  Tsingtao Capt. Rich Krupke (center) and crew Anybody know the Crew's names? (Photo Courtesy of Carey Bowles) From the Roster of CNAC Pilots, 2 April 1949: Krupke, R.V. 397 Great Western Road 22137 During the 1950's and 1960's lived in Modesto and Merced. December 21, 2002 Received the following e-mail from Felix Smith The following info re FRANK KNAPKE is unreliable because my memory is vague on this. I seem to remember Knapke at CNAC 's early reunions in California not too long after the China's mainland fell to the Reds. At that time I remember one of the pilots---I think it was Knapke-- telling me he lived in Michigan and sold fire engines which were manufactured in that state. I don't know how far you want to research this, but there can't be many companies in Michigan that make fire engines. Its historical records might reveal Knapke's name. Knapke and Krupke were close friends, I often saw them together, so my memory may have switched them. It seems to me that Knapke was the more light-hearted, optimistic of the two. Krupke was more serious. Perhaps Bill Maher, of Michigan, remembers more. Regards, Felix  When Richard Krupke died April 26, 1972, he was living at the following address: Richard von Glahn Krupke 17 West 18th Street Merced, California December 14, 2005 Thank you so much for following these wonderful pilots. The photo on the website is not one that the family has. He was my very glamorous uncle. He came back to the states more or less riding a "shining white horse". My sister and I were quite young and very impressed with him. We are trying to figure out when he came back, but he asked us to choose a car and we decide a lime green Chrysler convertible would be it. So he rented or bought, I don't know. I do remember driving the Bayshore Highway near San Francisco, tossing worthless Chinese yen into the air and being stopped by a CHP officer. Uncle Rich gave him a bundle of yen and he didn't write a ticket as he should have. You have spelled his middle name wrong. It is von Glahn (now corrected). My grandmother was very proud of it. Barbara Coffin Moore E-mail lilycats511@sbcglobal.net December 14, 2005 Dear Tom: What a surprise and a pleasure to open the envelop you sent to find all the information on CNAC and a photo of my uncle, Richard Krupke! I feel badly that I did not know you were gathering all this information about the pilots and crews prior to my mother’s death. Harriet and Richard were very close and she would have been able to provide a wealth of information about his time with CNAC. I do have photos and some letters from Rich that my mother kept which I have yet to review and organize (please have patience with me). I personally don’t remember very much about his time with CNAC (like you I was just a little too young) except that he returned in 1948 or 1949 with a suitcase full of worthless Chinese money after the fall of the government which we used as play money! I also have some beautiful Chinese wood carvings and other mementos of his tour in the Far East. I have passed on your packet of information to my older sister and will share it with Rich’s son Dan. My sister Barbara is very interested and excited about your investigation and I know that Dan is always hunting for information about his father. I did make a short visit of your web site and will spend lots of time there in the future. But wanted to let you know that I received your packet and will attempt to fill your request for information about Rich’s time with CNAC. Great website and great work. Kudos to you. Good Luck, Mary (Peg) Coffin windmillhill@cvip.net  or you would like to be on the CNAC e-mail distribution list, please let the CNAC Web Editor, Tom Moore, know. Thanks! |