Restoration of a Waltham Wristwatch once owned by Townsend Griffiss, first U.S Airman killed in WWII

Overhaul Service of a 1917 Waltham Model 1907, Grade 364, 15 Jewel Trench Wristwatch

This important Waltham owned by the late Lt. Colonel Townsend E. Griffiss (April 4, 1900 – February 15, 1942) was a United States Army Air Forces aviator, and noted as the first American airman killed in Europe, after the United States’ entry into World War II.

Griffiss lived an eventful life. He graduated from West Point in 1922. From 1925 to 1928 he was in the Hawaiian Islands. He was a fighter pilot and served at two air fields on the island, Wheeler field and Luke Field. During this time, he played polo for the Army team. The team trained and was led by George S. Patton. He enjoyed surfing and writing. He then served as Commandant of Cadets at March Field, California, 1928-1931, and then at Randolph Field, Texas 1931 to 1933. He later went to Washington DC where he served as a Commanding Officer of Boiling Field. Promoted to Captain, and appointed Assistant attaché for Air in France, Spain and Germany. He was rewarded with France’s Legion d’ Honneur in 1938. He became a Major in 1940 and gained the rank of Lt. Col in November 1941. He received the Distinguished Service Medal in 1942.

This Trench Style Waltham has an inscription on the back “Townsend Griffiss, Coronado, CA June 14, 1918 January 7, 1920.” This watch and inscription was most likely presented to him by his parents when he graduated Aviation School in Coronado’s North Island Naval Station in California

 

Griffiss served on many diplomatic missions during his time in Europe. In November 1941, US Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall sent him to Moscow to negotiate with the Soviet Government a Siberian trade route for American Aircraft. On the return trip from the USSR on February 15th, 1942, Griffiss and eight others, flying in a B-24 Liberator, was shot down over France by friendly fire. The Liberator was mistaken as a German Focke-Wulf 200 by two Spitfires Pilots from a Polish Air Force Squadron working with the RAF. They saw a bright flash from the gun turret later thought to be mores-code being flashed. Thinking it was gunfire, the pilots opened fire on the B-24. Why the plane was not identified as friendly is still a mystery. The accident was a great tragedy and embarrassment for the British Air Ministry. This led to better efforts to identification of aircraft, both military and civilian.

After the tragedy and during the war, a U.S. military base in Bushy Park, London was named, Camp Griffiss. It served as the European Headquarters for the USAAF from July 1942 to December 1944 and was General Dwight Eisenhower’s SHAEF headquarters.

The USAF had originally named the Fort Worth Army Airfield in Texas as “Griffiss Air Force Base” on 1 January 1948 but later changed the name. An Air Corps facility in central New York State at Rome was also renamed Griffiss Air Force Base. The USAF aircraft operated from there until 1995, when the base closed. It is now Griffiss International Airport and Griffiss Business Park, which supports the Air Force Research Laboratory.

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This Waltham Watch was carefully restored to running condition as requested by a surviving family member. The watch was left as original as possible. It was fully disassembled and cleaned. Reassembled and lubricated. The mainspring replaced. The watch balance repaired. The case hand cleaned. A new glass crystal installed. Extended tested. Watch repair complete.