Fred Submits-
Hi Joey,
I just saw this post on a seaplane, and thought maybe it would be fun to add this:
Lingard Seaplane, Gloucester Harbor, 1919
This was the US Navy seaplane flown by Annisquam’s Eric Lingard In WWI. Ensign Eric Lingard flew missions against German submarines from Naval Air Station Chatham, making this the first aircraft to defend the US against direct enemy attack. During one submarine attack, Lingard, frustrated by his bombs not exploding, threw a wrench onto the deck of the German sub, which hastily retreated. On October 18th, 1918, Lingard’s plane went down in heavy seas due to engine failure, and he died of pneumonia 11 days later. The Lingard home is diagonally across Washington Street from the Annisquam Church, and was later the home of the renowned Crouse family (Sound of Music lyrics and actress Lindsey Crouse).
Printed from the original 5×7 inch glass negative in my darkroom.
Bodin Historic Photo
82 Main Street Gloucester, MA 01930 info@BodinHistoricPhoto.com
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Nice old photo, Fred. For years befor and during WW-II, the hull of a similar plane was in the lower level of the Twin Light Garage on East Main Stree. The garage was owned by the late Ray Bradly who lived on Rocky Neck. As kids, we often played around it and I remember Ray telling us that it had been a WW-I airplane – I believe it was an old Coast Guard bi-winged seaplane. There were no wings or rudder, just the hull which was shapped very much like the one in the picture. Not long after the end of the war, they dragged it out to the flats on Smith Cove and burned it.
Thanks Bill. I had heard that Eric Lingard’s aircraft was stored in the DPW barn on Poplar Street for years, and then went to someone’s basement or garage. After that, who knows? But we have the photo and the story about it, which is important. Naval Aviation Magazine did a big story on Lingard a few years ago, which I have a copy of here in the gallery. Last December, EJ posted about Annisquam Soldiers Memorial Wood, with a plaque in it naming Eric Lingard as one of three Annisquam patriots who gave their lives in World War I. I may do a followup post on this.
http://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/annisquam-soldiers-memorial-wood/
Fred,
Maybe that was Lingard’s plane in the basement of Twin Light Garage. In any case, you got me going and checking on early seaplanes. Yesterday, I sent Joey a short writeup about the first US Coast Guard Airbase which was on Ten Pound Island. It included a photo of the first plane assigned to the base, the first pilot and first base commander. Just got a note from Joey that it will run on GMG this evening.
Fantastic. Fred do you have any old photos of the Emerald Forest ( the great harbor swamp) off of Myrtle Sq.? Just wondering love all your old photo’s keep them coming.
I may be shakey on the facts. The “Revenue Cutter Service” under the Dept of Revenue, merged with the lifesaving service, 1915, to form the Coast Guard. That ramp on the land side of Ten Pound Island, it was for the 2nd of the first 2 seaplanes to guard the US coast against the illegal import of booze down from the Mairtimes during prohibition. The first was in California,
So, can anyone confirn this, thanks, Bob Ryan