David Putnam

[stephen]

The French confirmation system was probably second only to the Germans in strictness. Behind the French were the Americans, whose confirmation system for fighters was fairly respectable even though the gunner/observer system was a mess. Then came anything from the British commonwealth, which handed victory credits out like candy.

That's not a snub of the Brits, BTW... they did a lot of things right that we messed up. Just observing.

Hey. A pun.

[Old_Nick]

If you get a chance, draw a cold one and drink to the birthday of ace David E. Putnam who was born 10 December 1898. I will!!!

Old Nick

[Amy]

*If you get a chance, draw a cold one and drink to the birthday of ace David E. Putnam who was born 10 December 1898. *I will!!!

*Old Nick

A belated 103rd birthday to Lt. Putnam!

BTW Nick, I've got the first two pages of that Cross & Cockade article scanned for you. I'm sending them now.

[Old_Nick]

Amy

Got the scans. They came through and look real clear. Text fine, drawings fine. Many many thanks! I owe you big time!

Old Nick

[Amy]

Hey Nick:

Pages 3 and 4 have just been sent. If you don't get them, let me know.

Amy

You can also refer to "The Lafayette Flying Corps" by Dennis Gordon (Schiffer Military History), page 373 (just one page, I'm afraid, but still worth a reading).
William Wellman, director of "Wings", knew Putnam and claims to have gone to school with him (see Richard Schikel's "The Men Who Made The Movies", Atheneum 1975).
Now to answer Stephan's query above, about who put in more or the most claims, by an American, of whatever service. Welllll, I guess Lufbery would qualify, kinda-sorta, because (citing the Gordon book) other pilots made claims for Lufbery. What I mean is, "Edward Hinkle... recalled one day during his own tenure with the Squadron when Lufbery had knocked down seven enemy aircraft and had failed to receive credit for a single plane." Or, if this will satisfy your morbid curiousity, James Norman Hall "said that the seventeen official victories Lufbery was ultimatedly credited with was 'no more than half the number of planes he actually destroyed.'" And, "Hinkle, who flew with Lufbery, believed his total to have been close to seventy enemy aircraft destroyed." Another pilot, Carl Dolan, "had seen Lufbery down there of the five German planes... And yet... only one... was confirmed." Dolan then asked Lufbery if this bothered him, "that so many of his victories had gone unconfirmed"; to which Le Grand Raoul a eu repondu,
"WHAT THE HELL DO I CARE. I KNOW I GOT THEM."

[Gregvan]

Hi,

Incidentally, there is an additional reference to Putnam's red Spad flown in the 139th Aero Squadron, as well as those mentioned in the C & C article described above. In "New England Aviators" Vol. 2, page [7] there is an official report on Putnam by Major Edmund Gros. He says, "Always seeking combat, he flew a brightly painted red machine which was known as "Putnam's Red Devil", and was never known to turn tail when attacked by superior numbers." Since Major Gros was certainly in a position to know, I have little doubt that Putnam did sometimes fly a red Spad XIII (the red probably being confined to the fuselage and tail surfaces).As Jon Guttman has discovered, Putnam had previosuly flown with the French ace Madon who also flew a red Spad, thus the inspiration.

Putnam was the real deal, whatever the controversy about his confirmed and unofficial victory score. I had the privilege of interviewing Dallas Darling, a former mechanic in the 139th, several years ago. He had sometimes been chosen to "swing the prop" for Putnam on his early morning solo patrols, when Putnam's usual mechanic wasn't out of bed yet. From his diary and recollections it was obvious he had great admiration and awe for David Putnam.

It seems certain that Putnam was shot down by Georg von Hantelmann of Jasta 15, and it's interesting to note that Putnam's name was not unknown to the Germans. A privately-printed book on von Hantelmann, written by his sister, mentions the downing of "the American Putmann (sic)" as one of von Hantelmann's most significant victories.

Greg VanWyngarden

[stephen]

I've always had great respect for Putnam and felt that if God had been keeping track of victory credits for each nation, that Putnam would likely have been the leading American ace.

[Old_Nick]

Thank you everyone who has responded to my question. I started here with very little knowledge about this man. I saw a heading once that called him the forgotten ace. Being a big AWI buff I thought it neat that here was a ace who was not only local but with a tie to the revwar (i.e. General Isreal Putnam).

Since then with all I have learned I have come away with a healthy respect for this fine man. I am still tracking down the various articles, journals and books you have mentioned. I am most especialy pleaseed with the time and effort Amy has taken to scan the article on Putnam's plane and e-mail it to me. It is not always folks are so generous with their time and collections.

Again, many thanks!

Old Nick