Staff Sargent Allan W. George
Allan W. George Military Record
Allan George was born December 11, 1919, in Wrentham, MA, to Walter H. and Elsie Adamson Winter George. His siblings were Murray W., Raymond H., Margaret "Peg", and Ida G. George. He was the youngest. During the summers of 1937 and 1938, Allan worked at Lake Pearl Park for E. R. Energen. William Energen was a baker who purchased George's Park in 1885 and later renamed it in memory of his young daughter Pearl who died as a toddler. E. R. was probably the son of William. In 1939 he was employed by the Department of Public Works-State of Massachusetts.
From September 1939 to August 1940, he worked for J. T. George in Hartford, CT. Here is a newspaper clip that describes the shop.
In 1940 Census, he was living at home and was a machinist at a tool manufacturing company. This might have been Winter Brothers Tap and Dies, however others in the census record specifically say they work in "Tap and Dies." industry. He operated drilling miller, punch press and lathes in making small cams.
In 1940, he left Wrentham and attended Aero Industries Tech Institute, Los Angeles, CA. It was a school formed by three large Aircraft Industries. Lockheed, Northrop, and Consolidated Aircraft Co., San Diego, CA. Allan was there from November, 1940 until he enlisted in the army in May of 1941. He was enrolled full time for two month and completed an additional six months by correspondence. He was also working for Consolidated Aircraft doing sheet metal layout and small parts assembly.
One might wonder how Allan got connected with a school on the opposite coast. My suggesttion is that, as a machinist, he likely read "Popular Mechanics", a very popular magazine. I found the following advertisement in the February 1940 issue.
At the age of 21, Allan enlisted in the US Army on May 27, 1941, at Fort Rosecrans, CA. His civil occupation was "Mechanics and repairman, airplane". Following basic training he military occupational specialty was Airplane Maintenance Technician 750. His military qualifications were AAF Tech Badge with Airplane Mechanics Bar (March 23, 1944); Rifle Calibre 30 M-1903 Marksman (May 22, 1943)
Below is a newsclipping from "The Pawtucket Times", September 26, 1942 which includes Allan, his brothers, Murray and Raymond, and his first cousins Wilfred and George Winter.
| Allan George's Citations and Ribbons | ||||
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Service School Attended: Airplane Electrical School, Chanute Field, IL.
Allan was discharged on November 15, 1945 at Chanute Field, IL with the rank of Staff Sargeant. After September 1945, Chanute Field became a primary separation center for the armed forces, processing about 100 men per day from the armed forces back to civilian life.
Allan's unit at the time of discharge was Squadron C 3502nd AAF Base Unit. The US Army Air Forces, in addition to its combat units and flying units, also had non-flying units and organizations which used several types of designations during the period of the AAF (June, 1941 into September, 1947). In addition, the AAF restructured its domestic and continental structure during early spring 1944, this resulted in a base unit structure. The base units centralized the command of the support functions at a location and created a communication and organizational relations among flying and non-flying elements. It established a logistics basis for air operations.
The following discharge document provides some details of Allan service. He and his crew had very important responsibilities, the lives of pilots and plane crew depended on them. An error could cost the lives of airmen extremely valuable to the war effort.
August 1946 to September 1947: Aircraft Assembler for Northup Aero Corporation.
September 9, 1947 Joined the US Airforce. Served until May 31, 1952 Rank SSGT
Details:
July 1948-June 1950: 2nd Rescue Sqd. Kadena Airbase, Okinawa, Japan, Crew Chief and Flight Engineer, B17's This unit carried/dropped lifeboats mounted under the B17 fuselage. The 2nd Rescue Squadron (later changed to Air Rescue Squadron) at Kadena AB, Okinawa, moved with the Headquarters unit to Clark AB, Philippines in May 1950 until November 1951. Squadron had Flights A and B at Clark, Flight C at Kadena, Flight D on Guam. Planes in service were the SB-17, SA -16, SB-29, H-6, H-5, L-5 and C-46 aircraft. Also had Para-Rescue and Ground Search units at all locations. Commander was Lt Col George McHafferty. "THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE." Was the squadron moto. "Dumbo" was the code name used by the United States Navy during the 1940s and 1950s to signify search and rescue missions, conducted in conjunction with military operations, by long-range aircraft flying over the ocean. The purpose of Dumbo missions was to rescue downed American aviators as well as seamen in distress. Dumbo aircraft were originally land-based heavy bomber aircraft converted to carry an airborne lifeboat to be dropped in the water near survivors. The name "Dumbo" came from Walt Disney's flying elephant, the main character of the animated film Dumbo, appearing in October 1941.
Overview: September 9, 1947 to May 31, 1952. Allan worked as Aircraft and Engine mechanic, Crew Chief and Maintenance Supervisor, Various bases in the US. Worked mainly on P47's, B24's, P39's, P40's, and P51's. Northrup Aircraft C., Hawthorn, CA - Aircraft Assembler (His son, Brian, thinks he was working on the XB35 flying wings) US Air Force, Edwards AFB, Muroc, CA, Crew Chief and Flight Engineer, B29's and other.
On June 16, 1950, Allan was hit by a drunk driver in a head-on collision in Palmdale, C,. causing massive leg, knee, and ankle injuries. He spent the next teo years in various medical facilities until discharged from Bolling Medical Center, Washington, DC. on 5/31/52.
June 1952-January 1962, Engineering Draftsman, Pratt and Whitney, Hartford, Connecticut.
January 15, 1962- December 30, 1980, Engineering Draftsman for CRREL, (Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory). CRREL was a United States Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center research facility headquartered in Hanover, New Hampshire, that provided scientific and engineering support to the U.S. government and its military with a core emphasis on cold environments.
Allan Retired from CRREL on December 30, 1980, He then moved to Mountain Home, AR.
Medals and Decorations; American Defense Medal American Theater Ribbon WWII Victory Medal Army Occ Medal (Japan) Good Conduct Medal Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Co.
| Aircraft that Allan had responsibilities for. | ||||
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I know he was a crew chief in the Army Air Corps. in Florida, and then transferred to Okinawa working on B17's and other aircraft, and then to what is now Edwards AFB working on various early experimental projects. I believe he was crew chief on one of the B29's used to carry the X1 before he was hit by a drunk driver, crushing his knees and ankles and ending his military career. Probably a couple other stops along the way that I don't recall. He then went to work for Pratt and Whitney in Connecticut as a draftsman, and finally the Army Corps of Engineers (CRREL) here in NH to get full military retirement credit
1964 Commendation letter
From his obituary: He died March 24, 1991 in Mountain Home, AK. He was a draftsman for CRREL Research and Engineering. He was a former resident of Enfield, NH, and was retired from the Air Force. He was a member of the Fellowship cumberlad Presbyterian Church and the National Assoiation of redired Federal Employes He married the former Martgaret "Peggy" Ellen Durost on July 24, 1954 at Lisbon, Falls Maine. He has three sons, Kevin George of Lebanon, NH, Brian George of Agoura Hills, CA and James George of Port Orchard, WA, two daughters Ellen George Reck of Trotwood, Ohio and Carol George Lerma of Aamogordo, NM.
Memorial Honor Roll World War II
"Forever Honour'd. Forever Mourn'd"—Homer
Listed on plaque: Allan W. George, Murray W. George, Ralph H. George, Raymond H. George, Charles F. Winter, George E. Winter, Wilfrid M. Winter. Allan is at the end of the second column.
Enlistment Information:
| Allan W George | |
| Race: | White |
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| Marital status: | Single, without dependents (Single) |
| Rank: | Private |
| Birth Year: | 1919 |
| Nativity State or Country: | Massachusetts |
| Citizenship: | Citizen |
| Residence: | Norfolk, Massachusetts |
| Education: | 4 years of high school |
| Civil Occupation: | Mechanics and repairmen, airplane |
| Enlistment Date: | 27 May 1941 |
| Enlistment Place: | Fort Rosecrans, California |
| Service Number: | 19044447 |
| Branch: | Air Corps |
| Component: | Regular Army (including Officers, Nurses, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men) |
| Source: | Civil Life |
| Height: | 68 |
| Weight: | 157 |
| Allan W. George Photo Album |
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Raymond and Allan George on right, ca. 1922
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Unknown, Everett Olsen, Unknown, Bob Winter, Don Kirkton, Allan George. Camping Group.
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Don Kirkton, Bob Winter, Everett Olsen, and Allan George ca. September 1938
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Back Row: Kevin, Brian, Ellen and James |
Allan George, middle of front row in uniform. Above is a pictureduring the time Allan was at CRREL (Army Corps of Engineers). Bryon George, Allan's son write, "As I understand it, CRREL engineers were working on the pipeline design. Dad was not initially part of that group but noticed a problem while looking at someone else's work on it. He realized that there was something wrong with the way they were calculating the stresses that would be placed on the pipe that could result in catastrophic failure. They hadn't fully taken into account the changes in soils and topography across the entire state of Alaska. Anyway, long story short, he ended up working out the error for them. The little cooling fins on top of some of the support towers to prevent thawing of the permafrost was part of the fix. It was always his dream to go to Alaska and see the result but unfortunately that never happened. |
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