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Adapted from "Vice Admiral Frank Baldwin, Supply Corps, United States Navy, Deceased" [biography, dated 21 June 1957] in Modern Biographical Files collection, Navy Department Library.
 

Adapted from "Vice Admiral Frank Baldwin, Supply Corps, United States Navy, Deceased"
[biography, dated 21 June 1957] in Modern Biographical Files collection, Navy Department Library.
Topic
Document Type
  • Biography
Wars & Conflicts
  • Yangtze Service 1926-1927, 1930-1932
  • Mexican War 1846-1848
  • World War I 1917-1918
  • World War II 1939-1945
File Formats
Location of Archival Materials
  • NHHC-Library

Frank Baldwin

19 November 1880 – 3 June 2007

PDF Version [1.8MB]

Born in Pennington, New Jersey, on November 19, 1880, Frank Baldwin attended Pennington Preparatory School and the Stewart School in Trenton, prior to his appointment in 1906 as Assistant Paymaster, with rank of Ensign in the Supply Corps of the US Navy. After graduation from the Navy Pay Officers’ School he reported for duty as Assistant to the general store keeper at the Navy Yard, New York, New York. In 1907-1910 he served in USS Scorpion, USS Louisiana, USS Arethusa and USS Yankton. He then had two years shore duty as Assistant to the Accounting Officer, Boston Navy Yard, and as Pay Officer at Portsmouth Navy Yard, with additional duty in charge of accounts of the vessels Southery and Wisconsin, and was Pay Officer at the Naval Prison. 

In 1912-1915 he had successive service in the battleships Kansas and Ohio, and was Supply Officer of the Naval Training Station, Newport, Rhode Island, prior to and during the first year of World War I. in 1918 he served in the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, Navy Department, Washington, DC, and later with the US Naval Railway Batteries, commanded by Rear Admiral C. P. Plunket, participating in the Aisne-Marne and Meuse-Argonne Campaigns in France. He received a Special Letter of Commendation for service “at the front with the 14-inch Naval Batteries which were sent to France, and rendered valuable service during the war.” 

After the Armistice, he served as Supply Officer of USS New York, and later as Cost Inspector for the First Naval District and Accounting Officer, Boston Navy Yard. From April 1926 until February 1928 he was assigned to Asiatic Station, on board  USS Isabel, as Aide and Patrol Supply Officer of Yangtze Patrol commanded by Rear Admiral H. H. Hough. For the next four years he served as Disbursing Officer and Officer in Charge of the Accounting Division, Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, Washington, DC. In 1932-1934 he had duty as Supply Officer on the staff of the Commander, Destroyers, Scouting Force, on board USS Raleigh, serving consecutively under Rear Admiral (now Fleet Admiral) William D. Leahy and Rear Admiral Adolphus E. Watson. He then returned to duty in the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts and later was Accounting Officer at Boston Navy Yard. 

He completed the Senior Course at the Naval War College in May 1937, then returned to the Navy Department to serve first in the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, later in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Shore Establishment Division), and throughout the entire World War II period as Director, Cost Inspection Service, Bureau of Supplies and Accounts. For the latter service he was awarded the Legion of Merit and received a Letter of Commendation, with Ribbon, from Secretary of the Navy Forrestal. 

Transferred to the Retired List on December 1, 1944, having reached the statutory age for retirement, he was directed by Secretary of the Navy Forrestal to continue on active duty as Director of Cost Inspection Service with no break in service. This duty continued until June 30, 1950, when he released from all active duty. In April 1951 he was recalled to active duty to serve as Chairman of the Navy Contract Adjustment Board in the Office of Naval Material, Navy Department. In February 1953 he was assigned additional duty as Chairman of the Navy Emergency Facilities Depreciation Board and is continuing to serve as Chairman of these two Boards at the present time.

Promotions: 

July 10, 1906 Appointed Assistant Paymaster, rank of Ensign, SC, USN

February 2, 1909 Lieutenant (jg), SC, USN

August 22, 1912 Lieutenant, SC, USN

August 29, 1916 Lieutenant Commander, SC, USN

June 10, 1926 Commander, SC, USN

June 2, 1927 Captain, SC, USN

September 15, 1942 Rear Admiral, SC, USN

 

Decorations and Medals:

Special Letter of Commendation (Silver Star) (World War I)

Legion of Merit (World War II), as Director of Cost Inspection Service from August 25, 1941, to October 15, 1945

Letter of Commendation (Ribbon) from Secretary of the Navy Forrestal (World War II, as Director of Cost Inspection Service)

Cuban Pacification Medal; Mexican Service Medal

World War I Victory Medal, Naval Battery Clasp (Two Battle Stars; Aisne-Marne and Meuse-Argonne Campaigns)

Yangtze Service Medal

American Defense Service Medal; American Campaign Medal

World War II Victory Medal; National Defense Service Medal

 

Chronological Transcript of Service: 

Jul 1906 Sep 1906 Navy Pay Officers’ School, Washington, DC

Oct 1906 Nov 1906 Navy Yard, NY (Assistant to General Store Keeper)

Nov 1906 Jan 1907 Navy Yard, Boston, Mass. (Assistant to General Store Keeper)

Jan 1907 Oct 1907 USS Scorpion

Oct 1907 May 1908 USS Louisiana

May 1908 Sep 1909 USS Aerthusa

Nov 1909 Jun 1910 USS Yankton (Pay Officer)

Jul 1910 Navy Yard, Boston, Mass (Assistant to Accounting Officer)

Aug 1910 Jul 1912 Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH (Pay Officer; additional Southery, Wisconsin and Naval Prison)

Jul 1912 Feb 1915 USS Kansas

Feb 1915 Sep 1915 USS Ohio (To settle accounts)

Oct 1915 Jan 1918 NTS, Newport, Rhode Island (Pay Officer; additional duty Boxer)

Feb 1918 Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, Navy Department

May 1918 Dec 1918 Naval Battery, Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and St. Nazaire, France

Jan 1919 Fourth Naval District, Philadelphia, and home w/o orders

May 1919 Jul 1921 USS New York (Supply Officer)

Jul 1921 Oct 1921 Bureau of Supplies and Accounts

Oct 1921 Nov 1925 Cost Inspector, First Naval District (including Bethlehem Ship-building Corporation; Electric Boat Company)

Mar 1926 Jan 1928 Asiatic Station (Cavite, PI; Supply Officer, Yangtze Patrol and USS Isabel)

Mar 1928 Receiving Ship, San Francisco, Calif.

Mar 1928 May 1932 Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, Navy Department (Disbursing Officer)

May 1932 Aug 1934 Destroyers, Scouting Force (Staff)

Sep 1934 Jun 1936 Navy Yard, Boston, Mass. (Accounting Officer)

Jun 1936 May 1937 Naval War College, Newport, RI (student)

Jun 1937 Aug 1938 Bureau of Supplies and Accounts

Aug 1938 Mar 1939 General Inspector, Supply Corps, Atlantic Coast

Apr 1939 Aug 1941 Office of Shore Establishments, Navy Department

Aug 1941 Jun 1943 Officer in Charge, Naval Cost Inspection Service, Bureau of Supplies and Accounts)

Jun 1943 Jun 30/50 Director, Naval Cost Inspection Service, Bureau of Supplies and Accounts

Dec 1/44 Transferred to the Retired List of US Navy

Apr 3/51 Recalled to active duty as Chairman, Navy Contract Adjustment Board, Office of Naval Material, Navy Department

Feb 19/53 Additional duty as Chairman, Navy Emergency Facilities Depreciation Board

1 June 1957 Advanced to Vice Admiral on the Retired List, by virtue of special commendation for performance of duty in actual combat.

VADM Baldwin died June 3, 2007. 

END 

Published: Mon Apr 08 12:57:20 EDT 2019