Antartic Aviation Explorer Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Signed 1933 bank check
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Antartic Aviation Explorer Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Signed 1933 bank check:
$33.99
Antartic Aviation Explorer Rear Admiral Richard Byrd, Signed 1933 cancelled bank check.
Check is approximately 6 -2/3 x 2 -3/4
Comes with a COA from the well known respected dealer of whom I purchased it from.
Handling, age and edge wear. Cancelled stamp, and perforation holes. In good condition.
Please Note: The photographic images of Richard E. Byrd and his plane are for reference only.Rear AdmiralRichard Evelyn Byrd Jr.,USN(October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer who specialized in feats of exploration. He was a recipient of theMedal of Honor, the highest honor for valor given by the United States, and was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights in which he served as anavigatorand expedition leader crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a segment of the Arctic Ocean, and a segment of theAntarctic Plateau. Byrd claimed that his expeditions had been the first to reach both theNorth Poleand theSouth Poleby air. However, his claim to have reached the North Pole is disputed.
Byrd was born in Winchester, Virginia, the son of Esther Bolling (Flood) andRichard Evelyn Byrd Sr.He was a descendant of one of theFirst Families of Virginia. His ancestors include planterJohn Rolfeand his wifePocahontas,William Byrd IIofWestover Plantation, who establishedRichmond, andRobert \"King\" Carter, a colonial governor. He was the brother ofVirginia GovernorandU.S. SenatorHarry F. Byrd, a dominant figure in theVirginiaDemocraticPartyfrom the 1920s until the 1960s;their fatherserved asSpeakerof theVirginia House of Delegatesfor a time.
Byrd attended theVirginia Military Institutefor two years and spent one year at theUniversity of Virginiabefore financial circumstances inspired his transfer to theUnited States Naval Academy, where he was appointed Midshipman on May 28, 1908. While at the Academy, he severely injured his right ankle while performing a gymnastics routine. While he was able to graduate from the Academy, the injured ankle was the reason for his medical retirement from the Navy in 1916.
Early naval careerEditOn June 8, 1912, Byrd graduated from the Naval Academy and was commissioned anensignin the United States Navy. On July 14, 1912, he was assigned to the battleshipUSSWyomingand was later assigned to the gunboatUSSDolphin, which also served as the yacht of the Secretary of the Navy.[4]While serving on boardDolphinhe made the acquaintance of future Fleet AdmiralWilliam D. Leahy, then theDolphin\'s commanding officer, and Assistant Secretary of the NavyFranklin D. Roosevelt, who usedDolphinfor transportation. He was assigned toDolphinwhen she was involved in the United States\' intervention inVeracruz, Mexicoin 1914.
On March 15, 1916, Byrd was medically retired for a foot injury he suffered on board theDolphin. He was immediately promoted to the rank oflieutenant (junior grade)and assigned as the Inspector and Instructor for theRhode Island Naval Militiain Providence, Rhode Island.[5]On December 14, 1916, he was commissioned as a commander in the Rhode Island Naval Militia.[6]On April 25, 1928, by act of the Rhode Island General Assembly, he was promoted to captain in the Rhode Island Naval Militia in recognition of his flight to the North Pole in 1926.[7]
First World WarEditByrd served on active duty during theFirst World War. He had the foresight to realize that aviation was going to expand rapidly in the next few years. Byrd volunteered to become a naval aviator, took flying lessons and earned his pilot wings in August 1917. He developed a passion for flight, and pioneered many techniques for navigating airplanes over the open ocean including drift indicators, the sun compass and bubble sextants.
During the First World War, Byrd was assigned to the Office of Naval Operations and served as secretary and organizer of the Navy Department Commission on Training Camps and trained men in aviation at the aviation ground school inPensacola, Florida. He then commanded naval air forces atNaval Air Station HalifaxinNova Scotia, Canada from July 1918 until the armistice in November.[8]
He was promoted tolieutenanton September 2, 1918, and to temporarylieutenant commanderon September 21, 1918.
Post warEditAfter the war, Byrd\'s expertise in aerial navigation resulted in his appointment to plan the flight path for the U.S. Navy\'s 1919transatlanticcrossing. Of the threeflying boatsthat attempted it, onlyAlbert Read\'sNC-4aircraft completed the trip, becoming the first ever transatlantic flight.[9]
He commanded the aviation unit of the arctic expedition to North Greenland led byDonald B. MacMillanfrom June to October 1925.[8]This position gave Byrd an appreciation for the benefits aircraft could bring to Arctic exploration. As a result, he employed aircraft in all of his future expeditions.
1926 North Pole flight
On May 9, 1926, Byrd and NavyChief Aviation PilotFloyd Bennettattempted a flight over the North Pole in aFokker F.VIIa/3mTri-motor monoplane namedJosephine Ford, after the daughter ofFord Motor CompanypresidentEdsel Ford, who helped finance the expedition. The flight went fromSpitsbergen(Svalbard) and back to its take-off airfield, lasting fifteen hours and fifty-seven minutes (including 13 minutes of circling the pole).[2]Byrd and Bennett claimed to have reached the pole, a distance of 1,535 miles (1,335nautical miles).[10]
When he returned to the United States from the Arctic, Byrd became a national hero. Congress passed a special act on December 21, 1926, promoting him to the rank of commander and awarding both him and Floyd Bennett theMedal of Honor.[11]Bennett was promoted to thewarrant officerrank of Machinist. Byrd and Bennett were presented withTiffany Crossversions of the Medal of Honor on March 5, 1927, at the White House by PresidentCalvin Coolidge.[12]The widespread acclaim from the flight enabled Byrd to secure funding for the subsequent attempt to fly over the South Pole.
Since 1926, there have been doubts raised, defenses made, and heated controversy over whether or not Byrd actually reached the North Pole. In 1958,Norwegian-Americanaviator and explorerBernt Balchencast doubt on Byrd\'s claim on the basis of his knowledge of the airplane\'s speed.[13]Balchen claimed that Bennett had confessed to him months after the flight that he and Byrd had not reached the pole.[2][14]Bennett died on April 25, 1928, during a flight to rescue downed aviators in Greenland. However, Bennett had started a memoir, given numerous interviews, and wrote an article for an aviation magazine about the flight before his death that all confirmed Byrd\'s version of the flight.[10]
The 1996 release of Byrd\'s diary of the May 9, 1926, flight revealed erased (but still legible) sextant sights that sharply differ with Byrd\'s later June 22 typewritten official report to the National Geographic Society. Byrd took a sextant reading of the Sun at 7:07:10 GCT. His erased diary record shows the apparent (observed) solar altitude to have been 19°25\'30\", while his later official typescript reports the same 7:07:10 apparent solar altitude to have been 18°18\'18\".[15]On the basis of this and other data in the diary,Dennis Rawlinsconcluded that Byrd steered accurately, and flew about eighty percent of the distance to the Pole before turning back because of an engine oil leak, but later falsified his official report to support his claim of reaching the pole.[16][17]Others disagree with Rawlins. In 1998, Colonel William Molett, an experienced navigator publishedDue north?; Molett maintained that Rawlins had put too much significance in erased navigational calculations which can be explained by any number of other reasons, including favorable wind speeds as well as simple human error due to stress and lack of sleep. None of Molett\'s hypotheses explain how Byrd could have observed two completely different sextant altitudes in the same second of time.
Accepting that the conflicting data in the typed report\'s flight times indeed require both northward and southwardground speedsgreater than the flight\'s eighty-five mphairspeed, a Byrd defender posits a westerly-moving anti-cyclone that tailwind-boosted Byrd\'s ground speed on both outward and inward legs, allowing the distance claimed to be covered in the time claimed (the theory is based on rejecting handwritten sextant data in favor of typewritten alleged dead-reckoning data[18][19]). This suggestion has been challenged byDennis Rawlinswho adds that the sextant data in the long unavailable original official typewritten report are all expressed to 1\", a precision not possible on Navy sextants of 1926 and not the precision of the sextant data in Byrd\'s diary for 1925 or the 1926 flight, which was normal (half or quarter of a minute of arc).[17]
If Byrd and Bennett did not reach the North Pole, then the first flight over the Pole occurred a few days later, on May 12, 1926, with the flight of theairshipNorgethat flew fromSpitsbergen(Svalbard) toAlaskanonstop with its crew ofRoald Amundsen,Umberto Nobile,Oscar Wisting, and others.[20]Amundsen and Wisting had both been members of the firstexpeditionto reach the South Pole in December 1911.
In 1927, Byrd announced he had the backing of theAmerican Trans-Oceanic Company, which had been established in 1914 by department-store magnateRodman Wanamakerfor the purpose of building aircraft to complete non-stop flights across the Atlantic Ocean. Byrd was one of several aviators who attempted to win theOrteig Prizein 1927 for making the first nonstop flight between the United States and France.
Once again Byrd named Floyd Bennett as his chief pilot, withBernt Balchen,Bert Acosta, and LieutenantGeorge Novilleas other crewmembers. During a practice takeoff with Tony Fokker at the controls and Bennett in the co-pilot seat, theFokker Trimotorairplane,America, crashed, severely injuring Bennett and slightly injuring Byrd. As the plane was being repaired,Charles Lindberghwon the prize by completing his historic flight on May 21, 1927. (Coincidentally, in 1925,Army Air Service Reserve CorpsLieutenant Lindbergh had applied to serve as a pilot on Byrd\'s North Pole expedition, but apparently his offer came too late.)[21]
Byrd continued with his quest to cross the Atlantic non-stop, naming Balchen to replace Bennett as chief pilot. Byrd, Balchen, Acosta, and Noville flew from Roosevelt FieldEast Garden City, New Yorkon June 29, 1927. Arriving over France the next day, they were prevented from landing in Paris by cloud cover; they returned to the coast ofNormandyand crash-landed near the beach atVer-sur-Mer(also known asGold Beach) without fatalities on July 1, 1927.[22]In France, Byrd and his crew were received as heroes and Byrd was invested as an Officer of the FrenchLegion of Honorby Prime MinisterRaymond Poincareon July 6.[23]
After their return to the United States, an elaborate dinner in their honor in New York City on July 19. Byrd and Noville were awarded theDistinguished Flying Crossby Secretary of the NavyCurtis D. Wilburat the dinner.[24]Acosta and Balchen did not receive the Distinguished Flying Cross because at that time it could only be awarded to members of the armed services and not to civilians.[citation needed]
Byrd wrote an article for the August 1927 edition ofPopular Science Monthlyin which he accurately predicted that while specially modified aircraft with one to three crewmen would fly the Atlantic non-stop, it would be another 20 years before it would be realized on a commercial scale.
In 1928, Byrd began hisfirst expeditionto theAntarcticinvolving two ships and three airplanes: Byrd\'s Flagship was theCity of New York(a Norwegian sealing ship previously namedSamsonthat had come into fame as a ship some claimed was in the vicinity of theRMS Titanicwhen the latter was sinking); aFord Trimotorcalled theFloyd Bennett(named after the recently deceased pilot of Byrd\'s previous expeditions) flown byDean Smith; aFairchildFC-2W2, NX8006, built 1928, named \"Stars And Stripes\" (now displayed at theVirginia Aviation Museum, on loan from theNational Air and Space Museum); and a Fokker Universal monoplane called theVirginia(Byrd\'s birth state). A base camp named \"Little America\" was constructed on theRoss Ice Shelfand scientific expeditions bysnowshoe,dog-sled,snowmobile, andairplanebegan.
Photographic expeditions and geological surveys were undertaken for the duration of that summer, and constant radio communications were maintained with the outside world. After their first winter, their expeditions were resumed, and on November 28, 1929, the first flight to the South Pole and back was launched. Byrd, along with pilotBernt Balchen, co-pilot/radiomanHarold June, and photographerAshley McKinley, flew theFord Trimotorto the South Pole and back in 18 hours, 41 minutes. They had difficulty gaining enough altitude, and they had to dump empty gas tanks, as well as their emergency supplies, in order to achieve the altitude of the Polar Plateau, but they were ultimately successful.
As a result of his fame, Byrd was promoted to the rank ofrear admiralby a special act of Congress on December 21, 1929. As he was only 41 years old at the time, this promotion made Byrd the youngest admiral in the history of the United States Navy.[27]He is one of only three persons, one being AdmiralDavid Dixon Porterand the other being arctic explorerDonald Baxter MacMillan, known to have been promoted to the rank of rear admiral in the United States Navy without having first held the rank of captain.
After a further summer of exploration, the expedition returned to North America on June 18, 1930. A 19-year-old AmericanBoy Scout,Paul Allman Siple, was chosen to accompany the expedition. Unlike the 1926 flight, this expedition was honored with the gold medal of theAmerican Geographical Society. This was also seen in the filmWith Byrd at the South Pole(1930) which covered his trip there.
Byrd, by then an internationally recognized, pioneering American polar explorer and aviator, served for a time as Honorary National President (1931–1935) ofPi Gamma Mu, the international honor society in the social sciences. He carried the Society\'s Flag during his first Antarctic expedition to dramatize the spirit of adventure into the unknown, characterizing both the natural and social sciences.
Second Antarctic expeditionEditOn his second expedition in 1934, Byrd spent five winter months alone operating ameteorologicalstation, Advance Base, from which he narrowly escaped with his life after sufferingcarbon monoxidepoisoning from a poorly ventilated stove. Unusual radio transmissions from Byrd finally began to alarm the men at the base camp, who then attempted to go to Advance Base. The first two trips were failures due to darkness, snow, and mechanical troubles. Finally,Thomas Poulter,E.J. Demas, andAmory Waitearrived at Advance Base, where they found Byrd in poor physical health. The men remained at Advance Base until October 12 when an airplane from the base camp picked up Dr. Poulter and Byrd. The rest of the men returned to base camp with the tractor.[2]This expedition is described by Byrd in his autobiographyAlone. It is also commemorated in a U.S. postage stamp issued at the time, and a considerable amount of mail using it was sent from Byrd\'s base atLittle America, which was powered by aJacobs Wind2.5kW. A postal employee worked under extremely difficult conditions to cancel 153,217 envelopes for collectors.[30]In 1934 aMiniature sheetshowing six of the stamps was also issued.
A CBS radio station, KFZ, was set up on the base camp ship, theBear of Oakland(USS Bear) andThe Adventures of Admiral Byrdwere short waved to Buenos Aires then relayed to New York.
In late 1938 Byrd visited Hamburg and was invited to participate in the 1938/1939 German \"Neuschwabenland\" Antarctic Expedition, but declined.
Antarctic Service Expedition (1939–1940)EditMain article:United States Antarctic Service ExpeditionByrd\'sthird expeditionwas his first one on which he had the official backing of the U.S. government. The project included extensive studies of geology, biology, meteorology and exploration. Within a few months, in March 1940, Byrd was recalled to active duty in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. The expedition continued in Antarctica without him.
World War IIEditAs a senior officer in the United States Navy, Byrd served on active duty during World War II (1941–45), mostly as the confidential advisor to the Commander in Chief, United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations AdmiralErnest J. King. From 1942 to 1945 he headed important missions to the Pacific, including surveys of remote islands for airfields. On one assignment he visited the fighting front in Europe.
On February 10, 1945 Byrd received theOrder of Christopher Columbusfrom the government ofSanto Domingo.[33]Byrd was present at theJapanese surrenderinTokyo Bayon September 2, 1945.
In recognition of his service during World War II, Byrd was twice awarded theLegion of Merit.
In 1946, Secretary of the NavyJames Forrestalappointed Byrd as officer in charge of Antarctic Developments Project. Byrd\'s fourth Antarctic expedition was codenamedOperation Highjump.[2]It was the largest Antarctic expedition to date and was expected to last six to eight months.
The expedition was supported by a large naval force (designated Task Force 68), commanded by Rear AdmiralRichard H. Cruzen. There were thirteen US Navy support ships (besides the FlagshipUSSMount Olympusand the aircraft carrierUSSPhilippine Sea), six helicopters, six flying boats, two seaplane tenders, and fifteen other aircraft. The total number of personnel involved was over 4,000.
The armada arrived in the Ross Sea on December 31, 1946, and made aerial explorations of an area half the size of the United States, recording ten new mountain ranges. The major area covered was the Eastern coastline of Antarctica from 150 degrees east to the Greenwich meridian.
Admiral Byrd was interviewed by Lee van Atta ofInternational News Serviceaboard the expeditions command shipUSS Mount Olympus, in which he discussed the lessons learned from the operation. The interview appeared in the Wednesday, March 5, 1947 edition of the Chilean newspaperEl Mercurio, and read in part as follows:
\"Admiral Richard E. Byrd warned today that the United States should adopt measures of protection against the possibility of an invasion of the country by hostile planes coming from the polar regions. The admiral explained that he was not trying to scare anyone, but the cruel reality is that in case of a new war, the United States could be attacked by planes flying over one or both poles. This statement was made as part of a recapitulation of his own polar experience, in an exclusive interview with International News Service. Talking about the recently completed expedition, Byrd said that the most important result of his observations and discoveries is the potential effect that they have in relation to the security of the United States. The fantastic speed with which the world is shrinking– recalled the admiral – is one of the most important lessons learned during his recent Antarctic exploration. I have to warn my compatriots that the time has ended when we were able to take refuge in our isolation and rely on the certainty that the distances, the oceans, and the poles were a guarantee of safety.\"
Operation Deep Freeze I (1955–1956)EditAs part of the multinational collaboration for theInternational Geophysical Year(IGY) 1957–58, Byrd commanded the U.S. NavyOperation Deep Freeze Iin 1955–56 which established permanent Antarctic bases atMcMurdo Sound, th of Whales, and theSouth Pole. This was Byrd\'s last trip to Antarctica and marked the beginning of a permanent U.S. military presence in Antarctica. Byrd spent only one week in the Antarctic and started his return to the United States on February 3, 1956. please
DeathEditByrd died in his sleep on March 11, 1957, of a heart ailment at his Brimmer Street home in theBeacon Hillneighborhood in Boston.[38]He was buried inArlington National Cemetery.
This very nice collectible would make a fantastic addition to any related Military, Aviation, Antarctic/Artic or Historical collection.Please see my other listings. I will gladly combine multiple items to save buyer with shipping costs. Thanks for looking!Antartic Aviation Explorer Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Signed 1933 bank check:
$33.99