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Large group of WWI and 1920's era USAAC pilot


pfrost
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All these nice uniforms of WWI aviators and their uniforms has been great. I wanted to post a large group of photos taken by Samuel Sloan who flew with the 278th aero-squadron during WWI and then later with the 11th bombardment group. I have about 50 or so photos, so I will break them down. First, will be his pictures from France. Then later, I will add a bunch of pictures he took at a BBQ for the 11th bombardment squadron some time in the 1920's.

 

First, a very nice picture of Sloan. I suspect that this was the photo he used in his ID card or a duplicate.

 

Also, the telegram from France to his brother, who seems to have been an engineer in France as well.

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This is Sloan with his plane. On the back it seems to say they were at Vinets, but the writing is hard to read.

 

The other photo is with him in his plane, but now with the squadron insignia painted on the side

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Another pilot with his plane, and a close up of the 278th insignia painted on the side of Sloan's plane. I suspect the squadron met up with their planes at Vinets (?) and then went forward. I think they were actually deployed after the armistice.

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This is Sloan's observer Elwood Kresge.

 

Also, some photos of Sloan, Kresge and another pair of pilot/observers. I have always felt that they are shaved due to a cootie infection!

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A couple of squadron group photos. The top photo is clearly of the "boys" on the boat heading over, and the second seems to be of a liberated beer barrel.

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In the grouping were a bunch of arial photos taken by Sloan and Kresge. Back before I knew better, I traded a vast number of duplicates away. Still, I kept one of the pictures. This is an arial view of the trench system. Pretty neat. I think all the "pock marks" are actually craters from the artillery. Imagine trying to run across THAT!

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Last one for now. This is, I believe, the crashed plane of Alexander Olgivie and Bill Williams who were KIC on 11/29/1918. In fact, I have often wondered if Olgivie and Williams aren't the other two men in the previous photograph.

 

I have about a 1.2 dozen more WWI photos, then a slew of 1920's pics. I will post those later.

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Croix de Guerre

Awesome post! Keep them coming! You mentioned the 11th Aero,,are they ID'd? I'm looking for a picture of Ramon Guthrie, an observer with the 11th.

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Awesome post! Keep them coming! You mentioned the 11th Aero,,are they ID'd? I'm looking for a picture of Ramon Guthrie, an observer with the 11th.

 

Hi,

 

The 11th stuff is taken in the 1920's/1930's, when they were flying the Keystone bombers. They are just a bunch of snap shots taken during an airshow of some sort, with all the pilots and crew eating BBQ. But some very nice photos of the bombers, a picture of Major Spatz, and stuff like that. Nothing really special, but some neat pics.

 

Here is a taste of what they are like!

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Another pilot with his plane, and a close up of the 278th insignia painted on the side of Sloan's plane. I suspect the squadron met up with their planes at Vinets (?) ....

 

 

That would have been the 5th Air Depot at Vinets.

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That would have been the 5th Air Depot at Vinets.

 

Thanks, that makes sense.

 

Here are a few more from WWI.

 

First another crashed plane, RFC this time I believe. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

Also, the 278th emblem painted on the wall of the ready room or hanger, I suspect.

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First another crashed plane, RFC this time I believe. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

This one is Hobey Baker's crashed 141 Aero SPAD. Can't recall the date off the top of my head - 21 December 1918 ??

 

The Fokkers are certainly some turned over after the war. One of the big concentration sites for captured a/c was at Trier - maybe this was shot there. Can you get serials or partials from the original ?

I might be able to tell where this is if you can.

 

Mike

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  • 3 weeks later...

My computer crashed with the rest of the photos. I finally got these on the other computer.

 

This is the emblem for the squadron, likely painted on the ready room wall, or maybe a flag or bit off a crashed plane.

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Another series of photos of a crash, with some French officers.

 

The R34 airship is interesting. I have seen a squadron photo of the men lined up on this field with the blimp in the background. The photo was taken in New Jersey after the squadron returned to the states. This small snapshot is of the airship either before or after the squadron mates have assembled for the picture. I believe the R34 is a British airship that was touring the States.

 

The rest of the photos are from after WWI

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Another series of photos of a crash, with some French officers.

 

The R34 airship is interesting. I have seen a squadron photo of the men lined up on this field with the blimp in the background. The photo was taken in New Jersey after the squadron returned to the states. This small snapshot is of the airship either before or after the squadron mates have assembled for the picture. I believe the R34 is a British airship that was touring the States.

 

The rest of the photos are from after WWI

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These photos appear to have been taken during a trip that the 11th bomb squadron made in the 1930's to Midland Field in Texas. Mostly small snapshots, some of the stuff is pretty interesting.

 

The first is a picture of Carl Spatz. The notation on the back says that this was taken after his record setting flight in the airplane "Question Mark"

 

A really great picture of the flight jackets being worn. They had large squadron insignia painted right on the back!

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