Fall 2022 Militaria & Collectibles Auction
Lot 260:
1925 Framed Navy Commander John Rogers & Crew Photo. This photo was taken after their survival in water and they safely landed in Hawaii. The story reads, in August of 1925, Navy Commander John Rogers led two seaplanes down the ramp into the bay at Crissy Field to meet the challenge of long distance flight crossing entire oceans. After crossing six miles of the bay at full throttle, the PN-9 planes finally became airborne and sped west towards Hawaii at 115 miles per hour. Within five hours, an oil leak forced one plane down. But Commander Rogers and his crew flew on alone. More than 400 miles short of Hawaii fuel became low, causing Rogers to fly off course in search of a refueling ship. Eventually the plane ran out of fuel, which not only stopped the engines but also the radio. This left the crew stranded in shark-infested-waters with a perilously small food supply. Resorting to their naval training, the men made sails from the canvas wings. Imagine the crew’s thoughts as they sailed ever-so-slowly toward Hawaii, watching for ships or land, but seeing neither until they reached Kauai, Hawaii over a week later. Wear from age and handling.
Condition: See Description for Condition.
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