bjconnell

Two officers, one a Commander, two Chiefs (I believe) and one enlisted man on the left. The Commander has his left hand bandaged. What's the story?

This is the crew of the PN-9-1 (BuNo A-6878) likely a day after arriving (note the fold creases in the pants - as if they were just retrieved from naval stores) on Kauai in September 1925. From the left side of the frame to the right, MM1/c William M. Bowlin; RM1/c Otis G. Stantz; Cdr. John Rodgers; Lt. Byron J. Connell; and CPO Skiles R. Pope. Rodgers and his crew's flight to Hawaii is one of the great aviation survival stories. Setting forth from San Pablo Bay, California on August 31st, to Kahului, Maui (and then on to Pearl Harbor, Oahu) in an NAF PN-9 flying boat (BuNo A-6878). Unfortunately, the aircraft exhausted its fuel approximately 300 miles east of Maui and had to set down in the sea on September 1st. Now adrift, Rodgers and crew then created improvised sails from the fabric of the aircraft's lower wing and "sailed" the aircraft toward the islands in the hopes of reaching either Oahu or Kauai. By September 10th, within sight of Kauai, the crew began waving fabric and burning oily rags in a bucket in the hopes of being spotted. Ten miles off shore, lookouts on board the submarine R-4 (SS-81) spotted the PN-9 and took the plane under tow to Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauai. As for Rodgers' hand, the headline story of the September 11, 1925 edition of the New York Sun ("Lost Hawaiian Fliers Saw Big Ship Pass - Signals of Distress Were Not Answered") states, "The commander received bad finger cuts when the towline being used to get the seaplane ashore parted." Here is newsreel footage of the PN-9 and its flight (and arrival in Kauai): www.youtube.com/watch?v=naiCxFxntGo Bowlin would later serve as Adm. Richard E. Byrd's navigator and pilot during Byrd's Second Antarctic Expedition (1933-35), earning him the Distinguished Flying Cross. Later earning a commission as an officer, during World War II, Bowlin flew supplies into the Pacific theater. He'd retire from the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander in 1949. Passing away in 1973. See also: The Daily Banner,Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana - September 13, 1933, "Putnam Native Will Make Trip With Byrd to South Pole - W.M. Bowlin Born In Roachdale, To Accompany Commander Byrd") John Rodgers, already a distinguished early Naval Aviator, would go on to serve as the Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics until his death on August 27, 1927, when the plane he was piloting suddenly nose-dived into the Delaware River. Here's a photo of Rodgers and crew just after rescue, for comparison: Also worth reading: aviation.hawaii.gov/aviation-pioneers/john-rodgers/life-o... airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/hawaii-by-air/online/early... medium.com/@naugusta/first-flight-to-hawaii-fa365aef40a#....

TVL1970, thank you very much. I had heard of the exploit, but did not know the details. The pictures are fantastic. Now that I know the background, I can see USS JOHN RODGERS DD 989 was named for the three generations of Rodgers who served in the Navy, including Commander John Rodgers II, above. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rodgers_(naval_officer,_World_War_I) On a side note, I am surprised to find RM1 Stantz wearing a frame hat, which is why I thought he was a Chief Petty Officer. I had noticed the pants creases, too, but wasn't sure what that meant! Thanks again for a very illuminating post!

Old Salt Yeah, all of these photos are fantastic. Hopefully the families of these folks recognize the value photo collections like this one and others within the SDASM's collection, and give thought to sharing and/or donating them to a relevant museum, rather than throwing them out - or keeping them locked away. The long-distance pioneering flights to Hawaii are some of the most dramatic (and tragic) in the history of aviation.

I found this series while researching Flickr for another organization, the Universal Ship Cancellation Society (USCS) which specializes in collecting Naval postmarks and cachets. Flickr drew attention to the Museum by pointing out the wealth of information you have made available on the Flickr Commons. As you probably can tell from my comments, I have thoroughly enjoyed studying the photography and documents you've so generously made available and look forward to continuing to do so.

Lt. Byron J. Connell sitting on the bow of the PN-9-1.

Crew of the PN-9-1 (BuNo A-6878).