EAA493 Mailing List: Fwd: Seaplanes 1940 in Cowtown, Tx.

[Lawrence Wedel (tinkerlarry]

Interesting Texas aviation tidbit:

Begin forwarded message:

From: RBROCK2411 [at] aol.com

Subject: Fwd: Fw: Fw: Seaplanes 1940 in Cowtown, Tx.

 

 

 

Some of you may know about this interesting tidbit of Texas history from WWII era and one of Fort Worth’s best known civic leaders, Amon Carter, but most people didn’t.  Story below.

Photo: November 1940 mid-country layover point Catalina PBY seaplanes from San Diego to Britain at Fort Worth Texas

 

Traces of Texas reader Alan Comer sent in this rather remarkable

historic photograph, along with the following description. I had

no idea that this had ever occurred:

"PBY seaplanes moored on Lake Worth in 1940 at Fort Worth,

Texas. There are approximately 40 Catalina  PBY seaplanes

visible in the photo. 

In November 1940, Consolidated Aircraft contacted

Amon Carter, explaining they had been ordered to

transfer 200 Catalina PBY seaplanes from San Diego

to Britain and that they were in immediate need of

a layover point mid-country.

 

In just eight days, Amon Carter, with the help of the

Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, arranged for all

the necessary requirements of fuel, food, lodging for

the flight crews, and moorings for the planes. To keep

the mission secret, the public was told the planes

were here to weather out a hurricane in the Gulf of

Mexico*. The speedy response from Amon Carter and

the Chamber of Commerce later played a large role in

convincing Consolidated Aircraft to build their

manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas."