Joseph E. Boudwin, Jr. Ca. 1921 (Source: ancestry.com)

Joseph Boudwin was signed in the Floyd Bennett Field Register once, on April 8, 1933 at 10:00PM. The context of the Register leads to a conflict, however. On the Register line just above Boudwin's signature is the signature of colleague S.L. Willits allegedly flying the same airplane and arriving at the same time. Since Willits and Boudwin both worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and their airplane, the Monocoach Model 275 NS22 (S/N 5029) was a DOC airplane, they were probably flying in the same airplane, sharing pilot duties. Regardless, they arrived at Floyd Bennett Field from Roosevelt Field.

Boudwin was born September 28, 1896 in Philadelphia, PA. The 1900 U.S. Census, his first, placed him living at age three with his father Joseph, Sr. (age 31) and mother, Emma (28) in Prospect Park, PA. His father's occupation was coded as "Trainman." The family had moved to New Castle, DE by 1910. That Census listed Boudwin (13) living with his parents, a new sister Jane E. (5) and his maternal grandmother and her son. His father was now coded as a "Conductor" on the "Railroad." I found no data for his 1920 Census.

Boudwin was active in the Air Corp during WWI (see the boxed item from Who's Who farther below). He was responsible for downing enemy planes and balloons. He was credited in the Official U.S. Bulletin, September 28, 1919, below. He's mentioned but halfway down the third column.

Official U.S. Bulletin, September 28, 1918 (Source: ancestry.com)

Below he is pictured with his crew in front of his airplane. This photograph is from the cover of the AAHS Journal, Spring, 1962. The caption reads, " Photo from the album of (then) Lt. Joseph E. Boudwin. It shows “Shorty” Boudwin and his crew, Sgt. F.C. Melby (l). and Pvt. C.L. Gilbert, of the 25th Aero Squadron, U.S.A.S. just after organization. The 25th was assigned to combat a few weeks prior to the Armistice and was composed of veteran pilots and crew, brought together again from service in R.A.F. units."

J.E. Boudwin, Center (Source: AAHS via Woodling)

About a year after the Official U.S. Bulletin tabulation, above, Boudwin was married to an unidentified woman during August, 1919. The Port Jervis Union, August 19, 1919 reported the news that the new couple traveled by plane to their aerial honeymoon, below. A similar article appeared in The New York Times, but it did not mention her name either. The new bride a groom did not stay married long, because Boudwin was married again in 1926 (see below).

Port Jervis Union, August 19, 1919 (Source: Woodling)

A strange item that showed up, which was not mentioned in any other documentation that I reviewed, was the application, below, for seaman certification dated January 25,1921. His portrait, top of page, was clipped from this application. He would have been about 24 years old in the photograph. His signature on this application matches that in the Register.

Application for Seaman Certificate, January 25, 1921 (Source: ancestry.com)

Washington Post, August 24, 1924 (Source: Woodling)

He did use this certification for at least a few voyages. He showed up on an immigration form documenting the (undated) arrival of the S.S. Allianca at New York. His job was identified as a waiter. Likewise, he was recorded on another crew list (undated) for the S.S. Manhattan from Hamburg, Germany, via Channel Ports to New York. He was listed as age 31 on the ledger, so the year was near 1926.

August ,1924 was not a good month for Boudwin. On the 8th, the Washington Post announced a sweep of sixteen suspects on charges of conspiring to violate prohibition laws. Boudwin and his father were among the suspects. On the 24th, right, the Post reported that he and his father were each arrested and released on $1,000 bond for alleged conspiracy to distribute and sell illegal liquor (Prohibition was still the law of the land in 1924).

It was alleged in other articles that liquor was smuggled into Florida from nearby Caribbean islands then, "...transported by Pullman conductors and other railway men..." to Washington, DC and New York. Being a rail conductor, Boudwin's father was uniquely placed to participate in this work.

Happily, the December 12, 1924 issue of the Post reported the dismissal of the cases against the men due to a technicality in how the indictments were phrased.

In the wake of his bootlegging troubles, Boudwin married Mabel S. Spaulding on June 10, 1926. The 1930 Census placed him living at age 33 in Wichita, KS with his wife, Mabel S. (29). His occupation was coded as "Aero Inspector" with the "Department of Commerce." His troubles with the law must not have had any lasting effect on his employability, since he began working for the federal government in 1929.

According to the Census form, Boudwin and Mabel had been married four years earlier. They rented their home for $75 per month. Interestingly, the family just below him on the Census form, and a neighbor in the same apartment building, was that of Register pilot Clare W. Bunch. Bunch's occupation was coded as "Electrical Engineer" in an "Office." That office was the Pioneer Instrument Co., for which Bunch was the Wichita manager from 1929-1931. Please direct your browser to his link for more information on his interesting life and accomplishments.

Mexia Weekly Herald (TX), May 22, 1931 (Source: newspapers.com)

In May, 1931, Boudwin in his official capacity was in Omaha, NB for the Omaha Air Races. There, he witnessed the death of Register pilot "Speed" Holman. The Mexia Weekly Herald (TX), May 22, 1931 reported the tragedy, left. Boudwin is mentioned in the third to last paragraph. It seems that Holman, if he had survived the flight, was about to lose his pilot certificate for endangering spectators and himself. Information at his link states that Holman had a long track record of pushing the envelope of himself, his aircraft and the rules. A pilot saying goes, "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots. There are no old, bold pilots." The saying held true for Holman.

By 1932, Boudwin and Mabel had moved to Kansas City, MO according to the city directory for that year. His occupation was cited as "aviation engineer." To continue his shipboard adventures, another Immigration form from 1935 listed him as a night steward. His address was given as Roosevelt Field, NY, which suggests he took opportunities to cruise, perhaps to boost his earnings beyond those of piloting as the Great Depression deepened.

In 1936, Boudwin and Mabel traveled to Central America. They were documented on an Immigration form as returning to New York on the ship S.S. Ancon, which sailed from Cristobal, Canal Zone on December 27, 1936 and arrived at New York on January 4, 1937. As far as I can determine from the form, he was exclusively a passenger, not crew, on this voyage. Indeed, with his DOC responsibilities, I don't know how he reconciled his last voyage as crew documented in 1935, above. Interestingly, in August, 1938, Boudwin was the CAA officer who returned Douglas Corrigan's pilot certificate to him after it was suspended because he, "...stopped over in Ireland on a flight from New York to Los Angeles."

Who's Who in Aviation, 1942 (Source: Webmaster)

I found no 1940 Census data for him. However, this 1942 REFERENCE, page 50, summarized Boudwin's aviation experiences to-date, right. Note there is no mention of shipboard duties that were forthcoming from his seaman certification, above. Perhaps he did not use his certification further, finding his jobs a Lawson Air Line and Washington Airport more to his liking and aptitudes.

San Bernardino County Sun (CA), March 11, 1939 (Source: newspapers.com)

Cited in 1942 Who's Who was his work as a Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) representative on Pan American flights to and from China was corroborated by an Immigration form dated March 14, 1939. Boudwin was a passenger on that flight. The form is below. As it turned out, it was lucky that he was aboard, because "slight mechanical difficulties" were suffered shortly after takeoff from Guam eastbound to Honolulu. Those difficulties were documented in many papers across the nation within a week or so of the Clipper's return to the U.S.. The San Bernardino County Sun, March 11, 1939 was one of the many, left. I found no information about similar duties for flights to Puerto Rico and return. About a year earlier, the Seattle Daily Times reported that he was in Oregon to deliver an airworthiness certificate to the new Clipper Number 2 before its inaugural flight to Hong Kong.

Immigration Form, March 14, 1939 (Source: ancestry.com)

As a captain in the reserves, I'm not sure of exactly what his duties were during WWII. One article, below, from the Ogden Standard Examiner (UT), May 24, 1945 documented his work, as a lieutenant colonel, as head of the Air Technical Services Command inspection team at Wright Field, OH. Boudwin is in the light uniform in the news photo. His short stature of 5'4" shows in this photograph. Below the photo is an example of "Rosie the Riveter."

Ogden Standard Examiner (UT), May 24, 1945 (Source: newspapers.com)

After the war, Boudwin did persist with his career as CAA inspector with the government. The Official Register of the U.S. for 1948 listed his position and salary as follows. For serving as the Assistant Chief of the Flight Engineering Division of the Civil Aeronautics Administration, Department of Commerce, he earned $8,059 per year. His territory was Maryland.

Official Register of the U.S. for 1948 (Source: ancestry.com)

Ten year later, the Official Register of the U.S. for 1958, below, identified his position and salary as below. Still responsible for Maryland, he had changed positions as well as moved up in salary to $11,395 per year.

Official Register of the U.S. for 1958 (Source: ancestry.com)

Note that Register pilot Blanche Noyes was the only female listed on these two pages. Please direct your browser to her link for information about the air marking program.

Stars & Stripes, April 12, 1956 (Source: Woodling)

At some point, while he was still working, he moved to St. Petersburg, FL. The city directories for 1955, 1956 and and 1963 listed Boudwin living by himself at 663 Central Avenue. On Google Earth, that neighborhood today is one of storefront shops. With the aircraft and services available to him in the late 1950s, he could have easily lived in Florida and maintained his military reserve activites and CAA responsibilities in Maryland.

That this is so is reflected in the article at left from Stars & Stripes, April 12, 1956. It describes Boudwin's two-week tour in Germany a decade after WWII ended, when the Cold War was still very cold. While not acting on behalf of the CAA, this article documents his continuing responsibility as civil air transport moved from propeller equipment to jets.

Annapolis Evening Capital (MD), February 3, 1981 (Source: Woodling)

We can surmise that he retired sometime after the 1958 listing in the Official Register, above. If you can help fill in the blanks, please let me KNOW.

In 1975 a book was written (cited, left sidebar), which was based upon Boudwin's diary of his experiences with No. 84 Sqauadron during WWI.

Boudwin flew West on January 20, 1981 from Pinellas County, FL. He was 84 years old. He was interred at the Arlington National Cemetery. His obituary, from February 3, 1981 in the Annapolis Evening Capital (MD), above right, reported that he was survived by Mabel and their daughter Jean.

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