US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

During 1927 to 1928 US Marine aviation elements were deployed to China. They were based at Camp MacMurray

For background see


http://chinamarine.org/Tientsin/ButlersExpedition.aspx


I am aware of only 2 parachute incidents during this time and would appreciate confirmation of dates and serial numbers and cause if possible

Incident 1

August 18, 1927 Tech Sgt. Robert George "Joe-Pete" Fry from Boeing FB-1 A6887 at Hsin Ho, China - Cause Unknown

Fry was later the pilot of TWA Flight 599 Crashed Mar 31, 1931. Fokker F-VII tri-motor airliner NC999E which near Bazaar Kansas killing famed football coach Knute Rockne, of the University of Notre Dame

Incident 2


April 24, 1928 Capt. James Tillinghast "Nuts" Moore 0-685 at Tientsin racetrack. In this case he was giving a demonstration of aerobatics to the Chinese when the wings came off his machine. I would assume it was also a Boeing FB-1 but this is unconfirmed

See

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...0china&f=false

and below (note the date is wrong for this) I have had two separate sources that it is April 24, 1928

http://eugenedownes.tripod.com/days_...arly_aviation/

Kind Regards

Paul

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

The Fry details are correct. His FB suffered structural failure while in a roll at 5,000ft.

Unfortunately I could not find anything on Moore's accident. However, the only likely candidate is FB-1, A6888, whose history card has the entry, "April 22 1928, complete wreck", while with the China Marines.

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

George

As always

Many thanks for sorting these out


Paul

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

On 10 Nov 1927, the Marine Corps' birthday, the 3rd Brigade arranged for a special review. Fourteen planes were flown from Camp MacMurray to put on an air show for the Chinese at Tientsin. One incident that occurred during the air show has long been remembered by thoes who witnessed it. During an exhibition of stunt flying, Captian James T. "Nuts" Moore made a low pass over the crowd and then went into a breathtaking roll, lost the wings from his aircraft, bailed out,and parachuted into a moat in front of the stands. Most spectators, unaware that it had not been planned, thought it was the best show they ever saw.

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

August 18, 1927 Tech Sgt. Robert George "Joe-Pete" Fry from Boeing FB-1 A6887 at Hsin Ho, China - Cause Unknown
I believe this is the incident - but date different


Parachute Saves American Airman In North China
The China Press (1925-1938); Shanghai [Shanghai]24 Aug 1927: 3.
Parachute Saves
American Airman
In North China (Reuters Pacific Service) Tientsin, Aug. 23.—An American plane flying to Hsinho from Tientsin on Saturday (sic 20th August 1927) crashed from a height of two thousand feet as a result of engine trouble. The pilot jumped clear by means of a parachute and landed unharmed. The machine was completely wrecked, the engine being buried fourteen feet on the ground.

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

More on Incident 2

Tientsin .—An airplane collapsed and fell during an exhibition of stunt flying, and Capt. Moore, the aviator, escaped by jumping with his parachute. at the review given by the U. S. Marines at the Race Course, before representatives of the American, British, French and Chinese forces in Tientsin and a large number of civilians and service men.
The right wings of the Plane fell off during the course of a varies of somersaults. The machine had previously given a nose dive and rose at terrific speed, and the air resistance was apparently too strong, thus whipping off the wings. The plane rose into the air for a few seconds and dropped straight to the earth. The accident happened at less than eight hundred feet front the ground.

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

Paul,

I have looked at these accidents again but, unfortunately, have little more to add.

Fry

The accident card makes clear that he was on a training flight from Hsin-Ho when, just after starting a roll, there was a structural failure in the rear fuselage or tail section. Thus, he was not on a cross-country and the engine did not fail, as reported by Reuters.

Moore

There is no accident card for Moore at any of the dates shown and so either the details have been lost or he was not flying a Marine Corps aircraft in the demonstration. However, the history card for FB-1, A-6888, contains the entry "4-22-28 China complete wreck" and with no other accidents around that time this might well have been Moore's aircraft.

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

George thanks I have found another source for Fry accident and in his own words what happened - no confirmation of date but matches what you posted from accident card

December 16, 1928
Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California · Page 79


An Oriental Caterpillar is Sergeant Robert G. Fry, U. S. M. C, who jumped at 1500 feet when something went wrong while he was stunting near Camp McMurray. Hsin Ho, China, . "I was ordered to fly for thirty minutes and practise acrobatic flying," Sergeant Fry declared. "I took off from Hsin Ho and was practising a slow roll at 5000 feet when I heard noise that sounded like something had broken. My plane went out of control at once and I was unable to make it behave. When I realised it would he impossible to regain control, I jumped at 1,00O feet, using my parachute and landed safely. My plane was a complete wreck."

Interesting that that list I sent you has same date for
Moore as loss of FB-1, A-6888

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

And we now have “new” one

1st Lieut Francis Butler Loomis Jr August 5th 1929 while training at NAS Pensacola
and the aircraft being Curtiss F6C-4, A-7422.

Saves Life with Parachute. By tha Associated Press PENSACOLA, Fla.. Aug. 6th; Lieut. F. B. Loomis of the Marine Corps owes his life to the perfect working of a silken parachute which he carried when he went into the air maneuvers aa part of his combat course yesterday. He was flying at an altitude of $000 feet when his plane failed to right Itself. The flyer Jumped with his parachute and suffered only slight injuries. , The plane crashed near the Osceola Club golf links, several miles distant, and was demolished.

August 6, 1929
A Publisher Extra Newspaper
St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri · Page 4

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

Are the USMC units known in any of the above incidents?

Cheers
Stig

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

Stig,
Some info about USMC air units in China (1920s) on p. 54 of following: https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Pu...00316800_2.pdf

Regards,
Leendert

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

Sorry Leendert

I can't get that site to work.
Seems I can reach the main home page, but as soon as I try to find anything
inside, it reacts by not wanting to connect anywhere.
No idea why

Cheers
Stig

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

Basically: USMC air assets in China in late 1920s were VF-3M with 8 x FB-1 and a newly organized observation squadron VO-5M with 6 x O2B-1.

Leendert

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

Thanks again

I remembered I had William Larkin's books and according to him the Expeditionary Force in China was
VF-3M which changed name to VF-10M on 1 July 1927, had 9 x FB-1 (Sep 1927)
VO-10M no previous designation listed, had 6 O2B-1 and 6 OL-6 (Sep 1927)

Looking back in the USMC section (Feb 1926), he lists only four units.
First Aviation Group
Second Aviation Group
Observation Squadron Two
Scouting Squadron One

I cannot see he lists any VO-5M at all.:confused:
Was this a very temporary designation which existed for a very short time before becoming VO-10M?

Finally, the Curtiss which crashed at Pensacola still has no unit.
Larkin does not list Pensacola as USMC base at all....

Cheers
Stig

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

Stig,

Fry's FB-1 is shown as assigned to Aircraft Squadrons, Third Marine Brigade, Camp McMurray, Hsin-Ho, China.

Marine pilot training was conducted at Pensacola and so Loomis's aircraft was assigned to the Naval Air Station there. There were no separate Marine training units.

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

Thanks George

For June 1928 Larkins says both VF-10M and VO-10M belonged to the Third
Brigade, China so that fits pretty well

Makes sense the USMC used Navy training facilities, thanks for that

Cheers
Stig

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

Confusion comes from redesignation of newly formed VO-5M (personnel from Guam, planes from San Diego) to VO-10M by late 1927.

Regards,
Leendert

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

Thanks Leendert

Knowledge 0 - guesses 1 :)
That is the problem with the book, it does not give a complete picture, but my
guess was pretty OK...

Cheers
Stig

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

Moore newspaper report

Plane Crashes During Tientsin Marines' Review: U. S. Aviator Falls Into Water But Escapes Injury
The China Press (1925-1938); May 4, 1928;
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chinese Newspapers Collection
pg. 16

Plane Crashes During Tientsin Marines' Review
U. S. Aviator Falls Into Water But Escapes Injury
Tientsin .—an airplane collapsed and fell during an exhibition of stunt flying, and Capt. Moore, the aviator, escaped by jumping with parachute, at the review given by the U. S. Marines at the Race Course, before representatives of the American, British, French and Chinese forces in Tientsin and a large number of civilians and service men. The right wings of the plane fell off during the course of a series of somersaults. The machine had previously given a nose dive and rose at terrific speed, and the
air resistance was apparently too strong, thus whipping of the wings. The plane rose into the air for a few seconds
and dropped straight to the earth. The accident happened at less than eight hundred feet from the ground

CROWD THRILLED
The escape, of Capt. Moore thrilled the assembled crowd. When the machine started on its dive, he sprang off,
amidst the cheers of the spectators. The airplane struck the earth on the race truck at the opposite side of
the course from the stands.
The descent of Capt. Moore was watched with bated breath. The wind carried him past the stands, and he fell info
the water. Many people run forward as he fell, and willing hands assisted him out of the moat. He was smiling, none
the worse for his thrilling experience.
Capt. Moore was helped into a marine auto, and when he reached the stands the
crowd gave him a rousing welcome. Many surrounded him and congratulated him on
his narrow escape. After taking some light refreshments, he departed for a change
of clothing. All sorts of questions were fired at Capt. Moore by those who crowded
around him. Many shook his hand and congratulated him, while cameras clicked.
The aviator's first words was to say that he was "all right," in reply to inquiries
by his helpers. According to the aviator the wings fell off because the
plane was going at too great a speed when it turned over on its side.

AVIATOR SCARED
"I was almost scared to death!" he laughingly said, when questioned as to
how he felt when the machine began to fall. His action was quick, for not
more than a few seconds elapsed from the time the wings broke until he jumped off.
Capt. Moore did not seem to be be much excited by his experience.
When one lady exclaimed, "You are our hero!" he burst out laughing and ran away.
Among the feats the aviator was doing before his plane crashed were turning
several somersaults in rapid succession, diving down at a great speed and
rising up almost perpendicularly, dropping on one side. When the wings fell off,
the spectators at first thought that it was a new stunt to fly with one set
of wings

MACHINE A WRECK
The machine was a mass of wreckage. The engine was underneath, with
canvas, steel and wood on top. Souvenirs and photographs were
taken by the crows that swarmed around. The two remaing wings were
crumpled up. There were wires all over, and the propellar was
unrecognisable. It is said that the plane is practically
worthless" N. C. Star"

Re: US Marines Parachute incidents China 1927 to 1928
 

Based on this - I believe that this is indeed Moore's plane but date is very wrong https://eugenedownes.tripod.com/days...arly_aviation/