Chapter 7 CGAS Brooklyn … In Memorium
With the advent of aircraft into the Coast Guard, the ramifications of one crashing had to be pondered. The good done with aircraft far outweighed the possible cost in aircraft and people. The first tragedy to strike CGAS Brooklyn happened while it was still in its infancy. At 8 A. M. on 15 July 1939, a radio message was received at Marine Hospital on Staten Island from the ketch “Atlantis”. “Atlantis”, a research vessel used by the Oceanographic Institute at Woods Hole, Mass., had been out to sea for several months measuring area and currents of the Gulf Stream. The message received by the hospital was that one of the ” Atlantis ” crewmen was seriously ill with pneumonia. The hospital then radioed back to ” Atlantis ” to ” force liquids… administer aspirin… and put man ashore as soon as possible.” “Atiantis” was located 15 miles southeast of New York. At top speed it would take 18 hours to reach port. The Coast Guard was then requested to medivac the ill crewman. With the decision made to medivac the ill crewman, a Hall-Aluminum PH-2 flying boat, serial number V-164, was readied for the mission. This aircraft was one of the three original PH-2 type aircraft to be assigned to CGAS Brooklyn. At 1005 A.M. V-164 took off from Floyd Bennett Field with a crew of seven. Shortly before noon, the aircraft reported that it had sighted the ketch and was preparing to land. The on scene weather was dangerous with ” thunder squalls and cross swell” as reported by the aircraft. The aircraft, however, landed safely and awaited the ill crewman who had to be rowed over to the aircraft in a lifeboat. With the ill crewman aboard the aircraft and the lifeboat clear, the aircraft taxied over the swells into the wind. On takeoff the aircraft rose slightly, leveled off and mysteriously, with the throttles set at takeoff power, dove nose first into the waves. The lifeboat from “Atlantis” quickly rowed back over to the stricken aircraft and rescued five of the Coast Guard crewmen. Trapped in the forward compartment of the aircraft were the pilot, co-pilot and the crewman from “Atlantis”. The pilot, Lt. W.L. Clemmer, co-pilot AMM2(AP) J. Radan and the “Atlantis” crewman all drowned.


