Evening star., 1949-10-07

thority to receive it," He said in
his statement of wednesday
night, however. that his action
may have been technical viola
ton of a regulation. but it had
to be done
Capt. Crommelin's biography
issued by the Navy runs for four
pages of single-spaced copy. Its
length is the result of his citations.
There are four:
1. A Letter of Commendation
praising him for his actions as
air officer of the carrier Enter
prise in the Battle of Santa Cruz,
October 26. 1912.
2. A Presidential Unit Citation
for the aggressive spirit and dis
tinguished achievement OF the
Enterprise.
Legion Of Merit.
8. The Legion of Merit with
Combat "V'), citing his material
contributions. professional skill
and devotion to duty as chief OF
staff of a Carrier Task Group
Commander in operations against
the Japanese in 1914.
4. The Gold Star in lieu of a
second Legion of Merit, with a
citation praising his training fol
combat of all Navy squadrons and
pilots on the West Coast from
August IL, 1914, to July "a, 1945
Capt. Crommelin was born ir
Montgomery, Ala, October 2. 1902
He attended the University o1
Virginia before his appointment tt
the Naval Academy from which he
was graduated in 1928.
The first assignment afloat wa.
on the battleship West Virginia
when it was commissioned in 1928
Later he went to the Naval All
Station at Pensacola. Fla. ane
completed flight training in No.
vember, 1926. He has served ir
naval aviation since.
He served aboard carriers anc
twice returned for duty at Pensa.
cola. In May. 1910. he was as
signed to duty in the Bureau o1
Aeronautics here. serving for two
years, then joining the Enterprise
as air officer in June, 1912. The
Enterprise saw plenty of service
from Guadalcanal to the Battle o1
Kennel Island in January, 1943.
Commanded Saipan.
Later he was assigned to be
chief Of staff to Admiral Mullini,
and was aboard the Liscome Bay
when she was torpedoed and sunk
in the Gilbert Islands area. There
followed his duty as director o1
training on the West Coast.
He commanded the carrier Sal
pan from her commissioning in
July. 1946, to September, 1947
when he became chief of staff to
the commander. Operational De-
velopment Force, Atlantic Fleet
These were important assign
ments. He then attended the
Naval War College at Newport,
r. l.. and later the National War
College here.
The officers the Navy assigns
to these service colleges are usual
/ ly highly regarded and believed
to be headed for an admiral's
flag. e.
The crommelin family is an
old one in Alabama, and the fam
lily plantation is at Harrogate
Springs between Montgomery and
lWetumpka. Both of Capt. Crom-
melin's grandfathers served in
the Confederate Army.
Two Brothers Killed.
Capt. Crommelin was married
in 1890. to Miss Lillian Eoff Lam
dis of Findlay. Ohio. They have
three children, daughters 8 and
4 years old, and son. 6 months
old.
! Five Crommelin brothers went
through Annapolis and served ir
the Navy. Capt. John g. Crom-
melin, jr., is the oldest.
/ Capt. Henry Crommelin. of the
Annapolis class of 1925. is the only
one who did not become flyer. 1t
Comdr. Quentin c. Crommelin. the
youngest, was graduated from
Annapolis in 1941.
! Two Of the brothers were killed
in action. They were Comdr
Charles L. Crommelin. class o1
i 1881, who was killed of Okinawa
and 1t. Comdr. Richard G. Crom.
melin, class of 1888, who was
killed of the coast of Japan.