CAP WWII Air Medals - USAF Perspective

[Orville_third]

As part of my online browsing for CAP-related (or semi-CAP related) stuff, I came across the document, "Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal Criteria in the Army Air Forces in World War II (,) In Rough Chronological Sequence" by Barry L. Spink, Archivist with the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-081010-025.doc
In it, I came across this passage:

On another issue, pilots of the Civil Air Patrol had been flying anti-submarine coastal patrols, racking up a tremendous amount of flying hours.  Although not officially combatants, they eventually were provided with bombs to drop if they spotted German submarines while on patrol (on 15 July 1942 the Civil Air Patrol was credited with sinking or damaging two submarines).  By the end of the summer of 1943, the U.S. Navy and Army Air Forces had built their own forces up to the point that Civil Air Patrol was no longer needed to conduct anti-submarine patrols, and therefore relieved of those duties.  Word had spread about the flying duties of the Civil Air Patrol, and the fact that none of the pilots were achieving any recognition by the Army Air Forces was commented on by the American press.  The Herald Tribune noted in May 1943, "Several Army pilots in the Gulf area drew...Medals for flying 200 hours over the ocean on anti-sub patrol.  They have the best equipment.  Civil Air Patrol pilots doing the same work fly old one-engine planes.  There are 15 men who have done 300 hours, several logged 600!  But no medals." (1)  The fact that civilian pilots had been armed was a closely guarded secret at the time.  Shortly after the sinking or damaging two German submarines in July 1942, Air Medals were considered for the two pilots flying out of Atlantic City, New Jersey, Wynant C. Farr and John Haggins.  However, the awards would have to be kept secret.  As Earl L. Johnson, the Civil Air Patrol National Commander said at the time, "From the standpoint of moral of this whole organization, it is too bad that an incident of this kind can not be publicized but some day the story will be told...." (2)  After a dramatic air-sea rescue on 29 May 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt personally awarded two Civil Air Patrol pilots (Hugh R. Sharp and Edmond Edwards) an Air Medal in the Oval Office at the White House.   In early September 1943, at the end of the Civil Air Patrol's participation in the anti-submarine coastal patrol duty, the idea of Air Medals to be bestowed upon the participating pilots was once again taken up at Headquarters Army Air Forces.   Unfortunately, the Air Force Historical Research Agency's holdings do not hint at the outcome.

(1)- Newspaper Article, Herald Tribune, "Civil Air Heroes," 26 May 1943 (AFHRA Call Number 424.952).
(2)- Letter, Office of Civilian Defense, Earl L. Johnson, National Commander, Civil Air Patrol, to Base Commander Wynant C. Farr and Pilot John Haggins, 17 July 1942, on file with Civil Air Patrol National Historian.
(3)- Book, "Flying Minute Men, the Story of Civil Air Patrol" by Robert E. Neprud, page 19 and photo supplement, Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1948, revised and reprinted by the Office of Air Force History, 1988 (AFHRA Call Number 270.04-1, IRIS Number: 168978).

Would CAP's publications have additional information to rectify this situation? (Conversely, if the Office of Air Force History reprinted "Flying Minute Men", they may be able to reprint it.)

Does this information interest anyone?

[SarDragon]

824 Issued to CAP Coastal Patrol Aircrews for services during WWII. (1942-1945)     The first two Air Medals were awarded to CAP Members.   

[jimmydeanno]

I posted this transcript of a document found at my unit: http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=4519.msg87806#msg87806

HEADQUARTERS
NEW HAMPSHIRE WING, CIVIL AIR PATROL
Building T-358, Grenier Air Force Base
Manchester, New Hampshire

27 April 1948

SUBJECT: Military-Civilian Gulf Bridged by C.A.P. Medals

TO:          All Units, New Hampshire Wing, Civil Air Patrol

1. The New York Wing has brought to the attention of these headquarters the following article by Gill Robb Wilson appeared in the New York Herald Tribune on 26 April 1948 and is quoted for your information:

"At ceremonies on April 17 in Philadelphia, the Air Force presented to Civil Air Patrol Group 17 the first thirty-one of the 824 air medals awarded by citation to members of the twenty-one anti-submarine patrol squadron of the Civil Air Patrol.  The presentation was made by Major General Lucas V. Beau, National Commander, Civil Air Patrol, who will decorate the remaining twenty squadrons at ceremonies in various cities over the next several months.

This recognition, while significant as the greatest number of civilians ever to receive military decoration and because the medals are so richly deserved, is yet more significant because it symbolizes the growth of a fresh concept both in military and civilian thinking.  The recognition constitutes a bridging of the gulf which traditionally has lain between the defense establishment and the citizen.

The Civil Air Patrol was born at the dawn of one crisis to the accompaniment of military ridicule and contempt.  It stands in the threat of a succeeding crisis as a recognized fundamental adjunct of air power.  The contrast of its standing then and now is the yardstick of intellectual progress during the interim.  In short, the broad gulf which formerly separated the military establishment from the civilian population and constituted a basic weakness to the nation has been filled in and is now only a vocational line of demarcation.

If trouble should ever again come to the United States, the civilian capacity to stand firm would be essential to military effectiveness.  After the air battle of Great Britain, Mr. Churchill said of the airmen: "Never did so many owe so much to so few."  This was a deserved eulogy.  But of the civilian population of London who acted as spotters, fire wardens and in a hundred kindred capacities, it could be just as truly said: "Never did a nation owe so much to so many."

It is in the nature of modern security that, while drama still walks in uniform, liberty in the final analysis still rests in the hands of the embattled people.

In actual accomplishment the anti-submarine groups of the Civil Air Patrol carried out 5,684 special missions in connection with convoys; sighted and reported 171 submarines; summoned help for 181 vessels in distress; detected and reported seventeen mines laid by subs in front of convoys; found and called help for 363 survivors of torpedoed ships; observed and reported 863 instances of irregular conduct on the part of ships at sea; and in a night flying patrol program broke up the routine of signaling between German submarines and enemy agents along American shores.

In the course of this work the anti-submarine element of the C.A.P. flew 24,000,000 miles at sea in personally owned light aircraft between March 1, 1942, and August 1, 1943, when the submarine menace was defeated.  Ninety planes were lost at sea, and 26 men.  The other crews were rescued.

It is civilian records such as this which must command attention and respect, but more importantly must point the way to the problem of security and peace in a modern era.  The military forces would have done wisely had they presented the American Theater ribbon to the airplane spotters, air raid wardens, members of the American Woman's Voluntary Services, nurses' aids, Red Cross motor corps and other groups.  Thousands of individuals in these various volunteer services put on as great a show, without reward or recognition, as did their brothers and sisters in uniform.

If trouble should come again, it would be the enormously magnified function of such person to hold together the social structure, a task which would involve new heights of ingenuity and be done at grave peril.  Any recognition of this fact such as the granting of air medals to the Civil Air Patrol not only fulfills the claims of justice but lays the groundwork for an even more important factor - survival."


JOHN F. BROWN
Colonel, CAP
Commanding
New Hampshire Wing, CAP

[Orville_third]

Wow! Thanks for posting the historical documents! You may want to send a copy of said letter to AFHRA at Maxwell AFB.

AFHRA
600 Chennault Circle
Maxwell AFB, AL
36112-6424

I'm sure Archivist Barry L. Spink will be glad to have more info.

[AdAstra]

I still think that the proud oft-repeated claim that the first two Air Medals were presented to CAP officers is a bit suspect. As distinguished an archivist as Barry Spinks didn't mention it once in his 73-page study. Spinks implies that quite a large number of Air Medals were being presented in 1942-43.

Robert Neprud, writing "Flying Minute Men" immediately after WWII and with full access to the Air Force records, only states that President Roosevelt awarded the Air Medal to Sharp and Edwards.

The only resource I've seen is CAP Historical Monograph #2, Air Medals, which cites a 1983 oral history interview with Hugh Sharp: "Roosevelt's comments to Sharp that this was the first time that he had awarded this medal was fitting tribute in itself." I could read that as the first Air Medal personally presented by Roosevelt. And 1983 is 40 years after the event, and Sharp's memory may have embellished the ceremony?

I doubt that my short visit to the Air Force Historical Research Agency next week will add anything new.

[RiverAux]

As distinguished an archivist as Barry Spinks didn't mention it once in his 73-page study.

what is most worrying to me is his conclusion that the AFHRA evidently does not have a copy of the relevant CAP Historical Monograph or that he never found it. 

[flyerthom]

Found this:

Civil Air Patrol actually received credit for sinking one possibly two submarines during WWII. The first was by Capt(CAP) Haggin and Maj(CAP) Farr while flying a Grumman Widgeon out of Coastal Patrol Base 1 Bader Field Atlantic City NJ.  They spotted the submarine about 24 miles off Absecon NJ.  They carried two 325-pound depth charges beneath the wings.  Don't have all the details for the probable but do know they attacked about 57 other and damaged 17.  Cheers

http://forum.armyairforces.com/m147231-print.aspx

Same page further down;

Number two was  credited to CAP but may have been a miscredit:

HOWEVER .... discovery of U-166 in the Gulf of Mexico a couple of years ago sheds doubt on this ....
 
 
 
On August 1, 1942, a J4F-1 flown by US Coast Guard Patrol Squadron 212 based out of Houma, Louisiana and flown by Chief Aviation Pilot Henry White spotted and attacked a German U-boat off the coast of Louisiana. White reported the submarine sunk, and he was subsequently credited with sinking U-166 and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
However, the wreck of U-166 was found sitting near the wreck of SS Robert E. Lee in June 2001 by an oil exploration team working for BP Amoco and Shell Oil Company. The sinking of U-166 on July 30 (that is two days before the Widgeon flight) is now credited to PC-556 patrol craft escorting the SS Robert E. Lee.[1] White's aircraft is now thought to have made an unsuccessful attack against U-171, a Type IXC U-boat identical to U-166 that reported an air attack coincident with White's attack. U-171 was undamaged by White's attack, but was sunk four months later in the Bay of Biscay.[2]

To further complicate this - the Coast Guard makes the claim. Since Chief Aviation Pilot is a Coast Guard Rank this seems more reasonable:
http://www.uscg.mil/history/uscghist/U166.asp

[lordmonar]

We....to be fair....it is not the first time that someone has claimed credit for a sinking that did not happen.....or conversly not get credit for a sinking that did happen.  Even air to air kills were often over credited.  Many of the Aces of WWII had partial credit for kills that could not be confirmed.

So it either way it does not lessen the efforts of the Costal Patrol guys nor CAP's contribution if we did not really sink any subs. 

[flyerthom]

We....to be fair....it is not the first time that someone has claimed credit for a sinking that did not happen.....or conversly not get credit for a sinking that did happen.  Even air to air kills were often over credited.  Many of the Aces of WWII had partial credit for kills that could not be confirmed.

So it either way it does not lessen the efforts of the Costal Patrol guys nor CAP's contribution if we did not really sink any subs.

First bit seems to support at least one score. But you are right. We did something. We saved lives and the profound courage it took to do that job is now our tradition. I just find the whole history of the claims fascinating.

[alamrcn]

Hey, this would be a another GREAT thread for that new History section on CAP Talk!!  :clap:

[Smithsonia]

In nearly every synopsis of the anti sub events that I have ever seen - To our credit -
"The Civil Air Patrol is credited with one confirmed and perhaps one unconfirmed U-boat sinking." We've always been circumspect about the UBoat combat.

This is a little like a football "sack" versus a "hurry" versus a "harassment" versus assist.... versus "whatever."

We've always been humble about our WW2 contributions. That said ...
Keeping subs underwater through harassment and so the Navy could sink them the next day, well... that is all part of playing a team sport, isn't it. Let the Navy have the credit for the U-Boat sinking and give CAP the "assist."

It will always be tough to know if an air ace got a kill by pumping the "killer" bullet into the cockpit of an air opponent. Or the wingman that took the break off shot, or perhaps it was the dead pilots rookie mechanic who left the oil cap loose, that actually made the fate and caused the havoc.

In the end it makes no difference if the nose tackle or linebacker gets the "sack"... as long as our team won the game. AND our team participated with distinction.

[Nolan Teel]

In nearly every synopsis of the anti sub events that I have ever seen - To our credit -
"The Civil Air Patrol is credited with one confirmed and perhaps one unconfirmed U-boat sinking." We've always been circumspect about the UBoat combat.

This is a little like a football "sack" versus a "hurry" versus a "harassment" versus assist.... versus "whatever."

We've always been humble about our WW2 contributions. That said ...
Keeping subs underwater through harassment and so the Navy could sink them the next day, well... that is all part of playing a team sport, isn't it. Let the Navy have the credit for the U-Boat sinking and give CAP the "assist."

It will always be tough to know if an air ace got a kill by pumping the "killer" bullet into the cockpit of an air opponent. Or the wingman that took the break off shot, or perhaps it was the dead pilots rookie mechanic who left the oil cap loose, that actually made the fate and caused the havoc.

In the end it makes no difference if the nose tackle or linebacker gets the "sack"... as long as our team won the game. AND our team participated with distinction.

Well played!

[AdAstra]

I'm back from Maxwell AFB and several hours at the Air Force Historical Research Agency during my lunch breaks.

I had a very informative chat with Barry Spink, but he could not prove or disprove CAP's claim to earning the first Air Medals. He has no idea whence came the oft-repeated quote about CAP Air Medals, but we laughed as we agreed that it could be punctuated, emphasized and interpreted a couple of different ways.

Mr. Spink suggested checking Roosevelt's Presidential Library at Hyde Park, NY to see if there were any notations in his diary that day might add more information. And maybe other photos taken?