Navy victory with holster help

[Samurai1]

Hi,
I saw this navy victory pistol with holster and put it on hold at a lgs. The holster is marked with pilots name and service number? The name is F.B.Fondren - service number? 244598 . When I did a general search the pilots name comes up as a member of the Torpedo Squadron 86 (VT-86). . Plan on getting pistol letter but not sure how the research the service number any help would be appreciated I added pic of revolver/holster and information on pilot.

 

[Retired W4]

Great provenance on that Victory. A letter would only show that that revolver was shipped to one of the major Navy logistic depots. You have already discovered the trail beyond that first step. I would still get a letter.

IAW Pate, the U.S. Navy top strap marking was done during 1942-1943.

V261988 was shipped to USN Oakland on 3/20/43.

 

[MelvinWalker]

Very nice Victory....I love the way the grips fit the butt of the gun.

I had a marked 1911A1/holster set once and I had some luck by just Googling the name, Find-A-Grave and I then googled a son and daughter. I got a picture from the daughter.

I also did the exact thing with a WW2 Japanese flag that had been signed by a bunch of GI's..I googled many of them but they had fairly common names, but one had a really odd last name. He was still alive and he sent me copies of everything he had and a story about how he remembered signing the flag.

 

[quinn]

Great find and great work fleshing it out. I've never found a relevant marked holster but did find a police officer's name written inside the jigged bone grips on a Wolf & Klar 44. Managed to track him down through Newspaers.com. I've always thought that any starting point is the key. Congratulations. I love this kind of story.

 

[mojave30cal]

That is so cool. Nice find.

 

[Samurai1]

Thank you all for your comments ,but still need help with finding records on this pilot. Also is $1500.00 fair price for this rig? Plus letter from S&W archive.

 

[Crazywader]

Thank you all for your comments ,but still need help with finding records on this pilot. Also is $1500.00 fair price for this rig? Plus letter from S&W archive.

How does one put a price on a piece of history that was part of the greatest generation. We have the honor and obligation to carry that story forward for future generations to understand what was sacrificed for us. I'm marveling in (and envious of) your awesome find and I think that's a very fair price. Check with the VA and/or a veterans organization in your town and they can show you how to track down records of former service records.

 

[MelvinWalker]

Service records are OK to try and get, but backtracking the other way helps too. Ensign Fondren appears to have been commissioned in November 1942. This is from the "Greensboro Record", November 23rd 1942. It has many tidbits as to where to start including the college he graduated from and when, his parents address at the time and more:



Here is where he was awarded the Silver Star and why. This is from "The Greensboro Record" June 29th 1945 edition. At this point he had promoted at least once:



He went on to get his medical degree from Emory University. This is from the "Greensboro News and Record", May 31st 1950... Note the same address as his Naval commission above"



Here is another account from 1944:



This looks like his Medical Doctor records. His medical license went inactive in 1994:



Probably because he died in 1994 in Littleton NC. He is buried in NC. His son died in 2023, which is why the gun went up for sale"

Frank Burkett Fondren full obituary

 

[Major 2]

I absolutely fascinated with this kind of provenance.
I think $1500 is very fair, with what you have learned.
I would have found a way to acquire that Victory myself and Letter just adds to the story.
This is my hobby and quest to be a steward of these, I have several documented bring backs, but no Victory....yet!
Congrats, I I think its GREAT

 

[Samurai1]

Wow thank you for all the great information on Mr. Fondren.

 

[Retired W4]

One of the news paper clips in post #8 refers to his training at the Navy Reserve base in Atlanta, GA. NAS Atlanta is now DeKalb/Peachtree Airport (PDK). I flew out of PDK for seven years and you can still see the remnants of the Navy presence in the building below the tower. A little WW II/Atlanta history.