Biographies of Our Forefathers

Biographies of Our Forefathers

JOSEPH RICHARD TINNENY

Joseph R. Tinneny was the third son and fifth child of James J. Tinneny and Gertrude A. Spence. He was born in the family home at 4724 Fowler Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 25, 1917. Joe was baptized at Holy Family Church.

He attended Holy Family Grade School on Hermitage Street and Saint John the Baptist Boys High School from which he graduated in in the Class of 1935. He was a member of the school’s running team and a pole-vaulter. He also played an instrument in the school band and was a substitute on the football team. His brother Donald recalled that Joe would frequently throw his hip out of place while pole vaulting. Years later Joe attributed an enlarged heart to his long distance running in his youth. Like his father and several of his brother’s, Joe was an avid reader of books from an early age.

Photo: Joe’s high school class ring given to Rich Tinneny in 1974.

Following graduation from high school Joe found work as a timekeeper with the SKF Ball and Roller Bearing Company in Philadelphia. Meantime, on September 16, 1940, the United States had instituted the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. This was the first peacetime draft in United States' history. Those who were selected from the draft lottery were required to serve at least one year in the armed forces. Once the U.S. entered WWII, draft terms extended through the duration of the fighting. As was his duty to do, he registered for the draft on October 16, 1940. At the time he was living with his parents at 4139 Pechin Street in Philadelphia.

Draft Registration Form completed October 16, 1940.

Joe’s number came up in the draft lottery and he was enlisted in the United States Army October 23, 1941 at Camp Lee, Virginia and assigned serial number 33129099. At the time the United States was not at war and Joe had no idea that what was to be a one year service commitment would result in him spending the next 11 month in the United States and 35 months in Europe during World War II.

He trained at MacDill Army Air Field. A major mission for MacDill was the training of aircrews for overseas deployments, with the first units trained at the base being Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber groups. Following training as a medic he was shipped to an Army Air Corps combat unit England where he served as a medic for the duration of the war.

On November 24, 1941 Joe’s brother John and his wife Helen had their first child Richard. They asked Joe and his sister Clare to serve as Richard’s godparents. The christening went off as scheduled on December 7th 1941. That evening, as the family was gathered for dinner and the christening celebration in the home of Joe’s parents on Pechin Street, a message came over the radio for all military personnel to report to the nearest military installation. Subsequent announcements informed the Tinnenys gathered for the celebration, and the rest of the nation, of the attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by the Japanese and the United States entry into World War II.

Joe left the gathering and reported as ordered. After completing his medical training he was assigned as a medic with the 8^th Air Force at Bury Saint Edmund, England. Bury Saint Edmund was an airfield on the eastern outskirts of the town of Rougham, England. It was the mission of the American and British forces assigned to that base to bomb the Axis forces and mainland Germany. There were approximately 3000 troops there billeted in Nissan huts and other temporary facilities. Joe served as a medic, with the 94^th Bomb Group, 322 squadron which flew B-26 Marauders and B-17s. He said that the bombing missions went on around the clock and that it was so intense that the sky would be black with the aircraft. As a medic, a major part of his job was to help recover injured and dead crewmen who returned to the base aboard the bombers after the raids.

Years later he would recall that he was constantly amazed at how damaged a plane could be and still fly. He said that many of the planes returned so shot-up, with major parts shot away, that they really shouldn’t have been able to remain airborne. Many of them crash-landed as they approached the airfield. He was similarly amazed at the degree of damage that the human body could take as evidenced by the devastation that he saw from the returning airmen who were his patients.

While in England, Joe rose to the rank of Technical Sergeant. On one occasion he was courts martialed for calling president Franklin D. Roosevelt, The Commander in Chief, a “son of a bitch.” Roosevelt was anathema in the James J. Tinneny Sr. home in Philadelphia so it shouldn’t have been a surprise that Joe like his father disliked him intensely. He apparently got into some sort of a discussion or argument in which he addressed Roosevelt’s lineage as described above. Since Roosevelt was also Commander in Chief of the armed forces it was a violation of military law to speak despairingly of him. The matter was brought to the attention of Joe’s commanding officer and Joe was brought before a military court. At the courts martial he was asked to retract the statement, which he refused to do. He then went one step further and restated the offending comment. For his actions he was reduced in grade. However, he soon got his stripes back and at the end of the war he was discharged as a Sergeant.

While stationed in England, Joe had the opportunity to host his brother Bruce on several occasions. Bruce was in the Navy assigned as a US Navy gunner on the merchant ships that were engaged in what was called the Murmansk Run i.e. bringing supplies from America to the Russian City of Murmansk. On several occasions Bruce was given leave which he took in England visiting Joe.

Normally medics are not permitted to carry weapons. During one of Bruce’s visits for some reason the medics in Joe’s unit had just been authorized to carry sidearms. Joe, Bruce and some of their friends went into the town drinking and Joe had his weapon with him. The local population was scandalized when on their way back to the base Joe was shooting his gun.

On another occasion Bruce and some of his shipmates visited Joe for a couple of days. They went out drinking one night at one of Joe’s favorite pubs. That night Bruce and his buddies got into a brawl, which resulted in extensive damage to the pub. Needless to say, Joe was not happy about the incident.

Bruce Tinneny, United States Navy, WWII. He was a gunner aboard two merchant vessels sunk in the North Atlantic.

Throughout their lives Joe and Bruce continued to enjoy themselves when they got together.

In late 1944 the 94th Bomb Group at Rougham held a 200th Mission Party, which Joe would have attended. The Army Air Force band, usually led by Glenn Miller, showed up with singer Dinah Shore, however, Glen Miller was not with them. Ray McKinley led the musicians and “the audience was swollen by army girls, civilians and other folk, dancing on the concrete floor of the main hangar and a good time was held by all.”

Certificate with seal, sent to Joe by Monsignor John J. McKenna, Rector of Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church, Manayunk informing him of the spiritual support of the parishioners.

Having served throughout the entire war, Joe returned to the United States aboard the Queen Mary arriving in New York Harbor September 28, 1945. From there he was assigned to Separation Center #45, Indian Town Gap Military Reservation, Pennsylvania from which he was discharged on October 11, 1945.

Joe returned from Europe aboard the Queen Mary. Extract from the personnel roster of the arriving troops in New York aboard the Queen Mary in 1945.

After the war, Joe was discharged in the grade of sergeant and among his military decorations were seven battle stars representing the major battles that he had participated in during the European campaign. He returned to Philadelphia and for a time lived with his parents.

In 1950, he applied for the Veterans Compensation Program established by the State of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Application for WWII Compensation submitted January 17, 1950, P 1.

Pennsylvania Application for WWII Compensation, p.2.

Memorials to the members of the 94^th Bomb Group, which included Joe's Squadron the 332nd, on the grounds of the former Rougham Air Field – A.A.F. Station 468. The site was visited by Joe’s godson Richard Tinneny when he was stationed with the U.S. Air Force in Europe.

Bronze plaque honoring those who served with the 94^th Bomb Group at Bury Saint Edmunds during World War II.1991.

Returning to civilian life he worked for the Board of Revision of Taxes of the City of Philadelphia. When the City administration changed from Republican to Democrat in the early 1950s, Joe left his job with the City. Bob Hamilton, the local Republican ward leader, helped him get a job as a purchasing agent with the construction firm of Conduit and Foundation.

When Joe returned home after the war, he and his youngest brother Donald developed a very close bond. After their father past away, Joe and Donald lived with their mother in a second floor apartment at 4116 Pechin Street across from their parents former home, both were thought to be confirmed bachelors and spent a lot of time in the Manayunk club.

Photo Left: Donald and Joe enjoying themselves at a family event at their brother Jack’s home.

Photo Above: The Manayunk Club a favoritehangout of the Tinneny siblings and venue for family weddings in the 1940s and 50s.From Scribe.org.

During the summers the two bachelors spent vacations and most weekend at the Jersey shore where they enjoy the sun, the beach and a great social life. After Joe married Don remained in the apartment. Sometime later, Joe and Betty bought their home in Conshohocken and Don moved in with then until he married.

In the 1950s Joe, an ardent conservative Republican, ran for two elective offices. One of these was for City Council for the 8^th district. In that campaign he endorsed Republican Jim Clothier for Mayor of Philadelphia. Both were unsuccessful in their quest for public office during that political campaign. In March of 1954, Joe filed the required paperwork to run on the Republican ticket for a seat in the United States Congress, the Pennsylvania 6^th Congressional District. In that campaign he ran against Hugh Scott who had been a friend of his father’s and who his father had campaigned for years earlier.

Among other family members and friends, Joe recruited his nephews to help put out campaign literature and otherwise help in the campaign. The effort involved attaching posters to many telephone poles throughout the neighborhood and the district and giving out lots of little cards with his picture on them, which announced his candidacy.

Hugh Scott won the Congressional seat and went on to serve many years as the senior United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Had Joe won, his plan was to have his godson Richard Tinneny accompany him to Washington D.C. to serve as his congressional page.

Joe also ran for Philadelphia City Council. Photo of the campaign card used in his unsuccessful run for the 8^thDistrict council seat. Courtesy R. J. Tinneny.

A mutual friend, Frank Taylor, introduced Joe to his future wife Elizabeth “Betty” Smith at a cocktail party. Although Joe didn’t know it, Betty had liked him from the time she was a young girl. Betty was born October 20, 1926.

When they were first married, Joe and Betty lived in an apartment at the top of Fountain Street in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia. They later bought a home at 1231 Woodside Road in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

As adults most of Joe’s siblings lived in Roxborough and Manayunk and he frequently got together with them.

Joe with brothers Thomas far left and Donald. Courtesy of Helen Tinneny.

Joe died suddenly and unexpectedly of a massive heart attack in the living room of his home on Friday November 22, 1974. He had an appointment with his dentist that afternoon. He had been having a pain in his jaw. He came home from work prior to the appointment and took an Alka-Seltzer since he wasn’t feeling well. He got up from the chair in the living room and collapsed on the floor. Although the paramedics were summoned and quickly arrived, Joe was pronounced dead on arrival at the local hospital. He was 57 years old.

Pennsylvania Department of Military Affairs grave registration card.

Photo: Joe’s grave marker, Calvary Cemetery. Courtesy of Karen Pecora..

There is a story associated with his grave marker. When the initial cast bronze marker was delivered it was found to have a misspelling. The defective marker somehow wound up at the home of a family member of Betty’s in Philadelphia. At some point, it was put out by the curb to be taken away in the trash. Someone spotted it and gave it to Joe’s brother Jack. For several years the plaque laid in a prominent spot beneath a tree on his property not far from the dock. Years after Jack’s death his wife Helen had one of their grandsons help dispose of things and Joe’s marker was thrown into the river in front of the dock at 18 ½ River Road where it remains.

After Joe’s death Betty sold the house in Conshohocken and moved into the home of a relative at 379 Fairway Terrace in Roxborough. Betty died of lung cancer on October 11, 1989 and was buried with Joe at Calvary Cemetery.