B-20644, OCTOBER 7, 1941, 21 COMP. GEN. 300

B-20644, OCTOBER 7, 1941, 21 COMP. GEN. 300

SUBSISTENCE - AIR TRAVEL - DELAY DURING TRAINING FLIGHT ARMY PERSONNEL WHO WERE PERFORMING UNDER ORDERS A CROSS COUNTRY AIRPLANE FLIGHT FOR TRAINING PURPOSES WERE NOT IN AN AIR TRAVEL STATUS, AND TELEGRAPHIC ORDERS, ISSUED AFTER THE PLANE WAS FORCED DOWN, INSTRUCTING THE PERSONNEL TO REMAIN WITH THE PLANE UNTIL REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED AND CONFIRMATORY ORDERS PURPORTING TO AUTHORIZE A PER DIEM FOR TRAVEL IN AN AIR TRAVEL STATUS FOR THE MORE THAN 72 HOURS OF DELAY WERE WITHOUT EFFECT TO PLACE THE PERSONNEL IN SUCH A TRAVEL STATUS SO AS TO AUTHORIZE PAYMENT OF A PER DIEM.

ASSISTANT COMPTROLLER GENERAL ELLIOTT TO CAPT. J. R. BENNETT, U.S. ARMY, OCTOBER 7, 1941:

THERE HAS BEEN RECEIVED YOUR LETTER OF AUGUST 28, 1941, REQUESTING DECISION WHETHER YOU ARE AUTHORIZED TO PAY STAFF SERGEANT WILLIAM S. MURDOCK, AS-6899869, THE SUM OF $25.50, COVERING HIS CLAIM UNDER A CONFIRMING ORDER ISSUED BY AN OPERATIONS OFFICER, FOR PER DIEM OF $6 FOR TRAVEL IN AN AIR TRAVEL STATUS FROM 11:15 A.M., MAY 3, 1941, TIME OF DEPARTURE FROM LANGLEY FIELD, VA., TO 5:45 P.M., TIME OF RETURN TO THE SAME STATION, INCLUDING THREE DAYS' DELAY AT LEWISTON, MAINE, WHERE HE WAS FORCED TO LAND ON ACCOUNT OF ENGINE TROUBLE, WHILE ON A CROSS COUNTRY TRAINING FLIGHT, FROM LANGLEY FIELD, VA., TO BANGOR, MAINE.

PARAGRAPH 2 OF OPERATIONS ORDERS NO. 94, AIR BASE HEADQUARTERS, LANGLEY FIELD, VA., DATED MAY 3, 1941 (2D CORRECTED COPY) DIRECTED THAT:

UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF AR 95-15, ST LIEUT. W. C. CLARK, O-22475 AIR CORPS, PILOT; ST LIEUT. V. M. GILLUM, O-373898, AIR CORPS COPILOT; S/SGT. W. S. MURDOCK, AERIAL ENGINEER; S/SGT. E. W. WYGAL, RADIO OPERATOR; AND FOUR (4) PASSENGERS, IN B-18 AIRPLANE, A. C. NO. 37-28, WILL CLEAR THIS STATION THIS DATE FOR BANGOR, MAINE, RETURNING TO THIS STATION ON OR ABOUT MAY 4, 1941, UPON COMPLETION OF MISSION. (MISSION P-5.)

THE ITINERARY STATED ON THE VOUCHER SHOWS THAT THE PLANE DEPARTED FROM LANGLEY FIELD AT 11:15 A.M., MAY 3, 1941, ARRIVED AT MITCHEL FIELD, N.Y., AT 1:25 P.M., DEPARTED THENCE AT 2:20 P.M., ARRIVED AT BOSTON, MASS., AT 3:45 P.M., DEPARTED THENCE AT 4 P.M., ARRIVED AT LEWISTON, MAINE, AT :20 P.M., THE SAME DATE, AT WHICH PLACE THE FORCED LANDING WAS MADE, REMAINED AT LEWISTON MAY 4, 5, AND 6, 1941, DEPARTED THENCE AT 12:10 P.M., MAY 7, 1941, AND ARRIVED AT LANGLEY FIELD AT 5:45 P.M., THE SAME DATE, STOPPING EN ROUTE AT BOSTON.

PARAGRAPH 1, OPERATIONS ORDERS NO. 132, AIR BASE HEADQUARTERS, LANGLEY FIELD, VA., DATED JUNE 18, 1941, IS AS FOLLOWS:

1. THE TELEGRAPHIC ORDERS OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL, AIR BASE, LANGLEY FIELD, VIRGINIA, ADDRESSED TO ST LIEUT. WILLIAM C. CLARK, DIRECTED THE CREW, ST LIEUT. WILLIAM C. CLARK, O-22475, PILOT, AIR CORPS, AND ST LIEUT. VIRGIL M. GILLUM, O-373898, COPILOT, AIR CORPS, ST AIR BASE GROUP (R), S/SGT. WILLIAM S. MURDOCK, 6899869, AERIAL ENGINEER, 5TH MATERIEL SQUADRON, ST AIR BASE GROUP (R), AND S/SGT. EUGENE W. WYGAL, 6896378, RADIO OPERATOR, 11TH MATERIEL SQUADRON, 8TH AIR BASE GROUP, IN B-18 AIRPLANE, A. C. NO. 37-28, ALL FROM LANGLEY FIELD, VIRGINIA, TO REMAIN WITH THE AIRPLANE UNTIL REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED.

THE PERSONNEL CONCERNED WERE ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM LANGLEY FIELD, TO BANGOR, MAINE, IN B-18 AIRPLANE, A. C. NO. 37-28, ON MAY 3, 1941, IN COMPLIANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 2, OPERATIONS ORDERS NO. 94, THIS HEADQUARTERS, C. S. AND WERE FORCED DOWN AT LEWISTON, MAINE, ON MAY 3, 1941, ON ACCOUNT OF ENGINE TROUBLE (CYLINDER HEAD BEING BLOWN).

THE ABOVE IS HEREBY CONFIRMED AND MADE OF RECORD, PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY CONTAINED IN 4TH IND. AG 210.482, LANGLEY FIELD, (5-10-41) OF, AD, AGO, MAY 24, 1941, AND 6TH IND. 300.4 (5-10-41) HDQTRS. FIRST AIR FORCE, JUNE 5, 1941, ON LETTER, HDQTRS. FIRST AIR BASE GROUP (R), MAY 10, 1941, SUBJECT: "CONFIRMATORY ORDERS," THE EXIGENCIES OF THE SERVICE HAVING BEEN SUCH AS TO PREVENT THE ISSUANCE OF ORDERS IN ADVANCE.

THE DUTIES THAT WERE PERFORMED AT LEWISTON, MAINE, BEING EXCEPTIONAL DID REQUIRE MORE THAN SEVENTY-TWO (72) HOURS FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE, THEREFORE A DELAY OF NOT TO EXCEED FOUR (4) DAYS AT THAT PLACE IS AUTHORIZED.

IN LIEU OF SUBSISTENCE A FLAT PER DIEM OF SIX ($6.00) DOLLARS IS AUTHORIZED FOR THE PERIOD OF DELAY AT LEWISTON, MAINE, ONLY FOR BOTH OFFICERS AND ENLISTED MEN AND PAYMENT WHEN MADE IS CHARGEABLE TO: AC 80 P 88-0630 A 10705-01 (OFFICERS), AND AC 80 P 88-0623 A 10705-01 (ENLISTED MEN).

THE FINANCE OFFICER TO WHOM THE EXPENSE ACCOUNTS ARE SUBMITTED AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS ORDER WILL FURNISH THE CG, FIRST AIR FORCE, MITCHEL FIELD, NEW YORK, WITH A COPY OF EACH VOUCHER INDICATING THE AMOUNTS OBLIGATED AGAINST THE ABOVE PROCUREMENT AUTHORITIES AS PRESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH 13, AR 35-1040, AUGUST 1, 1938.

THE TRAVEL DIRECTED IS NECESSARY IN THE MILITARY SERVICE.

THESE CONFIRMING ORDERS PURPORT TO AUTHORIZE A PER DIEM OF $6 ONLY FOR THE PERIOD OF DELAY AT LEWISTON, MAINE. THE PERSONNEL CONCERNED WERE PERFORMING UNDER ORDERS A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FOR PURPOSE OF TRAINING AND THEY WERE NOT IN A STATUS OF TRAVELING BY AIR WHEN THEY WERE FORCED DOWN AT LEWISTON, MAINE. 6 COMP. GEN. 443. THE CITED TELEGRAPHIC ORDERS TO REMAIN WITH THE PLANE, IF NECESSARY AT ALL, MERELY ASSIGNED THEM TO DUTY AT THAT PLACE, WHICH REQUIRED NO TRAVEL IN ITS PERFORMANCE. THE TELEGRAPHIC AND CONFIRMATORY ORDERS WERE WITHOUT EFFECT TO PLACE THE PERSONNEL IN AN AIR TRAVEL STATUS. A-33003, DATED AUGUST 22, 1930.

YOU ARE ADVISED THIS ENLISTED MAN IS NOT ENTITLED TO PER DIEM AS IN AN AIR TRAVEL STATUS, AND PAYMENT IS NOT AUTHORIZED ON THE VOUCHER WHICH WILL BE RETAINED IN THIS OFFICE.