tide where the photo was taken. The range of tide could indicate the NE region. Any Army Airfields along the NY, Conn, RI , Mass or Maine coasts that could fit the picture..

That is a good idea. I had not thought of that possibility I will have to take a closer look. This picture was found in Berlin Maryland near Ocean City.

 

Chris

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RustyCanteen

Good photo, I hope you have some success in researching the boat's history and the crew. Keep us updated!

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RustyCanteen

You might want to try posting this in the research section too, someone might be able to aid in your research of the crew. Good luck

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Looking at the roster on that website and looking at your photo there is a Lt. Bernard A Kowalski listed on P-107 (although the signature/name in your photo is closer to Lt Bernard A Kuzinsk?) Maybe the site has the last name wrong???

 

TH1

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Looking at the roster on that website and looking at your photo there is a Lt. Bernard A Kowalski listed on P-107 (although the signature/name in your photo is closer to Lt Bernard A Kuzinsk?) Maybe the site has the last name wrong???

 

TH1

I could not find the name you listed on the website. I found one Kowalski but he was a SSG and not listed as assigned to P-107.

 

Can you provide a screenshot of the roster with Lt. B. A. Kowalski assigned to P-107?

 

Thank you.

 

Chris

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  • 2 weeks later...

If this helps... Burton Emil Newquist (1913-1978) enlisted at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, He died in Dallas, TX. Also, I don't know if AAF crash boats used Navy camouflage schemes, but P-107's camo resembles the Navy Measure 22 (Haze Grey over Navy Blue). This pattern was common in the Atlantic, although it was sometimes seen in the Pacific. My guess is the photo was taken off the U.S. East coast.

 

Tom

 

P.S. Great photo!

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The problem is that crash boats were everywhere in detachments, in size relative to the area they were assigned. Their records would be inetrmixed in harbor logs and lakes with hundreds of other vessels, needle in haystack situation.

However, fortunately, this image has some identifiable features that can be researched. First, this is a 100' boat in which I do not think very many if any at all went over seas staying within the confines of the continental United States frontier. I think the most important entry is Warrant Officer Edward Brogan. Typically each boat's Master was a local civilian that had thorough knowledge of the coastline and surrounding area, the remainder of the crew was USAAF. Often was the case, the Master was a civilian pilot, this would explain the A.V.S. designation of Brogan and him being a Warrant Officer. I think you'll find that Brogan was a local to the area and a civilian absorbed for the war effort. I think the next abbreviation of Brogan is significant of N.M.B. which I think is North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, it was a hot bed of AAF activity that would certainly warrant a contingent of crash boats.

In summary, I believe Brogan was the Master of P-107 and the coast line you see in the image is that somewhere off Myrtle Beach.

 

All these larger crash boats had dispensaries, I noticed several signatures with M/S which means Medical Service.

I'm curious to know what J/S and A.J.S. means......anyone have any ideas?

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As another thought, when Brogan signed the image he used his own abbreviation or unoffcial. I believe he was abbreviating to mean Aviation Service (A.V.S.), North Mrytle Beach (N.M.B.)

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All good information!

 

I wonder if the A.K. Sylvia signature is followed by (ATS)? Army Transport Service would make sense. This was the Army's Sailors branch at the time.

 

Also, could the M/S be Master Sergeants, and the T/S be Tech Sergeants?

 

The (North Myrtle Beach) NMB is an interesting possibility!!

 

Chris

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Ah yes, I could be miss interrupting the cursive, T not J. They all seemed to have their unique way of stating their rank. There has to be medical personnel there, possibly with one of the lieutenants.

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Salvage Sailor

All good information!

 

I wonder if the A.K. Sylvia signature is followed by (ATS)? Army Transport Service would make sense. This was the Army's Sailors branch at the time.

 

Also, could the M/S be Master Sergeants, and the T/S be Tech Sergeants?

 

The (North Myrtle Beach) NMB is an interesting possibility!!

 

Chris

 

 

Aye,

 

The USAAF TOE for these squadrons notes them as Master Sergeants (M/S) and Technical Sergeants (T/S) on the official reports.

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Now that we have some clarification on the ranks, P-107 had its authorized allotment of a 12-man crew and conforming to its rank structure. To satisfy my curiosity, the medical personnel allotment was to include one Surgical Techician at a rank of S/Sgt. So one of those sergeants is in fact the medically trained individual. To help support my theory about Brogan, each boat was to include one Master, Maritime at a rank of Warrant Officer. Brogan was most likely a Maritime Pilot of the area a civilian priory employed by the Maritime Commission. I've additionally learned that the Maritime Commission had an abbreviation AvSALT which means Aviation Safety Advisor Liaison Team. Brogan could had shortened that up to just AVS.

The civilian master would had in fact met that description of a liaison advisor navigating the surrounding waters. Again likely, he added the area he was assigned as advisor which was abbreviated as NMB, being the strongest possibility of North Myrtle Beach. Two commissioned officers are additionally listed as Masters, they are the first two signatures.

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