Caldwell, Charles Edmund, Cpl

Deceased

Service Photo

Service Details

Last Rank
Corporal

Last Primary AFSC/MOS
AAF MOS 756-Radio Operator, MOS (AAF Radio Operator and Mechanic)

Last AFSC Group
Signal (Enlisted)

Primary Unit
1945-1946, AAF MOS 081, 12th Emergency Rescue Boat Squadron

Service Years
1943 - 1946

Official/Unofficial US Air Force Certificates

Cold War Certificate

Last Photo

Personal Details

Home State

Indiana

Year of Birth
1924

This Military Service Page was created/owned by Marines

SSgt Larry E. Caldwell to remember Caldwell, Charles Edmund, Cpl.

If you knew or served with this Airman and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.

Contact Info

Home Town Crawfordsville, IN	Last Address Crawfordsville
Date of Passing Feb 16, 2014
Location of Interment Mace Community Cemetery - Mace, Indiana

Official Badges

Unofficial Badges

Military Associations and Other Affiliations


	1946, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), Post 1431, Montgomery County Post (Crawfordsville, Indiana) - Chap. Page
	1950, American Legion, Post 72 (Crawfordsville, Indiana) - Chap. Page

Additional Information

Last Known Activity:

Life Member VFW
Life Member American Legion
Member, AAF/USAF Crash Boat Association

I will continue to polish dad's Profile, but so much of the WWII information is yet to be included in the database from which to select air fields, badges, patches, chevrons and so forth. As those become available I will update his Profile so it can be as accurate for the period as possible.

Other Comments:

Dad had three MOS's during his 3-year WWII USAAF service:

0756 - Radio Operator/Radio Mechanic

0552 - Control Tower Operator

0081 - Engineman, Operating

NOTE:

I have asked Admin to make the Technician Badge with bars available, but I don't know the status of that.

I would also like to see the Enlisted Aviation Chevrons from WWII added so those who would prefer to display them as an option. Those of who were in the USAAF didn't consider themselves 'Army', but rather 'Airman', so the chevrons with 'propellers' underneath seem fitting and should be made available. I have provided copies of each rank to Admin so they're available, just not included in the database. Typically those in the USAAF just worn U.S. Army chevrons...those w/o the propellor underneath the stripes.

Then there's the issue of all those squadron patches the USAAF had during WWII that could be used relative to the Assignments Section. Those would add a lot of color to the Assignments.

And how about the Distinctive Insignia's that were worn on the uniforms at the time? Those too should be made available.

1943-1945, B-24 Liberator

From Year 1943	To Year 1945

Personal Memories

Maintained the radio equipment on the B-24 flight line at Harlingen AAF, TX.

Also served as radio operator on gunnery training flights when the primary radio operator (crew member) was unavailable.

Image	B-24 Liberator Details
	Aircraft/Missile Information Specifications Model Consolidated B-24J Liberator Length 67.16 ft \| 20.47 m Width 110.01 ft \| 33.53 m Height 18.01 ft \| 5.49 m Engine(s) 4 x Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 radial piston engines generating 1,200hp. Empty Weight 36,500 lbs \| 16,556 kg MTOW 65,001 lbs \| 29,484 kg Max Speed 290 mph \| 467 km/h \| 252 kts Max Range 2,001 miles \| 3,220 km Ceiling 28,002 ft \| 8,535 m \| 5.3 miles Climb Rate 800 ft/min (243.84 m/min) Hardpoints 0 Armament 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in nose assembly. 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in tail assembly. 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in upper-fuselage turret. 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in under-fuselage assembly. 1 x 12.7mm machine gun in left-waist fuselage position. 1 x 12.7mm machine gun in right-waist fuselage position. Up to 8,800lbs of internal bombs. Accommodations 10 Operators the United States of America and the United Kingdom. * Model 31 - Flying Boat Model whose wing assembly would become the basis for the B-24 design. * Model 32 - Base B-24 Model Series Designation. * XB-24 - Initial Prototype Model Designation fitted with R-1830-33 radial piston engines generating 1,200hp. * YB-24 - Preproduction Model Designation * B-24A - Fitted with 2 x 7.62mm tail guns, 6 x 12.7mm machine guns in nose assembly, dorsal and waist gun positions. * B-24C - Fitted with turbocharged R-1830-41 engines; 8 x 12.7mm machine guns - nose (single gun), ventral, waist (left and right), dorsal turret (two guns) and tail turret (two guns). * B-24D - Based on the B-24C model but fitted with R-1830-43 engines; later models of this series would feature the twin 12.7mm ball turret gun assembly in the ventral fuselage position; self-sealing fuel tanks; 2,381 produced. * B-24E - Modified propeller systems; 801 produced. * B-24G - Fitted with R-1830-43 engines; powered nose turret with 2 x 12.7mm machine guns. * B-24H - Improved Model with extended nose section; 3,100 produced. * B-24J - Fitted with R-1830-65 engines; improved bombsight; autopilot functionality; 6,678 produced. * B-24L - Based on B-24J model but fitted with hand-operated tail guns; 1,667 produced. * B-24M - Based on B-24J model with lighter mounting for hand-operated tail gun; 2,593 produced. * XB-24Q - General Electric Conversion Model of B-24L model fitted with radio-controlled tail turret. * B-24Q - Final Production Model Designation * B-24Q * LB-30 - Transport Variant * C-87 - Air Force Transport Variant * RY - Navy Transport Variant * C-109 - Fuel Tanking Model * F-7 - Photographic Reconnaissance Model * PB4Y-1 - Patrol Bombing Model * PB4Y-2 - Specialized Model with single vertical tail surface assembly. * GR - British Maritime Reconnaissance Model.