Chuckster's Link
Beendare's Link
FYI for you WWII buffs. Link is to an auction for a WWII Singer .45 auto that recently sold for $441,000. The gov commissioned Singer sewing machine co to make .45's. They had a followup contract to make 15,000 more but couldn't as they were also commissioned to make a 40mm Accessory which was deemed more important. Text below; This is the finest condition known example of a U.S. Model 1911A1 semi-automatic pistol that was from the 500 pistols manufactured by the Singer Manufacturing Co. under Educational Order W-ORD-396 in 1940. The contract of 500 Singer pistols were issued primarily to U.S. Army Air Corps squadrons. The pistol has the correct original and unique high gloss blue finish which is found only on U.S. Singer M1911A1 pistols.
The Keyes Fibre stocks are checkered brown plastic and lack the reinforcing rings around the screw holes and interior strengthening ribs found on later production Keyes stocks. The pistol has the correct milled trigger with checkered face, short wide spur hammer and checkered slide stop, safety lock and mainspring housing.
The left side of the slide is roll-stamped "S. MFG. CO./ELIZABETH, N.J.,U.S.A." in two lines. The right side of the frame is roll-stamped "UNITED STATES PROPERTY/M1911 A1 U.S.ARMY". The serial number "NoS800221" is stamped below the property mark. The serial numbers show the slight misalignment that is typical of Singer M1911A1 pistols. The left side of the frame is stamped with the "JKC" final inspection mark of Colonel John K. Clement Commander of the New York Ordnance District. A "P" proofmark is stamped on the left side of the frame above the magazine release, on the top of the slide between the ejection port and the front sight (the "P" faces left) and on the left side of the barrel lug.
The barrel has a full blue finish and the only marking is the "P" proofmark. The pistol is complete with three magazines with high polish full blue finish and oversize floorplate pins. This pistol is accompanied by a notarized letter dated July 7, 2010, from Stephen Clark. The letter explains how 1st Lt. Charles H. Clark was a pilot in the U.S. Air Corps during WWII. Prior to his military service, Lt. Clark was a pilot for the U.S. Navy Reserve, stationed on an aircraft carrier in Long Beach, California. He worked as a test pilot for North American Aviation in 1941 and joined the Army Air Corps in 1942, stationed at Burtonwood Air Depot in England. On May 11, 1943, he piloted a B-17F out of Bovington Field, England, to Iceland to recover bodies and papers from a B-24 which crashed on May 3, 1943. In the crash, the pilot, co-pilot, 4 crewmen and 8 passengers were killed; the only survivor was the tail gunner, who escaped with only minor injuries.
Among the recovered items by Lt. Clark was this Singer pistol which had been in his possession until October 7, 1958 when it was passed on to the son. Also with the pistol are 4 photographs of Lt. Clark, a section of the periodical "Take Off". North American Aviation Inc. of Texas, September 11, 1941, with an article about Clark, a copy of an individual flight record of 1st Lt. Clark for the month of May (year not recorded, writer assumes 1943, the month of the recovery) and a copy of an internet fact sheet with the summary of the circumstances of the crash of the on B-24 May 3, 1943 in Iceland.
I actually had a 10 year old student who know what today was and a couple more that had some idea, but didn't know any details. Three out of four that I asked wasn't too bad.
BTW, WWII is farther away for these kids than the Spanish-American War was for some of us when we were that age. How much did we know about it?
"This is the last "unofficial known" photo of the USS Arizona before she was sunk on Dec 7, 1941. She leaving Puget Sound WA early 1941 after having upgrades completed.""
The Rock
The Rock
The Rock
After he passed I ordered a copy of his service record from the archives in St Louis a couple of years back. Any family member can do that of a deceased relative. Some of his DD-215 info did not match some of the info in his service record. My brother said when the archives in St Louis burned a lot of the service records had to be rebuilt. A copy of his DD-215 was not in his records. Luckily we had the original or a good copy of it so we knew where he fought. I think his DD-215 gave his time over there as 1945 but his service record dates had 1946. I'd have to look at it again. Not sure if the difference had something to do with his underage being discovered after the fact, a typo or ?? Anywho....I might research his USMC unit history one day and learn more about what was going on.
His parents died when he was young. His service record had a document showing who his legal guardian was at the time. I had to research that some. Turns out his aunt and her husband became his legal guardians. Earlier this summer I tracked down the son of the aunt and her husband. The son is an elderly gent now. He doesn't remember my dad but I sent him some of my dad's stuff mentioning his dad and mother. He would be my 2nd or 3rd cousin.
His final assignment was at the Marine Corp Barracks on "8th and I" in Wash DC in 1947/48. I retired a couple-three blocks from there 63 or 64 years later. The irony....
The Rock
Thumper's Link
