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James Noel
(“Jimmy”) Farndale 25 December 1923 to 20 April 1989
FAR00889
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Dates are in red.
Hyperlinks to other pages are in dark blue.
Headlines of Jim’s life are in brown.
References and citations are in turquoise.
Context and local history are in purple.
Geographical
context is in green.
Jimmy served with the US Army Air Corps
in World War 2 and later he worked for Braniff Airways and lived
at Garland Texas. He crash landed in a remote
jungle in India in 1945.
Sierra
Madre, California USA
1923
James Noel Farndale
was born Sierra Madre, California USA in 1923,
the son of James and Edna (nee Adams) Farndale (FAR00607), (Letters).
Las
Vegas, Nevada, USA
1929
The family moved to a ranch in the desert at Las Vegas in 1929. Life became a hard
struggle for Jim and he did the best he could as a
'finish carpenter'.
1930
The US Census, 1930 for the City of Las Vegas,
Clark County, Nevada, USA, taken on 3 April 1930 listed James Farndale, head
44, carpenter for ‘houses’; Edna Farndale, 35; Hazel J Farndale, 7; James N
Farndale, 6; and Mary E Farndale, 3
1940
The US
Census of 1940 for
922, South Second Street, Las Vegas listed James Farndale, 52, head, carpenter;
Edna Farndale, 43; Hazel J Farndale, 17; James N Farndale, 16; Mary
Ellen Farndale, 13; Gordon E Farndale, 7; Doris I Farndale, 4.
USA
and Europe
1942
Jimmy was enlisted into the Army on 15 December 1942.
19199623 James N Farndale, served
with the US Army Air Corps in World War 2 in USA and in Europe.
His WW2 Draft Card dated 30 June
1942 shows he was employed by Sam Freedman, Las Vegas, his height was 6/3,
weight 155, ruddy complexion, brown eyes, brown hair.
James’ son, Jim Farndale who
served in the US Army Air Corps 1942 to 1945
1944
He arrived at La Guardia Airport
from Casablanca, Morocco on 16 October 1944, aged 21.
1945
On 16 March 1945, Jimmy’s father, Jim, wrote to his brother
Alfred:
I don't know whether or not you have heard that Jimmy made one flight
to England. He had your address but he said while
he was in England they wouldn't let him out of camp long enough to even try to
telephone or visit. He came over by way of Brazil, there crossed the Atlantic
to the coast of Africa and up north across Portugal and then landed I think in
the Land's End area, where they delivered the plane and then went through
London and north to Scotland crossing back to the US by plane. He had a great
trip but was naturally disappointed in being so close to you and yet not able
to see you. But that is the way with war as you both know from our experience
in the First World War.
Jimmy made two flights to India, and was wrecked in the jungles near Calcutta I
believe, was stranded among natives for two days, and they had to leave the
plane. He has visited Cairo twice and has seen many of India's important
points.
He now is in the Pacific,
but he is still back in the US. They make trips over into the various isles
about every two or three weeks. He is sure getting experience and is seeing the
world. He is not satisfied when he is not in the air. They are keeping him busy
now.
15 April 1945, Taken at the Derby Club, San
Francisco
22 April 1945, Taken
at the Derby Club, San Francisco
Global
travel
CORPORAL FARNDALE VISITS ALL CONTINENTS
BY PLANE.
Sees the world. Above is shown Corporal
James Farndale, son of State Senator and Mrs James Farndale of Las Vegas, who
in six months has visited all continents of the world except one, while flying
with the ferry command of the Army Air Corps.
Serving as a radio operator aboard
planes being delivered to all parts of the world, Corporal James N Farndale of
Las Vegas has touched every continent in the globe except Australia in the past
six months, and made a forced landing in India.
Corporal Farndale has been spending a
furlough in Las Vegas with his parents, State Senator
and Mrs James Farndale, 922 S 2nd St, and was scheduled to report back for duty
today with the 4th Ferry Group at Memphis, Tennessee.
The crash landing occurred on a
flight to India some time ago, but the pilot got the ship down safely
without injury to any crew member. The landing was made in a small clearing
in the jungle, near a native village, Corporal Farndale stated in an
interview here. “We camped right in the plane, and natives brought us food,
including breadfruit, bananas, coconuts, melons and
water. Everything was free except eggs, and we had to pay for them,” he said.
A holiday was declared in the village
school so the children could see the plane. From daylight to dark the natives
crowded about the plane, just standing staring at the big machine. The crew
stretched ropes around the plane to hold the crowds back, because they kept
inching forwards closer and closer to the big ship. The children behaved well
but were very curious he said. “We visited one day in a native home,” Corporal
Farndale said. “An old man who had been reared in a missionary school and spoke
English very well was our host. He was a landowner and very proud to show us
all the things he raised on his land. Almost everything grew bountifully there.
The children of the household were very well behaved,” he said.
After three days in the grounded plane,
the crew was reached by a rescue party composed of American and British
soldiers, who led them back to camp. Corporal Farndale reported that he
found India to be the dirty place he had heard about before going there. He
told of seeing one family leaving its home one morning. The husband and wife
and sundry children emerged from the building, driving before them two sacred
cattle, several chickens, a couple of pigs and other domestic animals. He had
the opportunity to see the famous Taj Mahal by moonlight and was struct struck
with its grandeur and unexcelled beauty. By moonlight the squalor of the
adjacent area was eliminated, but it seemed completely incompatible with its
surroundings in daylight.
Corporal Farndale said that Americans
who have been in India for two years or more are particularly anxious to get
home again and are envious of the men who come directly from the United States
to deliver planes, and then return. But new hope has spread among them with a
recently inaugurated rotation plan of the government. “It is only right that
those of us who have no permanent overseas duty should relieve those gone so
long,” Corporal Farndale said.
Following his furlough here, he expects
to be assigned to such duty shortly, he said. He pointed to the advantage of
the Americans over the British in this respect, as there is no rotation plan
for the English subjects and soldiers. Many of the British have been in India
for several years and have no hopes of relief until the war is won.
At every stop, where men have been
isolated for a long period, the soldiers would rush out to meet the crew as
soon as the ship had landed. The crew would be pressed for latest news of
happenings at home.
“We always try to take as many of the
latest magazines and newspapers as we can on the India trips,” Corporal
Farndale said, “because the men are so far away and so anxious to know what is
happening in the United States.”
He told of picking up a broadcast of the
World Series by shortwave while his crew was on a long flight. All members of
the crew on their headsets to listen to the broadcast. Often
they were able to get a broadcast from one of the big stations in New York he
said.
Corporal Farndale has visited in Egypt
and has climbed to the top of one of the pyramids. He saw the sphinx, on a tour
conducted by the American Red Cross. In London he saw everything of interest on
a similar tour conducted by the Red Cross.
Corporal Farndale met K Haycock of Las
Vegas in French Morocco when both were aboard planes which had made landings at
an airfield. For the few minutes they had together they discussed their
hometown and the latest news they had.
Corporal Farndale entered the army in
December 1942.
He received his basic training in Fresno, California, and received his radio
trading at Scott Field, Illinois. He was assigned to the ferry command
last May and has been engaged in delivery of aircraft to various theatres
of war ever since. A graduate of Las Vegas high school with the class of 1942,
Corporal Farndale was employed at Sears, Roebuck and
company store in Las Vegas for a few months before he entered the service.
1946
Jimmy
was discharged from the Army on 18 January 1946
Later
Jimmy worked for Braniff Airways and lived at Garland Texas (Letters).
Houston,
Texas
1948
Jimmy arrived at Houston, Texas on
27 September 1948 on a Banff Airways Flight from Balboa Canal Zone.
1950
The US
Census of 1950 for Dallas listed James N Farndale, 26, lodger, aeronautical radio
operator, airline
1952
Jimmy arrived at Rio de Janiero,
Brazil in 1952.
There are regular records of airline
arrivals including Gander, Newfoundland on 18 April 1954, Miami on 1 August
1957, Sydney Australia to Southampton England in July 1959, Melbourne Australia
in April 1955
1954
James and son Jim just before leaving
for UK in April 1954
1955
James N Farndale, married Jean Smith (who
had been previously married, with two children). They had no children of
their own (Jean F Farndale, (his widow)).
Fort Worth Star
Telegram, 6 December 1955. J N Farndale’s Making Home in
Garland. Mr and Mrs James N Farndale, who recently were married in First
Baptist Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, are residing in Garland. She is the former
Mrs Jean Smith, daughter of Mr and Mrs C V Fraser, 3909 Winfield. The
bridegroom is the son of Mr and Mrs Farndale of Las Vegas. Reverend Don
O'Connor married the couple. Mr and Mrs Gordon Farndale of Eaglewood California
were the only attendants. The bridegroom 's parents were hosts for a reception
at the Royal Nevada Hotel. For her wedding, Mrs Farndale wore a pale blue satin
dress with Navy accessories, and a corsage of pink orchids. She is a graduate
of Paschal high school.
1973
The Garland
Daily News, 26 October 1973: Mr and Mrs James N Farndale, 1009
Bandera, announced the marriage of their daughter, Susan Irene Smith to J L
Yarber. The marriage was solemnised October 20 in first Methodist Chapel in
Iowa City, Iowa by the reverent pool age can. Given in marriage by her father,
the bride chose a brown chiffon gown and carried brown and yellow
chrysanthemums wreathed in wheat....
1986
Martin Farndale (second
from left) with Jean (Jim’s wife), Jim’s sister Janie and Jim at Foot Hood, Texas
in August 1986.
1989
James N Farndale, died at Garland Texas on 20 April 1989.