Fred
05-18-2020, 12:23
Here’s my dad’s watch that he wore as a pilot in the U.S. Navy flying in the Pacific during World War II.
The watch belonged to my dad, Richard Holman Gaarde. He was a Navy Pilot in the Pacific in World War II. Later, he wore the watch in the Korean War. Dad flew PBY's and sometimes whatever else he was qualified on. He was wearing that watch when, while flying a PBY one time, a strafing burst of fire from a Japanese aircraft cut the head off of his copilot. Dad said he had to fly the PBY while trying to kick his buddy's head out from under his feet where it was rolling around and interfering with the foot controls, all while the blood kept pumping out of the man's body all over the place until his heart finally just quit pumping. I guess at some point dad was able to remove the stiffening hands of his copilot off of the other wheel and continue on with the mission. I think it probably must’ve been the navigator and the radio man who came forward and removed the copilot’s body and head because the two side gunners no doubt were pretty busy at that time. That's the kind of scenario the watch must've sometimes bore witness to. The watch was a gift to my dad upon receiving his Navy Commission from a friend of his father just before or during WW II. My dad's dad, Dr.Frederick William Gaarde Sr, was a doctor at the Mayo Clinic and so was my dad's brother, Dr. Frederick William Gaarde II. The friend of my grandfather who gave dad the watch was also a doctor at the Mayo Clinic. But it seems that dad just wanted to fly, so he broke with the family tradition of becoming a doctor.
The watch is the 33rd one made in the series, which is rare in itself today.
made by Gallet in Switzerland who has been making time pieces for 555 years.
I believe dad learned to fly in old WWI biplanes in 1938 or 1939.
47713
47717
47715
The watch belonged to my dad, Richard Holman Gaarde. He was a Navy Pilot in the Pacific in World War II. Later, he wore the watch in the Korean War. Dad flew PBY's and sometimes whatever else he was qualified on. He was wearing that watch when, while flying a PBY one time, a strafing burst of fire from a Japanese aircraft cut the head off of his copilot. Dad said he had to fly the PBY while trying to kick his buddy's head out from under his feet where it was rolling around and interfering with the foot controls, all while the blood kept pumping out of the man's body all over the place until his heart finally just quit pumping. I guess at some point dad was able to remove the stiffening hands of his copilot off of the other wheel and continue on with the mission. I think it probably must’ve been the navigator and the radio man who came forward and removed the copilot’s body and head because the two side gunners no doubt were pretty busy at that time. That's the kind of scenario the watch must've sometimes bore witness to. The watch was a gift to my dad upon receiving his Navy Commission from a friend of his father just before or during WW II. My dad's dad, Dr.Frederick William Gaarde Sr, was a doctor at the Mayo Clinic and so was my dad's brother, Dr. Frederick William Gaarde II. The friend of my grandfather who gave dad the watch was also a doctor at the Mayo Clinic. But it seems that dad just wanted to fly, so he broke with the family tradition of becoming a doctor.
The watch is the 33rd one made in the series, which is rare in itself today.
made by Gallet in Switzerland who has been making time pieces for 555 years.
I believe dad learned to fly in old WWI biplanes in 1938 or 1939.
47713
47717
47715