KASTAUFFER Posted August 5, 2008 #1 Posted August 5, 2008 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!
KASTAUFFER Posted August 5, 2008 Author #3 Posted August 5, 2008 The back of his discharge from 1936 showing his rating as a USCG Aviation Pilot.
KASTAUFFER Posted August 5, 2008 Author #4 Posted August 5, 2008 One of his regular " rides " . This is a photo of Douglas RD-4 Dolphin serial number 136 taken in 1935.
KASTAUFFER Posted August 5, 2008 Author #6 Posted August 5, 2008 Photo of Lt Allen with a PBY while serving with VP-6 in Greenland. He is the one on the left.
KASTAUFFER Posted August 5, 2008 Author #7 Posted August 5, 2008 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. The permanent citation.
KASTAUFFER Posted August 5, 2008 Author #8 Posted August 5, 2008 The temporary citation for the Air Medal Gold Star in lieu of 2nd award. I will post more if people want to see it .
Steve Brannan Posted August 5, 2008 #9 Posted August 5, 2008 A very nice historical group. The guy wanted to fly and wouldn't give up. Show some more pictures.
Garth Thompson Posted August 5, 2008 #10 Posted August 5, 2008 SWEET!!! 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
KASTAUFFER Posted August 6, 2008 Author #11 Posted August 6, 2008 SWEET!!! 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
KASTAUFFER Posted August 7, 2008 Author #12 Posted August 7, 2008 I found out last night his USCG aviator's number was 95 ! Not many pilots before him.
KASTAUFFER Posted August 7, 2008 Author #13 Posted August 7, 2008 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 .
KASTAUFFER Posted August 7, 2008 Author #14 Posted August 7, 2008 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 !
KASTAUFFER Posted August 7, 2008 Author #15 Posted August 7, 2008 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
KASTAUFFER Posted August 7, 2008 Author #16 Posted August 7, 2008 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.
KASTAUFFER Posted August 7, 2008 Author #18 Posted August 7, 2008 Lastly a nice crew photo taken in Northern Canada in 1944 .
ADMIN Posted August 7, 2008 #19 Posted August 7, 2008 This is such a super, rare set! I'm SO jealous!
ItemCo16527 Posted August 7, 2008 #20 Posted August 7, 2008 WOW! That is a fantastic group, Kurt! Hope you can find out what his Commendation Ribbon was awarded for.
bobgee Posted August 7, 2008 #21 Posted August 7, 2008 Wonderful & exceedingly rare aviation group, Kurt! You do find the good stuff! Congrats........thanks for posting......... Bobgee
PaulR Posted July 19, 2010 #22 Posted July 19, 2010 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).
Garth Thompson Posted July 19, 2010 #23 Posted July 19, 2010 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
Belleauwood Posted July 20, 2010 #25 Posted July 20, 2010 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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