Black Army Research

02/24/2026

What do you know about the veterans in your family?

On this day in history, February 24, 1915, Alexander Lennox Jr was born in East Hartford, Connecticut. In 1932, at 17 years of age, he enlisted in the Naval Militia, 19th Division, 5th Battalion under Burt C. Warner, commanding.

Soon accepted into the US Navy, Lennox served on various submarines and coastal defense ships as a radio electrician prior to and through WWII. Post-war he continued his career in the Navy and received his commission as an Officer in 1949. Obtaining a “Top Secret" crypto clearance in the 1950s, Lennox became part of the Naval Security Group and was transferred to Bremerhaven, Germany, where he commanded a cryptology division at Todendorf for several years. He returned to the USA as Assistant Communications Officer, part of Headquarters Staff in the 1st Naval District, Boston, MA.

Alexander Lennox Jr retired on April 1, 1961, with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. His total time served was 28 years, 9 months, and 8 days, with an incredible 24 years and 7 months of this time spent in Foreign and/or Sea Service.

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02/20/2026

A 1:48 scale model of the P-40L flown by Captain Lemuel Rodney Custis on January 27th, 1944, while shooting down an enemy F.W.190. Custis was the Operations Officer of the 99th Fighter Squadron (Tuskegee Airmen), and flew over 90 combat missions during WWII.

Aircraft type P-40L
Serial 42-10543 (tail 210543)
A35

Note: This aircraft (A35) was primarily flown by Lt James B. Knighten, who was nicknamed "The Eel." His aircraft was named "EEL II". The 99th Fighter Squadron frequently shared planes between pilots on various missions. The primary aircraft for Custis was A12, and named "Billie Kay"

Base kit: AMT P-40F Kittyhawk III No.48001
--- modified from P-40F to P-40L by removing outer 2 machineguns & adding ring/pin sights on hood.
Cockpit: TrueDetail P40 detail set
Instrument panel: Eduard P40 Photoetch Dashboard
Wheels: Ultracast 48155
Paints: Mission Models

Additional source excerpts National Archives footage 111-ADC-334
https://digitalgems.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p114401coll5/id/160/rec/4

02/07/2026

The 144th pistol produced in C**t's commercial Military model of 1902, serial 14857 was shipped on January 16, 1903.

Based on the slightly earlier C**t Model 1900, the Model 1902 was chambered in 38 Automatic, and used many of the same dies and machining steps. The military model, as requested by the United States Military, featured a slightly longer and squared off frame compared to the "Sporting" model to accommodate an extra round of ammunition and a lanyard ring. The cumbersome "sight safety" mechanism of the Model 1900 was discontinued, and a standard rounded rear sight was installed in a dovetail. Other early features included checkered grips, a rounded hammer, and forward slide checkering. Additionally, a slide stop feature was incorporated to hold back the slide after the last round was discharged, and aid in the reloading process. The lanyard ring and swivel were attached to the lower left corner of the frame.

11/07/2025

We've got a new blog post up where you can learn about the early Ithaca Model 1911A1 pistols with the I-prefix and Du-Lite finish!

Approximately the first 30,000-35,000 Ithaca-contracted model 1911A1 pistols were manufactured with the Du-Lite finish, a type of bluing over a sandblasted surface. The sandblasting resulted in a matte finish that was l...

09/27/2025

What happened in the Navy during WWII when an M1903 rifle was lost (perhaps in a boating accident?) and nobody knows exactly what the serial number was, nor does anyone know exactly when or where the loss took place? The unit responsible pays!

Immediately after the and the US declaration of War, the US Navy began requisitioning back some of the small arms it had supplied to the local Naval Militias of the States, ostensibly for training purposes. In early February 1942 the 19th Division in Connecticut was ordered to send back their 80 Springfield .30 caliber rifles "complete with belts, scabbards, bayonets and racks" but CT could only locate 79 of them.

Ultimately the CT Naval Militia 18th Division reimbursed the Navy for the missing rifle because they had no idea what the serial number was, or exactly when or where it had been lost.

These records were found in the CT State Library offsite archives, secured collections, RG013 accession 88-39.

09/12/2025

This pistol, C**t Model 1911 serial 346391, was an absolute joy to research! It was passed from a WWI USMC father to his WWII son (USN and USAF), with an electro-penciled signature under the grips that tying the two veterans together. Read about E.W. Clede Sr and Jr in our latest blog entry below!

https://blackarmyresearch.com/346391/f/a-father-and-sons-1911

09/11/2025

Here's an interesting find, a communication in January of 1915 between Springfield Armory and the State of Connecticut revoking the authority of CT to make sales of military weapons to rifle clubs, as well as revoking the authority to sell obsolete arms - a full two years ahead of the formally recognized cutoff due to the 1917 declaration of war!

This could potentially have been a penalization on CT for poor record keeping in years prior.

The War Department, division of Militia Affairs was holding accountable the State of CT, specifically the Office of the Adjutant General. A program was in place to return obsolete revolvers to Springfield Armory in favor of the new Model 1911 automatic pistol, of which CT had received 762. According to records held by Springfield Armory, CT had only returned 397 revolvers by mid-November 1914, a discrepancy of 365 "missing" revolvers. CT was ordered to correct the issue by December 31st.

At essentially the same time, the CT Naval Milita was to be surveyed by the War Department for massive irregularities in inventory items. Most of the Naval Militia items were either cloth goods or related to landing party equipment, but there were also mismatched quantities on Krag rifles, 38 caliber revolvers, and 45 caliber pistols (the new 1911). Some of these items were thought to have been recorded in duplicate, an error on CT's part.

These documents were located in the CT State Library, Secured Collections, RG013, Accession 88-39.

09/05/2025

It was great to work with Archival Research Group and take the photographs for this project! Wow, a 3-digit Navy!

09/02/2025

The original military instructions for firing the Model of 1911 pistol were published in the Cavalry Service Regulations, United States Army, 1914. They were distributed in early 1915 to the various Organized Militia units of the United States & territories thereof.

06/05/2025

On this day in history, June 4, 1915, Lemuel Rodney Custis was born in Wethersfield CT. In 1939 he became the first African American police officer in the city of Hartford, CT.

Graduating in the class of 42-C, Lemuel Rodney Custis was one of the first 5 Tuskegee Airmen pilots. During WWII he flew 92 combat missions as a Captain, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, he achieved one confirmed enemy aircraft "kill", and was Operations Officer of the famed 99th Fighter Squadron. In April of '44 he returned to Tuskegee Alabama as an advanced fight instructor, and ultimately attained the rank of Major.

Custis kept most of his military effects when he left the service, such as his uniforms, flight jacket, hats, pilot's briefcase, instruction manuals, canteen, holster, and his C**t Model 1911 pistol, serial 476738. This pistol is currently on display at New England Air Museum in their exhibit.

More about Custis' achievements (and his pistol) can be found on our website, link in bio.

Happy birthday to Major L.R. Custis!