ROBERT T. SYMES, LT, USN

Robert Symes '27

Date of birth: December 20, 1902

Date of death: November 30, 1936

Age: 33

Lucky Bag

From the 1927 Lucky Bag:

Robert Thomas Symes

Lockport, New York

"Bob"

AT last the Math Department is due for some commendation. Through its bilging efforts Bob came into our midst during Plebe year. With his winning ways and true comradeship he immediately proceeded to carve for himself a niche in our hearts which only grows deeper and more permanent as time rolls by.

Bob has evinced only a spasmodic interest in athletics, although we believe he possesses latent powers. Was he not on the basketball squad Plebe year? The apparent reason for this lack of interest in athletics lies in his consistent boning of the Cosmo and associated. Any other type of boning is absolutely taboo, which perchance explains why we are now graced with his presence.

The thought that the gentler sex has resisted his charms is not to be harbored, for one only has to gaze on his raven black hair and ruddy cheek to realize that there must be many broken hearts throughout his scattered ports of call.

Gifted with an overflowing well of cheery good humor and the rare knack of being able to express himself, Bob has enlivened many gatherings with the narration of the anecdotes of his prep school days in Washington and his eventful cruises.

A parting hint—if you are to escape this man's personality, steer clear of his course, for once exposed you are infected forever.

Baseball: Class (5, 3); Crew: Manager (1) Block N (1); Basketball: Plebe Team.

Robert Thomas Symes

Lockport, New York

"Bob"

AT last the Math Department is due for some commendation. Through its bilging efforts Bob came into our midst during Plebe year. With his winning ways and true comradeship he immediately proceeded to carve for himself a niche in our hearts which only grows deeper and more permanent as time rolls by.

Bob has evinced only a spasmodic interest in athletics, although we believe he possesses latent powers. Was he not on the basketball squad Plebe year? The apparent reason for this lack of interest in athletics lies in his consistent boning of the Cosmo and associated. Any other type of boning is absolutely taboo, which perchance explains why we are now graced with his presence.

The thought that the gentler sex has resisted his charms is not to be harbored, for one only has to gaze on his raven black hair and ruddy cheek to realize that there must be many broken hearts throughout his scattered ports of call.

Gifted with an overflowing well of cheery good humor and the rare knack of being able to express himself, Bob has enlivened many gatherings with the narration of the anecdotes of his prep school days in Washington and his eventful cruises.

A parting hint—if you are to escape this man's personality, steer clear of his course, for once exposed you are infected forever.

Baseball: Class (5, 3); Crew: Manager (1) Block N (1); Basketball: Plebe Team.

Loss

Robert was lost on November 30, 1936 when the airplane he was piloting crashed near La Jolla, California. His crewman was also killed; they were members of Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Robert was born in Gainesville, New York. He attended Medina and Lockport schools.
In July 1920, Robert and his brother Harold took a 5,600-mile auto trip to Texas for ten weeks. They rigged up their Ford car with a complete kitchen outfit and other camping necessities.
In September 1920, Robert was manager of the Lockport football team. In February 1921, Robert was on the Lockport basketball team which played the Hutchinson-Central high school in Buffalo. The team members were assured their valuables would be safe in the locker room. However, the boys lost cuff links, a tie-pin and the team captain’s gold watch.
In November and December 1928, Robert attended the Chemical Warfare School at the Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland.
Robert was commended by Secretary of Navy Charles Francis Adams in October 1932 for the highest horizontal bombing score during the 1931-32 competition.
His wife was Jessie Drank Symes, born in Washington, D.C. in 1911. Their two children were Ann and Robert, Jr. Robert, Jessie and Ann returned from Cristobal, Canal Zone, in June, 1934.
Robert’s father John was president of the Niagara County National Bank and Trust Company and a past governor of the 27th district of Rotary International. His mother was Jane, his brothers were Harold and John, Jr., and their sister was Florence (Mrs. Robert C. Bishop of Lockport.)

He earned his wings as naval aviator #3661 on July 1, 1930.

Robert is buried in New York; he was survived by his father, and a son Robert Jr.

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.

January 1928

Ensign, USS Richmond

CDR Melville Brown '10 (USS Saratoga)
LT Thomas Fisher '18 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LT Van Moore '19 (USS Saratoga)
LTjg Walter Leach, Jr. '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Claude Haman '26 (USS Saratoga)
LTjg Eugene Davis '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg John Eldridge, Jr. '27 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 2B)
LTjg Julian Greer '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)

ENS William Arthur '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS Jacob Britt '29 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Lloyd Greenamyer '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS James Clarkson '30 (USS Saratoga)
ENS James Kyes '30 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Leo Crane '31 (USS Saratoga)
ENS George Stone '31 (USS Saratoga)

October 1931

Lieutenant (j.g.), Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B, USS Saratoga

Others at this command:

LT Edwin Conway '20

LTjg Renwick Calderhead '27

ENS Weldon Hamilton '28

Others at or embarked at USS Saratoga:

CDR Melville Brown '10 (USS Saratoga)
LCDR Oscar Erickson '16 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 2B)
LT Van Moore '19 (USS Saratoga)
LTjg Walter Leach, Jr. '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Claude Haman '26 (USS Saratoga)
LTjg Eugene Davis '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Julian Greer '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
ENS William Arthur '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)

ENS William Oliver '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
ENS Jacob Britt '29 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Lloyd Greenamyer '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS James Clarkson '30 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Byron Newell '30 (USS Saratoga)
ENS James Kyes '30 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Leo Crane '31 (USS Saratoga)
ENS George Stone '31 (USS Saratoga)

January 1932

Lieutenant (j.g.), Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B, USS Saratoga

Others at this command:

LT Edwin Conway '20

LTjg Renwick Calderhead '27

ENS Weldon Hamilton '28

Others at or embarked at USS Saratoga:

CDR Melville Brown '10 (USS Saratoga)
LT Van Moore '19 (USS Saratoga)
LTjg Walter Leach, Jr. '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Claude Haman '26 (USS Saratoga)
LTjg Eugene Davis '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Julian Greer '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
ENS William Arthur '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS William Oliver '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)

ENS Jacob Britt '29 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Lloyd Greenamyer '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS James Clarkson '30 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Byron Newell '30 (USS Saratoga)
ENS James Kyes '30 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Leo Crane '31 (USS Saratoga)
ENS George Stone '31 (USS Saratoga)

April 1932

Lieutenant (j.g.), Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B, USS Saratoga

Others at this command:

LT Edwin Conway '20

LTjg Renwick Calderhead '27

ENS Weldon Hamilton '28

Others at or embarked at USS Saratoga:

CDR Melville Brown '10 (USS Saratoga)
LT Van Moore '19 (USS Saratoga)
LTjg Walter Leach, Jr. '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Eugene Davis '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Julian Greer '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
ENS William Arthur '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS Mathias Wyatt '29 (Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Force)
ENS William Oliver '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)

ENS Jacob Britt '29 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Lloyd Greenamyer '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS James Clarkson '30 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Byron Newell '30 (USS Saratoga)
ENS James Kyes '30 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Leo Crane '31 (USS Saratoga)
ENS George Stone '31 (USS Saratoga)

October 1932

Lieutenant (j.g.), Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 5S, Naval Air Station Coco Solo, Canal Zone

January 1933

Lieutenant (j.g.), Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 5S, Naval Air Station Coco Solo, Canal Zone

April 1933

Lieutenant (j.g.), Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 5S, Naval Air Station Coco Solo, Canal Zone

Others at this command:

LT John Jones '21

July 1933

Lieutenant (j.g.), Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 5S, Naval Air Station Coco Solo, Canal Zone

October 1933

Lieutenant (j.g.), Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 5S, Naval Air Station Coco Solo, Canal Zone

April 1934

Lieutenant (j.g.), Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 5S, Naval Air Station Coco Solo, Canal Zone

July 1934

Lieutenant (j.g.), Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Northampton

Others at this command:

ENS Alfred Tucker, III '31

Others at or embarked at USS Northampton:

LTjg Alfred Grove '30 (USS Northampton)
ENS Damon Cummings '31 (USS Northampton)

2LT Cleo Keen '32 (USS Northampton)
ENS Thompson Guthrie, Jr. '34 (USS Northampton)

October 1934

Lieutenant (j.g.), Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Northampton

Others at this command:

LTjg Alfred Tucker, III '31

Others at or embarked at USS Northampton:

LTjg Alfred Grove '30 (USS Northampton)
LTjg Damon Cummings '31 (USS Northampton)

ENS Thompson Guthrie, Jr. '34 (USS Northampton)

January 1935

Lieutenant (j.g.), Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Northampton

Others at or embarked at USS Northampton:

LTjg Alfred Grove '30 (USS Northampton)
LTjg Damon Cummings '31 (USS Northampton)

ENS Thompson Guthrie, Jr. '34 (USS Northampton)

April 1935

Lieutenant (j.g.), Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Northampton

Others at or embarked at USS Northampton:

ENS Thompson Guthrie, Jr. '34 (USS Northampton)

October 1935

Lieutenant (j.g.), Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Northampton

Others at this command:

ENS Thompson Guthrie, Jr. '34

Others at or embarked at USS Northampton:

ENS Thomas Sharp '35 (USS Northampton)

January 1936

Lieutenant (j.g.), Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Northampton

Others at this command:

ENS Thompson Guthrie, Jr. '34

Others at or embarked at USS Northampton:

ENS Thomas Sharp '35 (USS Northampton)

April 1936

Lieutenant (j.g.), Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Northampton

Others at this command:

ENS Thompson Guthrie, Jr. '34

Others at or embarked at USS Northampton:

ENS Thomas Sharp '35 (USS Northampton)

July 1936

Lieutenant (j.g.), Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B, USS Langley

Others at this command:

LTjg John Riggs, Jr. '28

LTjg William Thorn '32

Others at or embarked at USS Langley:

LT Stephen Cooke '21 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 4B)
LT Walter Dey '24 (USS Langley)

LTjg Clarence Kasparek '32 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 4B)

Class of 1927

Robert is one of 43 members of the Class of 1927 on Virtual Memorial Hall.

← Jesse Blackwell '27

Elmer Cooper '27 →

The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.

ROBERT T. SYMES, LT, USN

Robert Symes '27

Lucky Bag

Robert Thomas Symes

Robert Thomas Symes

Loss

Other Information

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

January 1928

April 1928

July 1928

October 1928

January 1929

April 1929

July 1929

October 1929

January 1930

April 1930

October 1930

January 1931

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October 1932

January 1933

April 1933

July 1933

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April 1934

July 1934

October 1934

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October 1935

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July 1936