[Dixielandjazz] Glenn Miller Band--query from Randy Fendrick- Detailed response from Dennis Spragg--Glenn Miller Archive, U. Colorado

Sat Jul 6 06:11:08 PDT 2013

Thanks, Mr. Stubbs, Dennis Spragg and Randy Fendrick, who initially posed the question.

Mr. Spragg’s detailed answer has edified us all!

I see that this has been sent to DJML already, but I will also send it to Musicians and Jazzfans list which I moderate.

Great work!  Thanks.

( I have left  some of the previous correspondence in case you wish to refresh yourselves on  the antecedent query.  Reading is optional.  There will be no quiz—smile. )

Norman Vickers

Jazz Society of Pensacola

www.jazzpensacola.com

From: mestubbs at earthlink.net [mailto:mestubbs at earthlink.net] 
Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2013 1:44 AM
To: nvickers1 at cox.net; dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com; tumpetom at aol.com; jfendrick at bak.rr.com
Subject: Glenn Miller Band--query from Randy Fendrick

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Dennis M Spragg <Dennis.Spragg at Colorado.EDU>
To: Burk Shields <trainut at bellsouth.net> 
Sent: Thursday, July 4, 2013 5:21 PM
Subject: Re: Glenn Miller Band--query from Randy Fendrick

Dear Burke,

Thank you for contacting me.  Happy Independence Day and it is a pleasure to address Randy Frederick's question. 

When Capt. Glenn Miller was assigned as Director of Bands, AAFTC (Army Air Forces Training Command), he set about the preparation and assignment of personnel for numerous AAF base bands.  Over the years, we have received many inquiries from hundreds of families asking about their relatives who were reportedly “members of the Glenn Miller band”.  Of course, it would be impossible for all of these people to have been assigned to “the Glenn Miller band”.  The confusion is that all could conceivably claim a Miller connection because of Miller’s job.  A primary aspect of Miller’s work was the creation of several large “AAF radio units” that would be put together for the purpose of staffing network radio musical and dramatic programs that would communicate the mission of the Army Air Forces to the American public and to assist in recruiting personnel for the AAF.  To this end, units were set up for the east coast (New York) and west coast (Hollywood) network radio centers and at AAFTC headquarters, Fort Worth, Texas. 

Miller assigned himself to command the New York group, which we have come to know as the “Glenn Miller Army Air Force Orchestra”.  The Miller unit consisted of 64 musicians and numerous additional personnel.  They were stationed at the AAFTC officer training center, Yale University, New Haven, Conn., and were transported into New York for radio and recording work.  Their weekly “I Sustain the Wings” program was broadcast over CBS from May to September 1943 and NBC from September 1943 thereafter.  The announcers and actors assigned to the unit included Lt. Donald Briggs and Sgt. Broderick Crawford.

The AAF changed unit nomenclature several times during this period.  The Miller unit carried the designations 2nd AAF Radio Production Unit and 2001st AAF Radio Production Unit.

The Fort Worth, Texas unit was commanded by Capt. Robert Jennings with Musical Director Sgt. Harry Bluestone.  They were quartered at Carswell Field and assigned to AAFTC HQ.  Some personnel moved between the Miller unit and this unit, including Cpl. Bob Carroll (vocalist).  When the Miller unit was transferred to the European Theatre of Operations in June 1944, it was replaced by the Fort Worth unit.  The Jennings-Bluestone unit was renamed as the new 2001st AAF Radio Production Unit and transferred to New Haven.  This group continued the “I Sustain the Wings” series over NBC as well as another AAF program that they had been broadcasting over the Blue Network from Fort Worth.  When they were transferred to New York the announcer assigned to this group was Lt. William Holden, who took over lead announcing duties on “I Sustain the Wings” from Lt. Donald Briggs. 

The Hollywood unit was commanded by Capt. Eddie Dunstedter with Musical Director Sgt. Felix Slatkin.  They broadcast three weekly radio series over NBC, Blue and Mutual.  The group was quartered at the Santa Ana Army Air Base.  Personnel were frequently moved to and from this unit between the AFRS Orchestra conducted by Maj. Meredith Wilson and the San Bernardino AAF base band.

In the spring of 1945 the Hollywood group directed by Slatkin switched assignments with the New York group directed by Bluestone.  Dunstedter remained in Hollywood and Jennings remained in New York.  When the Miller unit returned from the ETO in August 1945 the Slatkin unit was absorbed into the Miller unit, which resumed “I Sustain the Wings” and continued to November 1945.  Other AAF radio productions included “Wings to Victory”, “The Fighting AAF”, “Your AAF” and “Hello, Mom”.  The AAF had up to 10 network shows on the air by 1945.

The University of Colorado Glenn Miller Archive (GMA) preserves all of the extant recordings of the NBC “I Sustain the Wings” series as broadcast by the Miller, Bluestone and Slatkin orchestras.  In addition, copies of other AAF radio series are preserved in our collections.  The GMA also holds the complete United States Air Force records for these AAF bands that I have personally gathered while working on my forthcoming book “Resolved, The Disappearance of Glenn Miller, December 15, 1944”.   

The bottom line is that there were three major AAF radio units but only one that was personally directed by Glenn Miller.

Regarding Sloan Court in London, yes, Capt. Miller and Lt. Col. David Niven did move the Miller orchestra out to Bedford and a V-1 missile did hit Sloan Court after their departure.  The BBC had major radio production located at Bedford because of the conditions in London, including Sir Adrian Boult and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.  So Bedford was a logical move.     

Additional information is located at our GMA website, including several detailed reports:

http://music.colorado.edu/departments/amrc/gma

Please let me know any specific personnel questions or if you and your contacts would like to have further information concerning the AAF radio production units and history, or the accurate story of the Miller AAF Orchestra in the ETO.

Feel free to send this reply to everyone else I see in the message trail and they are likewise welcome to contact me if they wish at any time. 

Best regards,

Dennis

Dennis M Spragg
Glenn Miller Archive
American Music Research Center
University of Colorado Boulder
Norlin Library M450F
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO  80309-0184
cell: 1 (617) 699-5421
email: dennis.spragg at colorado.edu 

On Jul 3, 2013, at 11:20 AM, Burk Shields wrote:

Mr. Spragg,

I received the following from a friend of mine out in Southern California. I don't recall hearing about three different Glenn Miller bands. At least not operating concurrently. Can you provide any insight?

Regards,

Burk Shields

Jacksonville, FL

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "mestubbs at earthlink.net" <mestubbs at earthlink.net>
To: Dr. J. H. Holliday DDS <trainut at bellsouth.net> 
Sent: Monday, July 1, 2013 11:41 AM
Subject: Glenn Miller Band--query from Randy Fendrick

-----Original Message----- 
From: trumpetom at aol.com 
Sent: Jun 22, 2013 2:17 PM 
To: mestubbs at earthlink.net 
Subject: Fwd: [Dixielandjazz] : Glenn Miller Band--query from Randy Fendrick 

-----Original Message-----
From: Norman Vickers <nvickers1 at cox.net>
To: Trumpetom <Trumpetom at aol.com>
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sat, Jun 22, 2013 1:35 pm
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] : Glenn Miller Band--query from Randy Fendrick

To:  DJML and Musicians and Jazzfans lists
From:  Norman Vickers, Jazz Society of Pensacola

Trombonist Randy Fendrick sends the following query about the Glenn Miller
Band.  (  I Didn't know there was more than one.)  Randy, resident of
Bakersfield, CA,  is retired teacher and co-leader of the Southside Chicago
Seven.
Perhaps someone(s) on either list can enlighten us all!

Permit me one personal anecdote.  I crossed paths with (the late)
clarinetist Peanuts Hucko and asked him about the story that occurred when
Miller's band was in London during the blitz.  Story went that they really
didn't need to be in downtown London and that Miller has asked the US guys
to move them out to quarters in countryside. US transportation guys said
that they'd do it the following week, as this was the weekend and they were
not to be bothered.  Miller then went to the British transportation forces
and they moved them out on Saturday.  On Sunday night, there was a direct
bomb hit on the dormitory where they all would have been sleeping.  Peanuts
was very complimentary of Miller and said that he was very concerned about
all aspects of the band's welfare.

Who can enlighten us on the other Miller bands during WWII?  Other Miller
anecdotes?

-----Original Message-----
From: Randy Fendrick [mailto:jfendrick at bak.rr.com <mailto:jfendrick at bak.rr.com?> ] 
Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2013 2:44 PM
To: F. Norman Vickers
Subject: Glenn Miller Band

Norman-I recently finished reading an autobiography by Carlyle Nelson who
was married to Hilo Hatty and was also a violinist and sax/clarinet player.
During World War II, Nelson indicated that at one time he had been assigned
to one of Glenn Miller's three radio bands, which were located in New York,
Fort Worth and Santa Ana, California.  The New York band in 1943 or 44, was
transferred to London with the Fort Worth band moving to New York.  While it
stands to reason concerning time differences, etc., I had never heard that
where actually three bands with full staffs etc.  Is there anyone in your
group that might be able to shed a little more light on this for me?
Apparently William Holden was one of the actors in the cast for the Fort
Worth band and was replaced by Gene Raymond when Holden went home on leave
for the birth of his child.  Kind of interesting.
Thanks
Randy Fendrick=

                                            --End--

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