Thaddeus A. Thomson Jr. Capt. USS Wichita 1940 Signed Photo Card & Envelope

Description

Thaddeus A. Thomson Jr. Capt. USS Wichita 1940 Signed Photo Card & Envelope
Thaddeus Austin "Thad" Thomson Jr. (16 Dec 1887 - 31 Jul 1974)
Son of Thaddeus Austin Thomson, Sr. and Annie Eloise (Holliday) Anderson. Husband of Lilliam Uppercu. Father of Thaddeus Austin, III, and Mrs. W.A. Daniel, III.
Capt. Thomson, appointed to the US Naval Academy in 1903, graduated in 1907 and was assigned to the USS Minnesota on the battleship fleet cruise around the world in 1907-08. He served on the USS South Dakota and USS Montgomery until 1909 when he was assigned to the Navy's rifle team in 1909-10, participating in national matches. Other Naval vessels on which he served were the Birmingham, Dolphin and Florida. In 1912-14, Capt. Thomson was an aide on the staff of Rear Admiral Frank E. Beatty, commander of the Battleship Division, Atlantic Fleet. In 1915, Capt. Thomson was on duty at the Naval Gun Factory, Naval Yard in Washington, D.C., and in 1916 was commanding officer of the USS Bainbridge in the Asiatic Station. During World War I, he commanded that destroyer in European waters and served as a staff aide for mining operations, ordnace and gunnery. He was awarded the Navy Cross for service on the Bainbridge on a trip from Manilla, Philippines, to Gibraltar under unfavorable conditions and for service as an aide on the staff of the commander on Naval forces in European waters. Capt. Thomson was gunnery officer of the USS Oklahoma in 1919 and after completing the Naval War College course, was assigned assistant Naval attache to the American Embassy in London, England, with additional duties in Paris, Rome and The Hague, and as a member of the Anglo-American Joint Arbitration Board in London. He was in command of the USS Hatfield in 1924 and the USS Doyen in 1925, and for three years was on duty at the Naval Academy. He was executive officer of the USS Arizona from 1929-31 when he was transferred to the Naval Training Station in Newport, RI. After two years as commander of the USS Relief, Capt. Thomson became Naval attache to the American Embassy in Rome, where he served from 1936-38. He was assigned to the USS Wichita when it was commissioned in 1939. On Dec. 15, 1940, Capt. Thomson reported to the Eighth Naval District in New Orleans, LA as chief of staff and aide to the commandant. As acting commandant of the district, Capt. Thomson brought his command to a state of full wartime efficiency. His district included Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and western Florida. During Capt. Thomson's tenure as acting commandant, two Naval Air Stations - at Pensacola, FL and Corpus Christi, TX - were developed. In 1942, he was assigned professor of naval science at Rice Institute in Houston, returning to his native state of Texas after an absence of nearly 40 years, 18 of them spent at sea. Following his retirement from the Navy in 1944, Capt. Thomson returned to his Flying Anchor Ranch in Schleicher County, a ranch pioneered by his father in about 1918. He commanded the cruiser Wichita in Galveston Bay at the ceremonial dedication of the San Jacinto Battleground on April 21, 1939.
Lot comprised by:
a) 6" x 5" Card with printed photo of
U.S.S. Whichita.
Card is hand signed by
Capt. Thaddeus A. "Thad" Thomson Jr.
and dedicated by him to the autograph collector. Condition: Excellent -
b) Front cover of envelope on which the card was sent, postmarked from battleship U.S.S. Wichita on October 10, 1940. Condition: Very Good - (Surface tears on front of cover and paper remnants on back from dismounting)
REF #:
AZ-169
Provenance:
From the collection of Alejandro Zorrilla de San Martin (birth: Montevideo, Uruguay, September 21, 1880 - death: Montevideo, Uruguay: December 12, 1941), who spent over 20 years collecting autographs mainly from prominent political figures worldwide. He used to send blank cards with a newspaper or magazine clipped photo of the person, attaching a letter asking for an autograph and including a self-addressed envelope.
Important
:
We only deal on vintage original collectible papers. As such these are not a modern reproductions or computer generated prints.
Shipping
:
Price are based upon actual costs, we ship from Uruguay through FedEx International Priority which offers a fantastic shipping record in all senses.
So shipping cost is as follows:
1 up to 100 similar items via FedEx International Priority:
US$ 20 to USA, CANADA and Americas
US$ 25 to EUROPE
US$ 30 to the rest of the World