Coleman
Primary Flying School - Coleman, Texas
Class
of 42 - D
A class book
for the class of 42-D has not been located at this time. It is not known if early classes produced class books.
Following are various articles about known members of this first class.
Excerts from The Flight Line, a
sort of history book of the flying school, states: "On October 7,
1941, the event of all this planning had arrived. Twenty-two
rated instructors and three flying officers were confronted by their
first eager students in the Army program." ... "From this
first class to graduate, was A/C W. W. Bonner, who, incidentally, was
the first to finish his prescribed number of hours at the 304th Air
Corps Training Detachment. After receiving his wings and
commission he was sent to the North African theater where he
distinguished himself in combat and was, in January of 1943, shot down
over enemy territory. Enduring many personal hardships, Lt.
Bonner made his way through enemy lines back to his own
headquarters. Later, he was again shot down over the
Mediterranean where he was last seen - his parachute open. Lt.
Bonner was only one of the many pilots who have started their career
here and have later distinguished themselves in action throughout the
world." ... "From the first class 42-D ..."
The following photograph, letter and articles are from Barbara Kennedy,
Atlanta, Georgia, a niece of Carson Bounds. She says, "My
mother's brother, Carson Bounds, wrote the attached letter from
the Coleman Primary Flying School. I just found the letter in the
drawer of my grandmother's old Singer treadle sewing machine. The
envelope was not saved and the letter is not dated. But from his
mention of Christmas and the talk of possible war with Japan, it
seems to me that it was before December 7 and maybe in November."
Class of 42-D
Taken in front of the Administration Building in the latter part of 1941 by W. P. Martin Studio, Coleman, Texas.
Carson Bounds, 4th from left, front row, is the only one identified.
On the back of the photograph are signatures of some of those in this group,
with image of the back at the right.
Hugh Johnston, Jr.
Woodstock, Georgia
Thomas F. Powell
Dora,
Alabama
William W. Bonner
Knoxville, Tennessee
J. Edwin Heatherly
Atlanta, Georgia
Charles E. Beall
Bunkie, Louisiana
Harold W. Goad
Portsmouth, Ohio
Thomas H. Higgins
Auburn, New York
Newman C.
Densby
Douglas, Alabama
Wilbur H. Carlisle
Alexander City, Alabama
Francis X. Egan
Flushing, New York
Carl F. Chapman
Macon, Georgia
John S. Lea
Knoxville, Tennessee
Robert G. DeLaney
Etowah,
Tennessee
William N. Pace
Guthrie, Kentucky
Carson Bounds
Philadelphia, Mississippi |
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The following letter and articles are about Lieut. Carson W. Bounds
Image of letter from Carson Bounds to his mother and family and transcription:
AIR CORPS TRAINING DETACHMENT
COLEMAN, TEXAS
Hello Folks,
Well this is Sunday night here and you might guess
what is the main topic of conversation. War with Japan. Yes it sort
of looks as if things have come to a head. By the time this reaches
you we will both know more about it.
I took my final check ride here Thursday. I passed it O.K. which
means I will go to Randolph Field. I am really glad to get to go there
as that place has no equal in the world for training flying cadets or
at least that is the reputation it has.
Well it is a most certain fact that I won't be
home Christmas now. I have not heard from Elliott this week.
We or rather they had a couple of crashes here last week, Thursday
it was. The weather has been pretty still ever since the other class
has been here and Thursday it was windy and a couple of the new boys
who did not have much solo time cut their power off too quick and
landing against a strong wind they did not get to the field. One hit a
tree and tore up his plane pretty bad and missed a house about two
feet. It hurt the boy pretty bad. He is in the hospital at
Brownwood. The other boy landed on the field boundary fence. It tore
up his plane but did not hurt him. All they would have had to do was
open the throttle.
The Commanding Officer just came through and told us all to stay in
close tonight, every man at his own table so as he could get in touch
with us as quick as possible. I don't know what he meant by it. He
also gave the OfficeR of the Day orders to check up on us every 15
min. I think he thinks the war scare will probably cause some one of
us to try to desert. He is bad wrong though, none of this crowd is
going to leave. The spirit here is, well if we are going to be
soldiers we may as well be good ones.
I have one more ride here. I guess I will get it tomorrow. I had
54 hours when I took my check ride and have flown about 2 hours since.
I still have about 2 ½ or three hours left to get 60 in but I think one
more ride is all I will get here.
Well write as often as you can. I will do the same.
Love
always,
Carson
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Unknown Newspaper January
1943
Germans Given Hot Reception
US Pilots Shoot Down or Damage Third of Attacking Force Without Loss
By Noland Norgaard
At a Forward United States Fighter Base in Tunisia, Jan. 13---(delayed)---(AP)
Straight shooting P-40 pilots, some of whom took off from a field on
which bombs were bursting, broke up a Nazi dive-bomber attack on this
airdrome yesterday, shot down or damaged a third of the raiding force,
and sent the remainder fleeing home.
Lieut. Walter Scholl, Jr., of New York City, former Cornell University
football player, destroyed a Messerschmitt 109 in one of a series of
furious dogfights raging over the field during the bombing.
A few minutes later a blast from the .50 caliber guns of Lieut. Curtis
Buttorf, of Fort Collins, Colo., damaged the right motor of a Junkers
88 dive-bomber. An escorting Messerschmitt circled around the damaged
plane, endeavoring to protect it, but Lieut.
Carson W. Bounds of Philadelphia, Miss., dived past, fired a burst of
bullets into the bomber and sent it crashing. Bounds' ammunition was
exhausted then but the Messerschmitt fled.
The first bombs hit before Joe Liebling, of the New Yorker magazine,
and I, the only reporters here, were able to grab our helmets and get
to the door of a dugout, where we crouched just in time to see shells
from a burst of fire hit a Messerschmitt. It dived straight into the
ground far across the field.
Two more sticks of bombs hit a few hundred yards away. The concussion
rocked the earth and stirred up clouds in our dugout, sending trickles
of dirt down upon us as we hovered in the entry way.
There were some more explosions and then a strange silence. We climbed
out and joined the field officers, who watched with binoculars as the
P-40s chased the remainder of the raiding party far in the distance.
With a French liaison officer at the wheel, we made a wild and rough
automobile trip around the edge of the field then across rough
flatlands to the smoking wreckage of a Messerschmitt. Wreckage was
scattered over a wide area.
Driving back to the dugout we sized up the results of the raid. Not a single American plane had been hit.
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Memphis Commercial Appeal
March
1943
10 Mississippians Decorated For Outstanding Air Actions
Columbus, Miss., March 28
One Columbus resident and nine other
Mississippians were among 579 officers and enlisted men of the Army Air
Forces recently decorated by the War Department for outstanding aerial
actions in the European and North African theaters of operations, the
public relations office at the Columbus Army Flying School announced
Sunday.
Second Lieut. B.W. Farris Jr. of Columbus was awarded the Oak Leaf
Cluster to the Air Medal for five sorties. (A sortie is described as
the issuing of a body of troops from a besieged place to attack the
besiegers. This attack could be performed by ground troops, planes or
ships.)
Others Are Listed The nine other Mississippians are Capt. Arnold E.
Vinson of Monticello, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for 30
sorties and destruction of two enemy aircraft. Capt. Joseph A. Glenn,
Jr. of Winona, awarded Three Oak Leaf Clusters to Air Medal, for 20
sorties and destruction of one enemy aircraft.
First Lieut. Robert W. English of Aberdeen, awarded Two Oak Leaf
Clusters to Air Medal for 15 sorties. Second Lieut. Carson W. Bounds
of Philadelphia, awarded Two Oak Leaf Clusters to Air Medal for 10
sorties and destruction of one enemy aircraft. Second Lieut. Charles
M. Carter of Taylorsville, Two Oak Leaf clusters to Air Medal, for 15
sorties. Second Lieut. James R. Rush of Philadelphia, Two Oak Leaf
Clusters to Air Medal for 15 sorties.
Actions Since November Capt. Neil E. Walker of Ashland, Oak Leaf
Cluster to Air Medal for 10 sorties. First Lieut. Alex G. Cockersole
of Belzoni, Oak Leaf Cluster to Air Medal for five sorties.
The actions for which most of these awards were made have taken place
since American troops moved into North Africa. Some of them are for
the destruction in combat of German fighter planes. Others are for
successful bombing missions against the enemy, and for the longest
troop carrier flighton record…a flight from the United
Kingdom to North Africa on Nov. 7-8, 1942. Many for individual feats
of heroism and extensive action against the enemy. |
Lieut. Carson W. Bounds Victim of War
Lost in Action
The
Neshoba Democrat, Philadelphia,
Miss. May
28,
1943
Lieut. Bounds Victim Of War
Dies As Result Of Crash Accident in N. Africa
In a telegram dated May 21 to Mr. and Mrs. George Bounds of Rte.1,
Philadelphia, the U.S. War Dept. advised that their son, 2nd Lieut.
Carson W. Bounds, had died as a result of an airplane accident.
The
telegram follows:
“The Secretary of War asks that I assure you of his
deep sympathy in the loss of your son, 2nd Lieut. Carson W.
Bounds. Report just received states that he died as the result of
an airplane accident. Letter follows.” (Signed) The
Adjutant General
Injured Jan. 30
A review of Democrat files showed the
following chronological account concerning Lieut. Bounds:
Jan. 22-Shot down a Nazi bomber in Tunisia area, for
which he later received a citation.
Mar. 5-Letter
dated Feb. 4 received from Lieut. Howard R. Harris, a close friend and
camp mate, telling of seeing Bounds make a forced landing, but stating
that he thought he (Bounds) was not injured.
Mar.
15-Telegram dated Mar. 13 from War Dept. stated that Bounds “was
reported missing in action since Jan. 30.”
Letter Received
The letter
referred to in the telegram has been received by Mr. and Mrs. Bounds,
dated May 20, and follows:
Washington,
D.C. May
20,
1943
“The original casualty report received…reported your son as 'missing in
action' on Jan. 30, 1943. A later report received through the
International Red Cross from the German Government states that he died
as the result of enemy action in defense of his country. The date
of his death, the date and place of burial or other particulars are not
given.
“The conditions of warfare do not always
permit furnishing of full details at the time reports of this nature
are made. Please be assured that when additional information is
received, you will be notified promptly.
“I extend
my deep sympathy.”
H.B. Lewis, Brig. Gen.
Acting Adjutant Gen.
Still Hoped
The anxious parents
of young Bounds still held hope that the young pilot would turn up
somewhere on the front or that, perhaps, he might have been taken
prisoner of war by the Germans. The latest telegram,
however, dashed these hopes to the ground and brought grief to many
friends and relatives throughout the county who mourn with Mr. and Mrs.
Bounds in the loss of their son.
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