WWI 99th Aero Squadron Uniform Group

[Belleauwood]

Well here is the one that slipped through my fingers, a 99th souvineer canvas off the port lower wing of a Salmson 2a2. One of the few pieces in need to finish off my Air Service collection. The guys partner thought it was an actual side panel off a plane, and in turn thought the price should reflect that. Oh well I got to examine it and take photo's so better than nothing. On the canvas you will see an original 99th photo of the buffalo stencil.. Enjoy Paul

 

Curious to how you determined that this is not a side panal and not only determine what wing, but also what side. Why not the upper wing? - Best, Dennis

[Baker502]

I was in contact with Alan Toelle who is a expert in WWI aircraft canvas. He took one look at it an told me from the camo pattern and seam lines in the canvas it was definitely not a side panel. I also had suspicion about it as there would be no seam at that part of the side of the 2a2. He has studied the camo patterns and knew the layout on the wings. I will see if I can find the email from him about it. It is not a well know fact but it was common for the members of the squadrons to take crashed planes and cannibalize the parts for other aircraft. The canvas was not salvageable, so they often times stenciled or painted the squadron emblem on the canvas for souvenirs. If you realize that there were only so many planes, with only 2 insignia on each, this allowed others to take home a "plane insignia". This makes the actual side panel canvas even that more rare. And although the mentioned piece was not a side panel, but a period souvenir, it makes it not as valuable as the actual side panel piece. In my collection, I have only a piece of a side panel, from an aircraft that was shot down. I have it narrowed to 2 aircraft from the 1st Aero squadron. I will try to post some photo's in the next few days. I hope this makes sense.. Paul

[Baker502]

Dennis,

I still have the 90th trunk group and it's one of my favorites..thanks again Paul

[Belleauwood]

Dennis,

I still have the 90th trunk group and it's one of my favorites..thanks again Paul

 

Wish I had it back. I sold my entire Aviation collection and have regretted it since. It's taken a while to get it going again, but it's getting there. - Take care, Dennis

[cwnorma]

Belleauwood, Croix de Guerre,

 

Seeing your 99 AS pins reminded me of the SSU 26 pin I have:

 

 

Chris

[Croix de Guerre]

Belleauwood, Croix de Guerre,

 

Seeing your 99 AS pins reminded me of the SSU 26 pin I have:

 

 

Chris

Oh man your killing me!!! I knew that Section 69 used a buffalo as their symbol but I hadn't heard of 26 doing it, much less having a pin made! MAN! That's cool! Thanks for sharing that!

 

Here is a photo from Section 69 after they were federalized, check out the buffalo over their shoulders.

[cwnorma]

Oh man your killing me!!! I knew that Section 69 used a buffalo as their symbol but I hadn't heard of 26 doing it, much less having a pin made! MAN! That's cool! Thanks for sharing that!

 

Here is a photo from Section 69 after they were federalized, check out the buffalo over their shoulders.

 

Croix de Guerre,

 

We are so OT This thread is supposed to be about 99 Aero.

 

I'll see if I can get the mod for this section to move these last few posts into the AFS thread.

 

Chris

[Belleauwood]

Croix, Is there anything you don't have??? -----Well, other than my AFS stuff

[Croix de Guerre]

Croix, Is there anything you don't have??? -----Well, other than my AFS stuff

Well I'd have alot more if you'd quit sending it to our freind!

[Yank]

I know one thing Croix doesn't have. He doesn't have Javier's original Sopwith Camel. It was appraised bewteen 1.6 and 2.8 million. Here's the link for the original sales page Javier bought it from.

http://www.vintageaviation.net/Original%20...ith%20Camel.htm

[Croix de Guerre]

ANY WAY back to the 99th Aero squadron,,,here are a few more photos

 

Here is Bill modeling the various layers of his flying kit

[Croix de Guerre]

ANY WAY back to the 99th Aero squadron,,,here are a few more photos

 

Here is Bill modeling the various layers of his flying kit

[Croix de Guerre]

Fini

[dpast32]

All I can say is "THANK YOU" for taking the time to share all this with us. WHAT A GROUP !!! I too have a 99th Aero Sqdn group in my collection, in fact it's one of my recent finds. Rather than collecting any actual type of militaria, I focus in on items awarded or related to Rhode Island recipients. My 99th group belonged to 1st Lieut. John R. Edwards Jr., of Bristol, RI. ( Son of retired USN Admiral John R. Edwards Sr.) He was attending Bowdoin College in Maine when he decided to go on an adventure. He enlisted for a 6 month tour with the A.F.S., & served in Section VIII (8) from Feb. to Aug. of 1917. In Sept. 1917 he enlisted as a Pvt. in the fledgling USAS & was accepted for pilot training. ( He also served a brief stint as an interpreter at USAS HQ in Paris, due to his fluent command of French ) He received his French Brevette / RMA in Nov. 1917, & was assigned to the 99th Aero Sqdn. He was among the first batch of pilots to staff the squadron. Although he never managed to down any enemy a/c, he did win a CdG & US Silver Star for his actions during the US 5th Div.'s "Frappelle Raid" of August 1918. ( Please forgive me if my dates are a bit off, I'm doing this from memory, as all my research notebooks are downstairs at the moment.) He apparently became friendly with the 99th's commanders, as he has a copy of the WW1 airwar book, "Up And At 'Em", by Lt. Col. Harold Hartney, & it's inscribed inside to him by both Lt. Col. Harold Hartney & Arthur Christie. Right after the war he had a few jobs teaching military science at a couple of US universities, & then in 1921 was hired on by the Standard Oil Co. as a foreign salesman. He was stationed in their Japanese & Korean offices for a few years before returning to the US where he settled down in NYC. During WW2 he was assigned as a Japanese interpreter with the US 5th AF in the Pacific area. ( He had become fluent in Japanese during his years as an overseas rep. for Standard Oil Co.) After WW2 he retrned to the Bristol, Rhode Island area where he remained until he passed away in 1977. I'll quit here, as I'm starting to tire of typing for the moment. If anyone's interested in what this particular group contained, and or about 1st Lieut. Edwards in general, please feel free to E-mail me at: [email protected].

 

Regards, Dom Pastore Jr.

[Croix de Guerre]

All I can say is "THANK YOU" for taking the time to share all this with us. WHAT A GROUP !!! I too have a 99th Aero Sqdn group in my collection, in fact it's one of my recent finds. Rather than collecting any actual type of militaria, I focus in on items awarded or related to Rhode Island recipients. My 99th group belonged to 1st Lieut. John R. Edwards Jr., of Bristol, RI. ( Son of retired USN Admiral John R. Edwards Sr.) He was attending Bowdoin College in Maine when he decided to go on an adventure. He enlisted for a 6 month tour with the A.F.S., & served in Section VIII (8) from Feb. to Aug. of 1917. In Sept. 1917 he enlisted as a Pvt. in the fledgling USAS & was accepted for pilot training. ( He also served a brief stint as an interpreter at USAS HQ in Paris, due to his fluent command of French ) He received his French Brevette / RMA in Nov. 1917, & was assigned to the 99th Aero Sqdn. He was among the first batch of pilots to staff the squadron. Although he never managed to down any enemy a/c, he did win a CdG & US Silver Star for his actions during the US 5th Div.'s "Frappelle Raid" of August 1918. ( Please forgive me if my dates are a bit off, I'm doing this from memory, as all my research notebooks are downstairs at the moment.) He apparently became friendly with the 99th's commanders, as he has a copy of the WW1 airwar book, "Up And At 'Em", by Lt. Col. Harold Hartney, & it's inscribed inside to him by both Lt. Col. Harold Hartney & Arthur Christie. Right after the war he had a few jobs teaching military science at a couple of US universities, & then in 1921 was hired on by the Standard Oil Co. as a foreign salesman. He was stationed in their Japanese & Korean offices for a few years before returning to the US where he settled down in NYC. During WW2 he was assigned as a Japanese interpreter with the US 5th AF in the Pacific area. ( He had become fluent in Japanese during his years as an overseas rep. for Standard Oil Co.) After WW2 he retrned to the Bristol, Rhode Island area where he remained until he passed away in 1977. I'll quit here, as I'm starting to tire of typing for the moment. If anyone's interested in what this particular group contained, and or about 1st Lieut. Edwards in general, please feel free to E-mail me at: [email protected].

 

Regards, Dom Pastore Jr.

Hi Dom, Thanks for the post! I would love to see the Edward group!

[IMPERIAL QUEST]

Tom,

 

We need to talk.....bestest buddy in the whole wide world.....old friend.....

[cthomas]

SAAAWWEEEEEEEET!

 

I love it when you get a new addition to the collection. You have an eye for acquiring good, ID'd groupings with enough information to weave a story of his service.

 

I hope this 'fix' will hold you over for a while. Just a little bit....

[IMPERIAL QUEST]

I hope this 'fix' will hold you over for a while. Just a little bit....

 

 

Unfortunately, he is already going through withdrawals and needs another fix soon...we need to have an intervention for brother Tom. Last time we talked, I could hear the trembling in his voice, and rambling of the same phrase over and over again..."man, I need a fix"....the wife and baby could be heard crying in the background over his predicament. Sadly, I had to hang the phone up as it was all too much to bear.

[cthomas]

Unfortunately, he is already going through withdrawals and needs another fix soon...we need to have an intervention for brother Tom. Last time we talked, I could hear the trembling in his voice, and rambling of the same phrase over and over again..."man, I need a fix"....the wife and baby could be heard crying in the background over his predicament. Sadly, I had to hang the phone up as it was all too much to bear.

 

 

You too? I felt sorry for the poor guy when we talked yesterday. I too could hear it in his voice.

 

Tom-

We ALL feel your pain! Don't think of the USMF as a great place to share all your fine Aviation artifacts (we appreciate it, believe me we do), think of us also as one big support group for when you go through those withdrawals. We are here for you, my friend, and will help you pull through this "low" point. Lord knows we've all experienced it, whether or not you want to admit it, at one point in this lovely hobby of ours.

 

-Chuck

[Croix de Guerre]

I got some new photos of Bill I thought I would share for the lack of anything better to do.

[Croix de Guerre]

I got some new photos of Bill I thought I would share for the lack of anything better to do.

 

Bill Doran and an Italian pilot

[Croix de Guerre]

I got some new photos of Bill I thought I would share for the lack of anything better to do.

 

Bill's dad knitting socks for the Red Cross.

[Croix de Guerre]

I got some new photos of Bill I thought I would share for the lack of anything better to do.

 

Bill as a young boy.

[Croix de Guerre]

I got some new photos of Bill I thought I would share for the lack of anything better to do.

 

Bill and an unknown buddy out for a swim

[Croix de Guerre]

I got some new photos of Bill I thought I would share for the lack of anything better to do.

 

A cartoon drawn by Lt. Blumenthal