ROBERT E. PLAUT, LT, USN

Robert Plaut '41

Date of birth: November 7, 1920

Date of death: July 24, 1944

Age: 23

Lucky Bag

From the 1941 Lucky Bag:

ROBERT ELLIOT PLAUT

Long Beach, New York

Personality "plus," that's Bob. And making up this personality are elements which blend to make him a perfect roommate. Of these, good humor, subtle wit, and a sincere generosity are most outstanding. He has a good philosophy of life and is ever looking for a similar one in others. Having spent some seven years of his life "on his own," knocking about the world, Bob has a trail of friends that extends almost around the world. Bob is extremely fond of horses and will talk for hours with anyone who likes the subject as much as he does.

Academics have been no obstacle for this brilliant lad, and though not on any varsity athletic list, he is, nevertheless, quite agile when it comes to sports — boxing and football being his favorites.

In planning for his future, Bob has two cherished ambitions: that of being a bachelor and that of becoming Navy's ace flyer. Although some little woman may eventually blast his first ambition sky high, his future years in the Service will verify the latter.

Radio Club 4, 3; Boxing 2; Boat Club 4, 3, 2, 1; Company Rifle and Pistol 3, 2.

The Class of 1941 was the first of the wartime-accelerated classes, graduating in February 1941.

ROBERT ELLIOT PLAUT

Long Beach, New York

Personality "plus," that's Bob. And making up this personality are elements which blend to make him a perfect roommate. Of these, good humor, subtle wit, and a sincere generosity are most outstanding. He has a good philosophy of life and is ever looking for a similar one in others. Having spent some seven years of his life "on his own," knocking about the world, Bob has a trail of friends that extends almost around the world. Bob is extremely fond of horses and will talk for hours with anyone who likes the subject as much as he does.

Academics have been no obstacle for this brilliant lad, and though not on any varsity athletic list, he is, nevertheless, quite agile when it comes to sports — boxing and football being his favorites.

In planning for his future, Bob has two cherished ambitions: that of being a bachelor and that of becoming Navy's ace flyer. Although some little woman may eventually blast his first ambition sky high, his future years in the Service will verify the latter.

Radio Club 4, 3; Boxing 2; Boat Club 4, 3, 2, 1; Company Rifle and Pistol 3, 2.

The Class of 1941 was the first of the wartime-accelerated classes, graduating in February 1941.

Loss

Robert was one of two pilots lost in a mid-air collision over Beach Haven, New Jersey on July 24, 1944.

He is buried in Washington; he was survived by his parents Arthur and Anita.

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.