Awesome ID'd WWI Pilot photo

[cthomas]

Truly awesome ID'd WWI portrait to Jim Mollison who would, amongst other assignments, go on to command the US Army Air Forces in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations during WWII. Here is a brief description of his career (courtesy of the Arlington National Cemetery website):

 

BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES A. MOLLISON

Retired June 1948, Died February 1, 1970

 

James Alexander Mollison was born in 1897, at Smith Center, Kansas. He enlisted as a flying cadet November 3, 1917, and was appointed a second lieutenant in the Aviation Section of the Signal Reserve on May 1, 1918.

 

From November 1917 until receiving his commission in May 1918, he was in training at the School of Military Aeronautics, Berkeley, California, and the Air Service Flying School at Rockwell Field, Calif. He was then assigned to duty at Rockwell Field, and in October 1918 was sent to Ream Field, Calif., for instruction in aerial gunnery. He returned to Rockwell Field in April 1918 to become commanding officer of the Forest Patrol there. He was sent to Kelly Field, Texas, In July 1919 for duty with the 90th Aero Squadron.

 

With a part of that squadron he moved to Sanderson, Texas, in December 1919. He went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in February 1922 as an aviation instructor with Organized Reserve units. He became an aviation instructor with the Pennsylvania National Guard in October 1924. In March 1926 he was sent to the Phillippine Islands for duty.

 

Returning to the United States in May 1928, he was assigned to Fort Sam Houston, Texas. In January 1929 he became a flying instructor, serving at Duncan and Randolph fields, Texas. He was ordered to Washington, D.C. in June 1925 for duty in the Office, Chief of Air Corps. In September 1938 he entered the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Ala. He graduated in 1939 and was sent to the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

 

In February 1940 he proceeded to Hawaii for duty with the Hawaiian Air Force as executive officer, Hickam Field, and later chief of staff of the Seventh Air Force. He returned to the United States and was assigned to the 2nd Air Service Area Command, Fort Worth, Texas, in July 1942.

 

He later became commanding officer of the 2nd Air Service Area Command at Fort Worth, Texas. In December 1942 he became chief, Personnel Training Division, Air Service Command at Patterson Field, Ohio.

 

His next assignment was in February 1943 when he was designated commanding general of the Mobile Air Depot Control Area Command (Redesignated Mobile Air Service Command), Air Service Command, Mobile, Ala. In October 1944 he was sent overseas and became commanding general of the XV Air Force Service Command in Italy. In August 1945 he was designated commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Forces in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. Later in the month he returned to Washington D.C., where he vas given an undisclosed assignment.

 

He is rated a command pilot and combat observer.

 

The image was taken at a San Diego, CA studio which correlates perfectly with his time in service on the West Coast. Wouldn't you just love to get your hands on those wings!

[trenchbuff]

Very nice photo. Thanks!!

[Dirk]

Charles: Well done! Another nice one for your collection!

[cthomas]

Charles: Well done! Another nice one for your collection!

 

 

Thanks guys. It's definitely one of my favorites & sure as heck surprised me when I pulled up that info

[IMPERIAL QUEST]

Fabulous Charles.

[teufelhunde.ret]

GREAT pic... thx for sharing w/ us!

[cthomas]

GREAT pic... thx for sharing w/ us!

 

 

My pleasure

 

Also, thanks for the kind words about my WWI portrait collection. Might want to check that thread out again. Just posted a few more...