COMPLETING TRAINING.
Charles William Narvis, 514 West Fourth street, Muscatine, son of Major Stewart Narvis, is among 19 Iowa youths now completing their training as aviation cadets at Aloe army air field, an advanced single engine school for fighter pilots, at Victoria, Tex.
Narvis is scheduled to graduate in December as a pilot, and receive his commission as a second lieutenant upon completion of the course, which consists of intensive work in flying, ground school and aerial gunnery.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, October 15, 1943
RECEIVE AIR CORPS COMMISSION
Commission as second lieutenant in the U.S. Army air corps just awarded to Charles W. Narvis, of Muscatine.
Maj. C. S. Narvis of Muscatine, who is now in service at Ft. Crook, Neb., attended the graduation services at which his son, Lt. Narvis, was commissioned and enjoyed the privilege of pinning the silver wings of the army air corps on his son. Lt. Narvis is expected here on furlough later this week.
Source: Muscatine Journal News-Tribune, Dec. 8, 1943 (photo included)
Lt. Narvis On Active Duty in France Invasion
An Eighth AAF Fighter Station, England—Lt. Charles W. Narvis, of 514 West Fourth street, Muscatine, is now a member of an Eighth Fighter Command P-51 Mustang station. The 22-year-old pilot participates in strafing, dive-bombing, and heavy bomber escort missions supporting the Allied invasion forces in France.
The Muscatine flier is a graduate of Muscatine high school and Junior college. Upon completing his studies at college he enlisted in the air corps.
Lt. Narvis received his primary flight training at Coleman Field, Tex., basic training at Perrin Field, Tex., and advanced training at Victoria Field, Tex. He received his wings and was commissioned a second lieutenant on Dec. 5, 1943.
He is the son of Major C. S. Narvis, and adjutant at Fort Crook, Nebr.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, July 27, 1944 (photo included)
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Lt. Narvis Helps Fighters Escort Crippled Bomber
Lt. Charles W. Narvis, 514 West Fourth street, Muscatine, now serving in the army air corps abroad as pilot of a P51 fighter plane, was a member of a fighter flight under command of Major Charles R. Cummis of St. Petersburg, Fla., which recently escorted a crippled Flying Fortress from deep over enemy occupied France until the crew was forced to bail out, it is related in a message to The Journal from an Eighth AAF fighter station in England.
There were four fighter planes in the flight which encountered the Fortress, which had a fire burning in its left wing tank.
Major Cummins contacted the bomber pilot by radio, “We told him we’d carry him along as long as he needed us,” he said. The pilot reported that he didn’t think he could make it back and headed the plane toward Normandy.
A four way radio conversation began when the bomber group leader ahead of the crippled plane, called a radio fixing station in England and gave the plane’s location and condition, with the fixing station then communicating with the bomber. Major Cummins, who had listened in, notified air-sea rescue officials.
Later the crewmen on the bomber jumped, the fighter pilots counting the parachutes to make sure all had escaped. The bomber subsequently exploded.
“That was all there was to it,” Major Cummins said. “I checked out with the B17 group leader and the fixing station, formed my pilots around men and we all went back to England.”
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, August 26, 1944
TWO MUSCATINE OFFICERS MEET ON LONDON VISIT
Two Muscatine officers met in England recently at a bureau for the location of servicmen in London while looking for the address of each other. Lt. William Narvis, son of Major C. S. Narvis, of Des Moines, called at the information desk for the address of Lt. Ruth Romann, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Romann, 1092 Hershey avenue, and met her at the desk where she was asking for his address.
Lt. Romann is serving with the Army Nurses Corps at a general hospital in England. She has been overseas since July. Lt. Narvis has been with the Army air corps in England for several months.
The couple spent two days leave sight seeing in London.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, September 11, 1944
Lt. Narvis Reports On Destroying Nazi Ship
An Eighth Air Force Fighter Station, England—Having warmed up his guns the day before with an aerial victory against a Nazi ME-109, Lt. Charles W. Narvis of Muscatine, Ia., didn’t have too much trouble destroying a twin-engined aircraft parked on a German airdrome, although the 8th Fighter Command pilot had to “shoot his way out” past ground defenses sending a hail of fire his way.
Lt. Narvis’ flight leader and another P51 Mustang pilot were on hand as a formation of B21 Liberators bombed the German airdrome. They saw some planes parked on a little pasture at the edge of the field and decided to go down in attack.
“We lined up first as we circled above the big pall of smoke left by the bombers,” said the 22-year-old flier. “It was safest to attack through the smoke and we used it as a screen. As I barged out of the smoke there were the two enemy ships I’d picked out. Going about 400 m.p.h., I opened fire on one and held it until I almost ran into him. I only had time for a short burst at the other.”
The first Nazi plane was later observed to be burning by Lt. Narvis’ flight leader and the other Mustang pilot. Each flier had gotten himself a victim.
“The flak was thicker than gumbo soup and I could hear it going off like popcorn rattling,” Narvis said. “I whizzed by a flak tower firing at me and gave it back to them. Then I flew through a gully beneath the sides of the hills so they couldn’t fire on me. Boy! Was I glad to get out of there.”
Narvis, who holds the rank of first lieutenant, is the son of Major Charles S. Narvis, now stationed at Des Moines, but formerly located at Fort Crook, Neb.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, October 20, 1944 (photo included)
Lt. C. W. Narvis, Leader At P-51 Mustang Base, MISSING
First Lieut. Charles W. (Bill) Narvis, 22, flight leader of a P-51 Mustang station with the Eighth Fighter Command in the European theater of operations, has been reported missing in action over Germany since Nov. 2.
A telegram from the Secretary of War, expressing regret, was received by his father, Major C. S. Narvis, formerly station at Fort Crook, Neb., and now of Des Moines. The word was sent to his grandmother, Mrs. W. M. Narvis, 514 West Fourth street and his uncle and aunt, Judge and Mrs. C. R. Stafford, Tuesday.
Press dispatches and letters received recently have revealed that Lt. Narvis has been participating in many of the biggest raids over Germany for several months. News stories of Nov. 3, reporting the previous day’s raid by fighters of the Eighth air force over Germany’s greatest arsenal of Dusseldorf, described it as “their greatest victory of the war over the Luftwaffe.” Forty heavy bombers and 19 fighters were reported lost in the engagement.
Lt. Narvis, a graduate of the Muscatine high school and junior college, enlisted in the air corps on completion of his college studies. He took his primary flight training at Coleman Field, Tex., his basic training at Perrin Field, Tex., and advanced training at Victoria Field, Tex. He received his wings and his second lieutenant commission on Dec. 5, 1943. His promotion to the rank of first lieutenant came recently when announcements were made of his outstanding record attained in flights over Germany. He also participated in strafing, dive-bombing, and heavy bomber escort missions supporting the Allied invasion forces in France.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, November 29, 1944 (photo included)
LIST OF MISSING IN ACTION GREW IN 1944
Among those from this area who have been listed as missing in action in official dispatches to next of kin, and upon casualty lists of the armed services, are:
FIRST LIEUT. CHARLES W. “BILL” NARVIS—flight leader of a P-51 Mustang station with the Eighth Fighter Command in the European theater of war, First. Lieut. Charles W. Narvis was reported missing in action over Germany since Nov. 2, 1944. His father, Major C. S. Narvis, stationed at Des Moines, received the message. He had been participating in many of the biggest raids over Germany for several months. Lt. Narvis is a graduate of Muscatine high school and junior college and enlisted in the air corps on completion of his college studies.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, Friday, December 29, 1944
1st Lt. Bill Narvis served as a P-51 pilot with the 375th Fighter Squadron, 361st Fighter Group and was MIA/KIA in Germany. He was awarded the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
He is buried in Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupre, Belgium.
Source: fieldsofhonor database
