1896-1983 by Peter Rogerson |
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(Source: Glenn Curtiss Museum; Hammondsport, NY) 1. Enlisted Royal Flying Corps, Canada, June, 1917 2. Graduated School of Military Aeronautics, University of Toronto, July 1917 3. Soloed OX5, JN4, July 1917, Camp Mohawk 4. Gunnery School, Camp Borden 5. Commissioned 2/Lt. RFC, September, 1917 6. Posted to Air Ministry, London, October, 1917 7. Assigned #4 Training Depot Station, Hooton Park, Cheshire, England, November 1917 8. Soloed Avro after 1 hr. instruction 9. Cross Country on Sopwith Pup (first student pilot to fly cross-country in service type aircraft). 10. Gazetted 2nd/Lt. Flying "A". 1917 (Entitled to wear wings). 11. Posted to School of Special Flying, Gosport, for flight instructor's course. 12. Posted back to Hooton Park as flight instructor, then to Shotwick as flight instructor. Later on, was posted back to Hooton Park, flying Sopwith Dolphins, Camels. |
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13. Joined #1 Squadron Canadian Air Force as member of "C" flight, Capt. G.O. Johnson commanding the flight. 'C" flight became
Show Flight, on Sopwith Dolphins, with all stunts performed in close formation. 14. C.A.F. moved to Upper Heyford, Oxon, with headquarters in Merton College, Oxford University 15. C.A.F. moved to Shoreham-by-the-Sea, Sussex. 16. Posted to Fienvillers, France, with D.G. Carruthers and 25 mechanics, to assemble and test fly one or more of each type plane flown by German Air Force at the armistice. 17. Ordered back to Shoreham. 18. No. 1 Squadron CAF disbanded. Ordered to Manston in Kent. Ferried planes all around southern England for RAF; some flights to Africa and India. 19. Posted to 12 Squadron RAF with Army of Occupation in Germany, flying Bristol fighters. 20. Several months leave to Canada and US 21. Assigned to 100 Squadron RAF at Baldonell, Ireland 22. 100 Squadron ordered to Grantham Lincs. Whole squadron flew across Irish Sea in formation to Shotwick. 23. From 100 Squadron, demobilized and back to Canada. In 1924, flew 1st OX5 powered JN4 from Florida to Camp Columbia, Havana, Cuba. Carried 1st passenger in a JN4 across Florida Straits. Barnstormed Cuba for approximately one year. 24. Back to New York in 1925. Joined Curtiss Florida Aviation Camp, January 1, 1926. 25. Joined Massachusetts Airways, Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1928, flying Eaglerocks for flight instruction and Ryan B1 monoplane for racing and longhhaul passenger flights. 26. Fall of 1928: reported to Pan American Airways in Miami. Flew Tri-Motor Fokker F10 and F11's between Florida and Havana. Later moved to Dinner Key, flying boats to Havana and West Indies, Central and South America. Finally back to 4 engine land planes on Miami Airport, 36th St. 27. 1932: First pilot on UMCA flying S38 Amphibian from France Field, Panama, to Medellin, Columbia, via San Blas, with refueling stop at Turbo, Gulf of Darien, on coast of Columbia. Made 1st flight into Urrao, a city cut off from outside world for 400 years, except by mule train. City surrounded by high mountains and no roads to outside world. Made 1st night takeoff with S40 Flying Boat, from Magdalena River at Barranquilla, Columbia, to Kingston, Jamaica. Depart midnight; arrive Kingston at 6 AM. 28. During World War II, made 1st mid-Atlantic crossing from Miami via Bermuda-Azores to Marrakeech, North Africa. With Capt. Hal Goodwyn, in C54. Made 1st crossing Natal to Bathurst, by PAA crew in a C54. 29. Flew General A.C. Wedemeyer and staff on special mission to New Delhi, India. Flew General Stillwell, General Bill Old, General Merrill of Merrill's Marauders and General Clair Chenault on special flight Accra to Natal, Brazil. Special mission US Asst. Sec. of War John J. McCloy and Field Marshall Sir John Dill and their staffs, from Washington, DC to Cairo Conference. Special mission with Dwight D. Eisenhower from Cairo to Holy Lands and return. Special flight with Planning Board, US Army War Depts., from Cairo to Dakar, across North Africa battlefields. Flew General Lawrence Kuter back to Washington, DC from Cairo. 30. Special flight Miami-Albrook Field, Pananma, with group of navy Specialist Divers, to rescue sub, sunk near Balboa Breakwater. The sub was raised OK. |
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