Untitled Page

I've Got Something To Sing Out About : Oct 17, 2007

______________

Seven years ago Moriches historian Van Field e mailed me and told me he found something of interest in the micro film of The Patchogue Advance in April of 1917. It was this item about an Airplane Station at Mastic. Van asked me if I had ever heard of airfield there, as the only one he had ever heard of was at Smith Point....Well as readers of this website well know over the years I have found quite a bit of info and photos of the flyers and their planes etc of what was officially known as The US Navy Reserve Aerial Coast Patrol Unit 3 aka The Knapp Seaplane Base, located on shore of the Knapp Estate in what is now known as (since 1926)Mastic Beach ..... Here is the article from the Patchogue Advance and one from the NY Times .... take notice to the part in both that says "equipped with Three hangers ........ the hangers will be put up at once"

Patchogue Advance --- N Y Times April 15, 1917

Of all the photos I have found over the years including the hanger they put up at Smith Point when the base grew rapidly over the summer of 1917, I have never seen this photo ..... until today

SO MAY I PRESENT TO YOU

THE THREE HANGERS

Not To Be Confused With The Three Tenors

THERE THEY ARE ALL IN A ROW

How do I know where this photo is taken asks you ?.....Glad you asked says I. There were only 3 Aerial Coast Patrol Units operating when this photo appeared in the July 2 issue of Aerial Age Magazine : #1 at Huntington, # 2 at Bay Shore and # 3 at Mastic. Of the three. only Knapp's place was ever referenced as having 3 hangers and I have had photos of Huntington & Bay Shore for years. They look nothing like these three. The press & the Navy were very touchy at the the outbreak of US Involvement in WW1 about printing actual locations of military installations. After all there were German U Boats right off shore on Long Island.