johnrodgers

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

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.

The caption on the print is incorrect. On the right side of the photo is seated famed early aviator J. Clifford Turpin in what is likely a Wright Model B aircraft. "Lieut. Rogers" is actually at the controls on the left side of the photo and is likely Lieutenant John Rodgers (US Naval Aviator #2). Rodgers was trained at the Wright School of Aviation in 1911 and flew from Huffman Prairie in Dayton, Ohio at the same time Cliff Turpin was a Wright Company pilot and instructor. While Rodgers was training at Huffman Prairie, he was visited by his cousin Calbraith "Cal" Perry Rodgers. Cal Rodgers became interested in aviation and he himself was instructed by the Wright Company and purchased his own aircraft. Cal Rodgers would become the first aviator to fly from coast to coast (Sept. 17 to Nov. 11, 1911) in a Wright Model EX Flyer named the "Vin Fiz". Cal Rodgers would perish in a plane crash during an exhibition flight over Long Beach, California in April 1912. Lt. John Rodgers would become Commander John Rodgers. Rodgers perished in 1926 when the aircraft he was piloting plunged into the Delaware River. Six ships were named in honor of him, his great-grandfather (Commodore John Rodgers) and grandfather (Admiral John Rodgers) – USS Rodgers and USS John Rodgers (DD-574, DD-983). John Rodgers Airport (now Honolulu International Airport, HNL) was also named after him (from Wikipedia). More here: hawaii.gov/hawaiiaviation/hawaii-aviation-pioneers/john-r...

Thanks for the information TVL 1970. We'll correct the names next time we update the record.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calbraith_Perry_Rodgers en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Clifford_Turpin