Leafing Through The Past - Part Deux

[mgc1961]

For those of you who read my posts, this is third one regarding my investigation of some old photo/scrap books discovered at the mother of my brother-in-law's house. I'm scrounging through them and making general reports on their contents. This is my latest e-mail to Steve and Melany. Here's the link to Part Un http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x561185 if readers want to catch up.

This scrapbook was not created by Sis, as previously thought. Based on the layout and contents I think it was made by Jake Colvin, Sr. It contains a bunch of letters from Jake to his parents. Most of them are addressed to his father.

There's a small newspaper clipping that reads as follows: Mr. Jake S. Colvin, Jr., who graduated at Clemson College last spring, with the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Infantry, has been notified to report at Maxwell Field October 21st. Mr. Colvin took his C. P. T. training at Clemson.

This album contains the service flag the Colvins displayed in their home window.

There are 26 letters from Jake, 11 V-Mails, 8 telegrams, and 1 postcard. For your convenience, I have transcribed all of them. Thank goodness Jake Jr. had good handwritting.

There's a newspaper clipping of a Captain David McConnell of Chester taking a shot at a Burmese tiger spotted in the glow of his jeep headlights. It says both tiger and captain escaped harm.

A newspaper clipping of Lt. William Wylie Moore Day declared for Midway hero from Chester.

A clipping from the Look magazine cover identifies the drill instructor on the Look magazine cover as Cpl. John Kornoff of the Army Air Corps.

Some of the contents are unrelated to the war. There's a long article in this album about flooding in the midwest.

There's a drawing of the room in which Jake is housed at Douglas, GA. It was included in his letter postmarked 29 November 1942.

There's a copy of The State: South Carolina's Progressive Newspaper detailing what Tokyo looked like after an overnight bombing raid.

There are several wedding invitations. One is Frances Colvin to wed Lt. Commander James Leroy Wells, medical corps, US Navy.

Many of the newspaper clippings are of graduates from Chester High, Clemson, The Citadel or a combination thereof.

Clippings of deaths of Major James Lee Land in North Africa, Lt Ben Green McKnight killed in New Guinea, Lt. Tom West Patrick, Jr. reported captured by Japanese in Philippines, Lt. Rufus A. Oliphant, Jr. reported missing after flight over Dunkirk, Lt. W. P. Stroud decorated with Silver Star as co-pilot of "June Bride"

The invitation to Jake's graduation from pilot training school is in this album with his photo next to it. He was class of 43-E George Army Air Field. The ceremony was Friday, May 28th, 1943. Lawrenceville, Illinois.

There's a newspaper clipping date 9 Aug 1943 that reports Jake flying coastal patrols out of Miami, Fl.

There's a 4 Nov 1943 newspaper clipping of an experienced combat pilot landing a B-17 at Pendleton Field (Oregon) after a tire blow out on take-off. Lt. L. P. Johnson Jr. of Harlan County KY brought the plane in safely. Jake was on the plane. This was probably his first exceptional experience. The clipping is noted by him on the clipping he sent. He wrote in the margin "I was in this plane." The article states: "But at the controls was First Lt. L. P. Johnson, of Harlan county, KY., veteran of 25 flights over France and Germany, to whom bringing home a battered plane had become a common occurrence. As the ship skimmed above the ground and the wheel with the good tire touched the runway, Lt. Johnson jammed the brakes on that side, gunned the motors on the other and teetered along until the craft had lost enough speed to safely settle on the hub of the flattened tire. The bomber ground to a stop and what might have been a tragedy for all the en aboard turned into a feat of piloting that left the ship undamaged and the crew uninjured."

There's a newspaper clipping that reports: Lt. Jake S. Colvin, Jr. cabled his parents this week of his safe arrival in England. (Jan 13 penciled in margin.)

At the beginning of 1944 Jake was in England and much of his correspondence is by V-Mail. This must have been quicker than standard mail which according to the contents of the letters was 12-14 days in transit.

There are two returned letters of Jake Sr. to Jake Jr. in the album. They are stamped MISSING. Jake Sr.'s penmanship is not good. Consequently, those letters are not transcribed.

Capt. Robert Guy obit. Killed 17 Feb 1944 in Italy.

There's a letter from Burnet Maybank of the Committee on Banking and Currency. He says he will do what he can to obtain information about Jake's fate.

There's a letter from Mrs. R. R. West, the mother of Jake's co-pilot. It's dated 22 Apr 1944.

There's a copy of the May 1944 Prisoners Of War Bulletin published by the American National Red Cross.

More returned letters to Jake sent by various people but apparently returned to Jake Sr.

There's a newspaper clipping of a story featuring Lt. David Colvin Jr. of North Carolina. I wonder if there's a relationship to Jake?

There's a newspaper clipping wishing Mrs. Jessie Dunovant Colvin a happy 86th birthday. Her husband was the late Jake Stone Colvin who passed 26th Aug 1915. This article includes some genealogical information.

Jake's good friend, Lt. Charles C. Young Jr. (C. C.), previously listed as missing was reported killed 23 Mar 1944. The clipping is hand dated dated Oct. 2.

In the back of this album are copies of The Home Base, a news letter from the Colvin family church.

There's a copy of The Chester News date February 1, 1945. The front page has a list of killed, missing, imprisoned soldiers from the county. 50 dead. 19 missing. 5 Pows.

[Blue_Tires]

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