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WWI Air Service Diary


Vincennes
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I picked up a real prize at the flea markeet today. I got the WW1 war diary of Henry A Babcock, and 18 letters with envelopes he wrote home while he was in France. The diary is 7.5x10" and has 39 pages written in. It covers the period from June 18, 1917 when he applied for the Aviation Section, until December 15, 1918 when he boards the SS George Washington on his way back to the states.

 

The 18 letters were all written to his wife and some are as much as 7 pages long.

 

The diary covers his boat trip over to France, training in Tours France, his early flights when he "smashed two flying wires and two axles" on his early solo flights, his decision to transfer to the non-flying Engineering Branch of the Air Service where he wrote technical manuals such as the Hispano-Suiza 300 Instruction Book, an air raid on Paris while he was there, his promotion to Second Lt. then First Lt., etc. It also includes the names of a number of other officers he met.

 

Quite an interesting collection.

 

Paul

 

I reproduce page 1 of the diary here.

post-2319-0-46239200-1359851361_thumb.jpg

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