Lt. George D. Hathaway, C.C. Moseley Flight Instructor and ATC Service Pilot

[rathbonemuseum.com]

Found this nice group to George D. Hathaway, service number O-484589. He has a common name and being in the reserves, his service number does not show up in the databases. But he is listed in the Long Beach city directory for 1942. Likely a George D. Hathaway that was born in 1910 and passed away in 2001. 

 

The group includes his engraved C.C. Moseley "in appreciation" wing given to flight instructors. So far he has not shown up in any of the school books. Also included is his identity bracelet, his dog tags and his 4 pocket tunic with service pilot wings.

[pfrost]

Thanks Tod, I now have a database of 38 CC Mosley engraved wings. This one falls right in the "Noble Pattern" flat back time from 1941 and 1943.

 

 

[rathbonemuseum.com]

2 hours ago, pfrost said:

Thanks Tod, I now have a database of 38 CC Mosley engraved wings. This one falls right in the "Noble Pattern" flat back time from 1941 and 1943.

 

 

 

The file listed is corrupt or incompatible. Couldn't open it.

[pfrost]

This is probably your guy. George Delos Hathaway.

[pfrost]

I will send you the updated file via email. Maybe you can upload it to the thread?

 

Also this:

 

In 1939, Louis Wuilleumier and partner E. Merritt Anderson formed the Four Lakes Aviation Corporation.  For the sum of $25 a month, they rented land at the southeast area of Madison, known as the Royal Airport.  In 1940, Wuilleumier bought out his partner, Anderson, and now exclusively owned Four Lakes Aviation Corporation. During World War II, Four Lakes Aviation became a contract school and provided civilian pilot training and war training service for the United States government.  After the war, in 1946, Four Lakes Aviation was authorized to provide training under the GI Bill to veterans of the WWII and Korean Campaign.

[bschwartz]

Four Lakes Aviation is now known as Wisconsin Aviation and is still a very active flight school here in Madison and also does some corporate aviation as well. Based next door to the 115th Fighter Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard so when you finish your lesson in your Cessna or Piper you can pop over and take an F-35 for a flight.

[pfrost]

Is there nothing that the Cheeseheads of Wisconsin cannot do?

 

[pfrost]

This is the database that I converted from Excel to JPG.  It shows the names and dates of engraved wings.

 

H = hollowback

F = flat back

 

The wings from about 1940-1943 are probably all made by F. Noble.  They all have that large "Hercules" style pin and catch.

 

After about late 1943, some unknown company-made wings were engraved (maybe Robbins, BB&B???) that used more "normal" pin and catch.

 

There are a few other wings, like one marked Entenneman and at least one marked AECo.

Many seem to have been a unique date and a few instructors got at least two engraved wings at different times

 

At this point, there is no evidence (one way or the other) if these were for graduation classes, solo flights, joining/leaving Cal Aero, etc.  My best guess (at this point) is that they were given out to guys who were leaving Cal Aero to fly with the USAAF.

[rathbonemuseum.com]

So back to the topic of this thread, George Delos Hathaway, some more information has come to light thanks to @Dave and Newspapers.com that tie everything together. Hathaway was born 5 Jan 1910 in Council Bluffs, IA and died 21 Oct 2001, Great Falls, MT. He spent most of his upbringing in WI. He started flying and teaching flying early on as a CAA instructor at Beaver Dam and then Four Lakes flying schools. He met his future wife as the lone female student in one of his classes and married her in Jan 1941. Together they traveled to CA in June of 1941 where they had their son, George Jr. in the Palmdale hospital 5 April 1942. They were living in Lancaster which means he was instructing at the Polaris Flight School, one of the C.C. Moseley contract schools. Sometime in mid-1942, he was enlisted in the USAAF as a service pilot destined for the ATC. Lt. Hathaway was initially stationed in Long Beach, CA and wife and son went back to WI. Lt Hathaway was at one time stationed in Alaska. George Hathaway continued in aviation as a crop duster in MT and a carpenter. He died of natural causes in 2001.