PITT FESSENDEN CARL, JR. (1895-1973)
Pitt Fessenden Carl, Jr., was born on April 20, 1895 in Greencastle, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, the youngest of three children and born a "blue" baby. He barely survived the birth, but grew to be a strong baby and child. He was usually called "Junie" (short for "Junior") by his family and boyhood friends, and "Pitt" or "Junie" as an adult (while in college, he was called -- like his older brother -- "Dutch").
He grew up in Greencastle, like so many of his forebears. Pitt started college at Penn State, but after one year, his uncle Henry Fletcher paid for his education at Yale, where he graduated from Yale's Sheffield Engineering School (which no longer exists) in 1917.
Pitt served in the U.S. Army in World War I and had a distinguished record. He was stationed in France and flew airplanes in combat in the 88th Flying Squadron. He participated in the battle of the Argonne, the St. Mihiel offensive, and during the Chateau-Thierry fight. He received several decorations, including the Croix de Guerre from the French government. He was a First Lieutenant. Later, he was adjutant to General MacArthur at West Point. His grandson, Pitt A. Hamilton, has his war diary (1997).
After the war, Pitt married Elizabeth Ross on November 10, 1920. Elizabeth was from Harrisburg, and lived very close to Pitt's first cousin, Martha ("Tuts") Fletcher, and that's how they met. They relocated to St. Louis for a short while, but for most of his career, Pitt worked with the Bell Telephone Company, at first in Philadelphia, but then in 1928 he and his family moved to Bronxville, New York, and he worked in New York City for the rest of his career. He was in the advertising department and rose to be Vice President of Advertising of New York Bell Telephone Company.
He was also a great amateur architect and engineer, and also a bit of a painter. Among other things, he built an elaborate and wonderful train set in the basement of 24 Sturgis Road in Bronxville (using trains purchased on trips in Europe and the United States); an exquisite doll house for his granddaughter (me!) and which was a model of the Bronxville house; and he designed his and his wife's house in Sarasota (616 Mangrove Point Road).
He was a devoted family man and doting grandfather. He and Elizabeth had two daughters, Emily (my mother), born in 1922, and Mary Lillian (called "Missy") in 1926. Called "Gonkey" by his five grandchildren (a name given to him by his oldest grandchild, me), he was really the definition of a perfect grandfather.
He was very close to his uncle, Henry Fletcher, and the executor of his estate.
He and his wife, Elizabeth, had a set of very close friends in Bronxville -- many of whom retired to Siesta Key, in Sarasota, Florida together, including Pitt and Elizabeth. These friends loved to play poker and go to football games together.
When he was young, he played baseball, and later on, he loved to play golf. He also enjoyed a winter sport called "curling".
He was a lifelong Republican. He was a foe of Franklin Roosevelt's domestic program, but a strong supporter of U.S. entry in World War II.
He died in Sarasota, Florida on January 31, 1973 of cancer, and he is buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Greencastle, Pennsylvania.
He grew up in Greencastle, like so many of his forebears. Pitt started college at Penn State, but after one year, his uncle Henry Fletcher paid for his education at Yale, where he graduated from Yale's Sheffield Engineering School (which no longer exists) in 1917.
Pitt served in the U.S. Army in World War I and had a distinguished record. He was stationed in France and flew airplanes in combat in the 88th Flying Squadron. He participated in the battle of the Argonne, the St. Mihiel offensive, and during the Chateau-Thierry fight. He received several decorations, including the Croix de Guerre from the French government. He was a First Lieutenant. Later, he was adjutant to General MacArthur at West Point. His grandson, Pitt A. Hamilton, has his war diary (1997).
After the war, Pitt married Elizabeth Ross on November 10, 1920. Elizabeth was from Harrisburg, and lived very close to Pitt's first cousin, Martha ("Tuts") Fletcher, and that's how they met. They relocated to St. Louis for a short while, but for most of his career, Pitt worked with the Bell Telephone Company, at first in Philadelphia, but then in 1928 he and his family moved to Bronxville, New York, and he worked in New York City for the rest of his career. He was in the advertising department and rose to be Vice President of Advertising of New York Bell Telephone Company.
He was also a great amateur architect and engineer, and also a bit of a painter. Among other things, he built an elaborate and wonderful train set in the basement of 24 Sturgis Road in Bronxville (using trains purchased on trips in Europe and the United States); an exquisite doll house for his granddaughter (me!) and which was a model of the Bronxville house; and he designed his and his wife's house in Sarasota (616 Mangrove Point Road).
He was a devoted family man and doting grandfather. He and Elizabeth had two daughters, Emily (my mother), born in 1922, and Mary Lillian (called "Missy") in 1926. Called "Gonkey" by his five grandchildren (a name given to him by his oldest grandchild, me), he was really the definition of a perfect grandfather.
He was very close to his uncle, Henry Fletcher, and the executor of his estate.
He and his wife, Elizabeth, had a set of very close friends in Bronxville -- many of whom retired to Siesta Key, in Sarasota, Florida together, including Pitt and Elizabeth. These friends loved to play poker and go to football games together.
When he was young, he played baseball, and later on, he loved to play golf. He also enjoyed a winter sport called "curling".
He was a lifelong Republican. He was a foe of Franklin Roosevelt's domestic program, but a strong supporter of U.S. entry in World War II.
He died in Sarasota, Florida on January 31, 1973 of cancer, and he is buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Greencastle, Pennsylvania.
WORLD WAR I and ARMY SERVICE
Pitt Carl was a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Field Artillery, Observer, 88th Aero Squadron. His World War I experience was very exciting, as he spent most of his service in an airplane over France. He entered the Army in May 1917, and left Hoboken, N.J. on a troop ship for Europe in early March 1918. Pitt’s first flight was on April 11, 1918, and he was a gunner and observer on numerous flights from then until November, and participated in the Battles of Chateau-Thierry, Saint- Mihiel, and the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Pitt was awarded the Croix de Guerre, with Palm. He kept a diary during the war, which he then typed up after the war in 1920, adding maps and including all his orders. A scanned copy of this diary can be found here.
What it must have been like to fly in what looks a really flimsy box! Here is how Pitt describes in his war diary his orders to go into aviation, and then his very first flight, at the flying training center in Tours, France, in 1918:
SPECIAL ORDERS # 1. Par. 5. Headquarters U.S. Troops, A.P.O. 704, April 6th. 1918, started me for Tours and Aviation. Bagby, Bradford, Anderson and I left La Valdahon on the 5.30 PM. train, freight cars only, for Besancon. It took us exactly three hours to travel the eighteen miles. Stopped at the Hotel de Bains where we had a farewell party with a select few from the regiment. The next morning we all went sight seeing. Visited the ruins that were built 161 A.D. and during our travels went up to see the famous clock. We left Besancon Sunday night on the 11.17, arriving in Paris seven twenty the following morning. I went up to the University Union, 8 Rue de Richelieu, and had a very interesting conversation with Professors’ Nettleton and Mendell. Had lunch at the Cafe de Paris with Blaine Miller and Nick Carter. The Boche dropped about ten shells into the city that morning. As a rule they create no disturbance but the Church was quite a knock out.
Left Paris April 9th. on the 8.15 train for Tours. Had lunch with Bagby, Anderson and Bradford at the Hotel de l’Universe, then reported to the
Commanding Officer 2nd. Aviation Instruction Centre for duty. EXTRACT. “I am very anxious to start on my new lifes work. It maybe – Who can tell.” I got up bright and early April 11th., put on the flying suit and was on the field, ready to take my medecine, at seven fifteen. I feel certain
that I smoked ten cigarettes from the time I arrived at the FLAG until I was assigned to take the first HOP in a French Sopwith. This fact calmed
my nerves a little because a SOP looks much stronger and safer than a Farman. I buttoned the suit, very carefully adjusted the goggles, put on the caske and crawled in, scared to death, but at this stage of the game it was too late to get out. Lieut. Langley, “gave her the gun” and away we started. We stayed on the ground for at least one hundred yards, then began to climb. As I was watching the various instruments the first few minutes after we “took off”, I didn’t get the anticipated thrill. The “AT HOME” feeling came on me slowlyand when I did look out and down I never saw a more beautiful sight in all my life. Nothing can compare with it. We flew up to CERRELS – MONNAIE and return. Time 18 minutes.
EXTRACT. “I like it very much. I intend to work hard and become a good Observer”.
SPECIAL ORDERS # 1. Par. 5. Headquarters U.S. Troops, A.P.O. 704, April 6th. 1918, started me for Tours and Aviation. Bagby, Bradford, Anderson and I left La Valdahon on the 5.30 PM. train, freight cars only, for Besancon. It took us exactly three hours to travel the eighteen miles. Stopped at the Hotel de Bains where we had a farewell party with a select few from the regiment. The next morning we all went sight seeing. Visited the ruins that were built 161 A.D. and during our travels went up to see the famous clock. We left Besancon Sunday night on the 11.17, arriving in Paris seven twenty the following morning. I went up to the University Union, 8 Rue de Richelieu, and had a very interesting conversation with Professors’ Nettleton and Mendell. Had lunch at the Cafe de Paris with Blaine Miller and Nick Carter. The Boche dropped about ten shells into the city that morning. As a rule they create no disturbance but the Church was quite a knock out.
Left Paris April 9th. on the 8.15 train for Tours. Had lunch with Bagby, Anderson and Bradford at the Hotel de l’Universe, then reported to the
Commanding Officer 2nd. Aviation Instruction Centre for duty. EXTRACT. “I am very anxious to start on my new lifes work. It maybe – Who can tell.” I got up bright and early April 11th., put on the flying suit and was on the field, ready to take my medecine, at seven fifteen. I feel certain
that I smoked ten cigarettes from the time I arrived at the FLAG until I was assigned to take the first HOP in a French Sopwith. This fact calmed
my nerves a little because a SOP looks much stronger and safer than a Farman. I buttoned the suit, very carefully adjusted the goggles, put on the caske and crawled in, scared to death, but at this stage of the game it was too late to get out. Lieut. Langley, “gave her the gun” and away we started. We stayed on the ground for at least one hundred yards, then began to climb. As I was watching the various instruments the first few minutes after we “took off”, I didn’t get the anticipated thrill. The “AT HOME” feeling came on me slowlyand when I did look out and down I never saw a more beautiful sight in all my life. Nothing can compare with it. We flew up to CERRELS – MONNAIE and return. Time 18 minutes.
EXTRACT. “I like it very much. I intend to work hard and become a good Observer”.
The following is another extract from Pitt's war diary, this time describing an aerial dogfight. This took place on September 2, during the Chateau-Thierry engagement:
Sept. 2nd. Bagby, Comey, Moore, Hitchcook, Page and I started out to run a reglage on a bridge crossing the Aisne at MAIZY. Bagby was conducting the shoot, Moore and I were protecting. All three of us took off at 2.30 PM. After the Battery had signalled, “Ready to Fire”, we started over the lines. Just as we went over the VESLE, a formation of Four SPADS flew over us and it looked as tho they were going to follow us IN. Over ROMAIN I saw ten planes about 1000 metres above and 1000 to the right of us. The oblique visibility was poor so I couldn’t distinguish whether or not they were Boche. I pointed them out to the Senator and told him to keep an eye open. I saw them begin to dive at us but still I wasn’t certain. Bagby and Comey turned to the left and started to lose a little altitude. We closed up immediately. The Boche began to fire at about 700. I fired a few bursts to see if myguns were working, then held back until they Came-in. Three of them Came-in to within seventy five metres. All three of us were firing at the same plane, as one would do a VIRAGE we would let him go and take on the next. The 4th. Boche closed in or Moore and Hitchcock – it looked as tho they were going to collide. I could see the German tracers practically covering Moore as he was standing up in his cockpit firing his own gun. Suddenly their plane went out of control. One Boche would attack immediately after the other. One in particular dove at me. His tracers were going all around us. As he was coming Head-on, I had to keep firing into his motor – finally, he did his virage, burst into flames and went down – Like-a-bat-out-of-hell-. From then on we had a running fight with Four of them. To make matters worse, my goggles blew off but I was fortunate enough to have another pair in my suit and by the time I had them adjusted, I heard Machine Guns and AntiAirCraft firing at us. About this time the Senator said, “Wherein hell are we”, I had no idea, but suggested that if he kept going toward the sun, we would come out all right. We surely were relieved when the REIMS Cathedral came into view and we knew that we were behind our own lines. Motor trouble forced us to land at ANTHENAY. It took about forty five minutes to get things in shape, smoke half a doezen cigarettes and then get back to our Field. It was the first REAL scrap I was ever mixed up in and I got credit for one HALBERSTADT. Moore and Hitchcock were both killed. It was a wonderful experience and I learned a few tricks about defending myself while “Up in the Air”. |
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
|