The 147th Aero Squadron was a

United States Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial war ...

unit that fought on the Western Front during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The squadron was assigned as a Day Pursuit (Fighter) Squadron as part of the

1st Pursuit Group First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

First United States Army First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army. It served as a theater army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, and supplied the US army with soldiers and equipment during the Korea ...

. Its mission was to engage and clear enemy aircraft from the skies and provide escort to reconnaissance and bombardment squadrons over enemy territory. It also attacked enemy observation balloons, and perform close air support and tactical bombing attacks of enemy forces along the front lines. After the

1918 Armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

, the squadron returned to the United States in March 1919 and became part of the permanent

in 1921, being re-designated as the 17th Squadron (Pursuit).Series "E", Volume 18, History of the 147th Aero Squadron. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C.Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the First World War, Volume 3, Part 3, Center of Military History, United States Army, 1949 (1988 Reprint) The current

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

unit which holds its lineage and history is the

17th Weapons Squadron The 17th Weapons Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the USAF Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The squadron traces its lineage to the United States Army Air Service's 17th and 147th Aero Squadrons, both of wh ...

, assigned to the

USAF Weapons School The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Mission The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gradu ...

Nellis Air Force Base Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in " Military ...

, Nevada.

History

Origins

The 147th Aero Squadron began as a widely scattered group of men, mostly in Texas who arrived at Kelly Field during the summer of 1917 where they spent time on learning the rudiments of soldiering. On 10 November 1917, the unit was organized and given a designation. Once formed, they were ordered to proceed to Everman Field (#2),

Camp Taliaferro Camp Taliaferro was a World War I flight-training center run under the direction of the Air Service, United States Army in the Fort Worth, Texas, area. Camp Taliaferro had an administration center near what is now the Will Rogers Memorial Cent ...

, Texas, near Fort Worth. At Everman Field, the men received a most practical and excellent training in the hands of the Canadian Royal Flying Corps. The course training for mechanics being completed, the squadron was then transferred to Hicks Field (#1) at Camp Taliaferro, where primary flight training was conducted for the flight cadets. When formed, the squadron consisted of some 300 men, all of which were candidates for flying training. The rapid and thorough training given by the RCFC resulted in numerous accidents. Training consisted of bombing, photography, contact patrol, artillery observation, and scout combats and patrols. Upon completion of the training, the 147th Aero Squadron consisted of 30 flying officers and 193 men, with five more pilots to follow. On 14 February 1918, the squadron entrained at Hicks Field, and was bound for

Garden City, New York Garden City is a village located on Long Island in Nassau County New York. It is the Greater Garden City area's anchor community. The population was 23,272 at the 2020 census. The Incorporated Village of Garden City is primarily located within ...

for overseas travel. The squadron arrived on the 19th and was quarantined, as the camp was in an ill condition. The officers were kept clear of the quarantine and spent their time in New York City or at home if possible. On 5 March the 147th was ordered to board the

RMS Cedric RMS ''Cedric'' was an ocean liner owned by the White Star Line. She was the second of a quartet of ships over 20,000 tons, dubbed the Big Four, and was the largest vessel in the world at the time of her entering service. Her career, peppered w ...

bound for

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, England. A stop was made at Halifax,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

on 8 March, and the trans-Atlantic trip was uneventful. Landing was made at Liverpool on 14 March. After disembarking, the squadron was marched from the docks to the Liverpool railway station where it boarded a

London and North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom. In 1923, it became a constituent of the Lo ...

train which took them to

Winchester, Hampshire Winchester is a cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, at the western end of the South Downs National Park, on the River Itchen. It is south-west of Londo ...

, near the south coast of England. Arriving in the late afternoon the squadron was moved to the Romsey Rest Camp. Everyone was held in camp until 21 March, when the squadron traveled by train to

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

in the morning. That afternoon, the men boarded the "Northwestern Miller", which left the harbor in a thick fog, also carrying horses and cattle. All though that day and evening, the men and officers remained on the boat that night and all of the next day as the ship sailed through a very thick, cold, damp fog. On the second night the boat crossed to the French coast however the fog prevented entrance into

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...

harbor. Finally, on the third evening the ship docked, and the men finally arrived on French soil. Then a six-mile march was made in rain and darkness to another rest camp, arriving after midnight, the squadron fully drenched, worn out and sleeping in small, dark tents which were as cold and wet as the march had been. The next afternoon, the squadron was again marched to the Le Havre railway station and entrained for

Tours Aerodrome Tours Aerodrome was a complex of military airfields in the French department of Indre-et-Loire, 6 km (3.2 NM) north-northeast of the city of Tours. They were used during World War I as part of the Second Air Instructional Center (2d AIC), Am ...

, reaching it the night of 25 March. Every phase of the trip had been the most tiring and miserable, and everyone was glad to have at least gotten somewhere. At Tours, the squadron spent the balance of March awaiting news about where they would be going next. On 31 March, the flying officers were sent to

Issoudun Aerodrome Issoudun Aerodrome was a complex of military airfields in the vicinity of Issoudun, Centre, France. They were used during World War I as part of the Third Air Instructional Center, American Expeditionary Forces for training United States airmen ...

, the US Third Aviation Instruction Center, for a course of training on the

Nieuport 28 The Nieuport 28 C.1, a French biplane fighter aircraft flown during World War I, was built by Nieuport and designed by Gustave Delage. Owing its lineage to the successful line of sesquiplane fighters that included the Nieuport 17, the Nieu ...

aircraft the squadron was to be assigned. The balance of the squadron remained at Tours, training insofar as much as it was possible. The end of April saw the squadron depart Tours and move to Epiez Aerodrome, about 25 miles from the Toul lines. Here, the final organization of the squadron was made, and the receipt of the Nieuport 28 airplanes. Training continued with practice formations and an occasional alert when enemy aircraft were seen or rumored to be in the vicinity. On 31 May, the squadron moved to the Croix de Metz Aerodrome, near Toul and formal combat operations over the lines commenced.

Toul Sector operations

The first formation of the 147th Aero Squadron to fly in combat was led by Lieutenant Loomis of the 95th AS. The 94th and 95th squadrons had been operating over the lines for over a month, and it gave the 147th experienced pilots to show us the sector. The first patrol was uneventful, it accomplished its object. Many in the squadron were rather surprised as there has been nothing exciting, that the pock-marked lines seemed so quiet, and no Germans were in the air. The fact was that we failed to realize the danger, but that was soon to change. Over the next several days the squadron began a routine of three scheduled patrols, lasting about an hour each, and then three or four voluntary patrols each day. On 4 June, the squadron performed seven patrols with the object of keeping enemy observation photographers from coming over. The first of these patrols saw Lt. O'Neill and Lt. Larwence at an altitude of 5,000 meters when Larwence dived away. O'Neill followed him down and caught him in the heavy clouds between 3,000 and 1,000 meters. Larwence made a motion to descend and the two went below the clouds. Then Larwence lost control of his Niewuport and fell into a left spin. He was spinning when he hit the ground and the plane immediately caught fire. O'Neill landed and found him dead. Larwence was presumed to have become sick shortly before he dived down.Maurer, Maurer (1978) The US Air Service in World War I, Volume I, The Final Report and a Tactical History, The Office of Air Force History Headquarters USAF Washington In the days that followed, saw a continuance of these same types of patrols. Few enemy aircraft were in the sector and the Germans seemed of a respectful nature. However, on 25 June, an entire formation became lost. An hour before dawn two Flights of squadron aircraft took off to meet some of our

Salmson 2 The Salmson 2 A.2, (often shortened to Salmson 2) was a French biplane reconnaissance aircraft developed and produced by Salmson to a 1916 requirement. Along with the Breguet 14, it was the main reconnaissance aircraft of the French army in 1918 ...

photographic planes returning from the vicinity of

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...

. While waiting for them to appear, the squadron's "A" Flight formation was broken up by a terrific anti-aircraft barrage near the city. The Salmsons did not appear and the squadron's Nieuports flew from the barrage separately. Lt. Asheden landed in Switzerland after having been lost during a two hours flight. Lt. Brotherton was also lost, then managed to find the

Rhine River ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , sourc ...

landed in our line trenches when he ran out of petrol. Another pilot landed in a swamp near

Baccarat Baccarat or baccara (; ) is a card game played at casinos. It is a comparing card game played between two hands, the "player" and the "banker". Each baccarat coup (round of play) has three possible outcomes: "player" (player has the higher score ...

and still another crashed near

Lunéville Lunéville ( ; German, obsolete: ''Lünstadt'' ) is a commune in the northeastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. It is a subprefecture of the department and lies on the river Meurthe at its confluence with the Vezouze. History Lun ...

. Only one pilot returned to Toul successfully. Later that dame day, orders came to be ready to move to the Marne Sector. On 27 June, the squadron left for Touquin Aerodrome, the pilots flying down the following day.

Marne Sector operations

The beginning of July saw more German air activity in the sector. Eight aircraft left Toul about 16:30 in two echelons of four each. About 17:30 the low flight saw five German Pfalz D.III scout planes crossing the line at

Château-Thierry Château-Thierry () is a French commune situated in the department of the Aisne, in the administrative region of Hauts-de-France, and in the historic Province of Champagne. The origin of the name of the town is unknown. The local tradition att ...

. It was engaged in combat and Lt O'Neill drove one down out of control. Both of his guns then jammed and he was forced to withdraw, with two enemy aircraft on his tail. Lt. Raible engaged another but both of his guns jammed. Lt. Siemonds motor gave trouble and was also force to withdraw and make an emergency landing while Lt Perry attacked and downed the one he engaged. Meanwhile, high flight was in aerial combat with seven more Pfalz. Lt. Porter got on the tail of the leader and shot him down. Three other enemy aircraft were shot down by other members of the flight. It was the first significant combat for the 147th Squadron and it had met the enemy, eight to twelve and brought down half his formation. For the next few days, there were no enemy engagements of substance to report. It was on 8 July the first member of the squadron was lost in action. Lt. Maxwell O. Perry was lost when ten of the 147th flew well into enemy territory chasing their aircraft and he failed to return. On 9 July the squadron moved to

Saints Aerodrome Saints Aerodrome, was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located North of Saints, in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Overview The airfield was one of the many built to cope with the German offensive toward ...

and continued to operate from there. On the 15th, the German offensive on the Marne began. The RAF 9 Brigade came down from the British Sector and their assistance was invaluable. Aerial combat was engaged in the succeeding days. On one patrol Lt Abernathy wandered away from his formation and he encountered six

Fokker Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names. It was founded in 1912 in Berlin, Germany, and became famous for its fighter aircraft in World War I. In 1919 ...

biplanes. In the fight that ensured he shot down one Fokker, but was forced to land near the lines when his plane was badly shot up by bullets. For this engagement he received the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

and the Croix de guerre with palm. The counter-offensive began on the 18th and the 147th flew two and often three patrols a day, and met considerable opposition in the air. Lt Brotheron shot down an enemy balloon and Simonds received the Croix de Guerre for strafing German troops and ground positions behind their lines. On the 24th a formation of six met twelve Fokkers and forced a fight, shooting down four. The same afternoon, Lt. White met two German aircraft and shot them both down. He received the DSC.

Saint Mihiel operations

On 15 August the squadron ferried its Nieuport 28s to

Orly Airport Paris Orly Airport (french: Aéroport de Paris-Orly), commonly referred to as Orly , is one of two international airports serving the French capital, Paris, the other one being Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). It is located partially in Orly an ...

and exchanged them for

SPAD S.XIII The SPAD S.XIII is a French biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War, developed by '' Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) from the earlier and highly successful SPAD S.VII. During early 1917, the French designer Louis Bé ...

s, and the rest of the month was spent getting the SPADs in shape. The SPADs ranged from very reliable to motors that never ran at all. It began an era of forced landings caused by unreliable motors. At the end of Pursuit Group became a part of First Army and moved to

Rembercourt Aerodrome Rembercourt Aerodrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located east-northeast of Rembercourt aux Pots, now part of Rembercourt-Sommaisne, in the Meuse department in northeastern France. Overview An airfield was built a ...

, and everyone was anxious to get into this new push hoping it would be the last show. During the beginning of the month, the squadron did patrols just over the Airdrome, however on 4 September the 137th flew into enemy territory looking for German aircraft but found none to report. The squadron patrolled between

Saint-Mihiel Saint-Mihiel () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Geography Saint-Mihiel lies on the banks of the river Meuse. History A Benedictine abbey was established here in 708 or 709 by Count Wulfoalde and his wif ...

and Watronville, but everything was quiet as the Toul sector had been in June. When the American forces launched the

St. Mihiel offensive The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against ...

on 12 September squadron patrols went out one after another. With no enemy aircraft, it was possible to fly low and the squadron's pilots returned with much valuable information of enemy forces on the ground. On the 16th significant contact was made with an enemy two-seat

Rumpler Rumpler-Luftfahrzeugbau GmbH, Rumpler-Werke, usually known simply as Rumpler was a German aircraft and automobile manufacturer founded in Berlin by Austrian engineer Edmund Rumpler in 1909 as Rumpler Luftfahrzeugbau.Gunston 1993, p.259 The fir ...

observation plane, it was attacked and shot down. A few moments later they attacked another Rumpler and also shot it down. Then while returning home alone, Lt Love encountered five German

Halberstadt CL.IV The Halberstadt CL.IV was a German ground attack aircraft of World War I. Design and development Karl Thies, chief designer of the Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke, G.m.b.H., designed the CL.IV as a replacement for the CL.II. As the CL.II had proven ...

fighters. He fired on the enemy but was forced to withdraw. Later in the day, three squadron planes went on a balloon strafing mission, shooting down one. On the 24th the squadron's sector was changed and it began patrolling between the Argonne and

Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...

, and its mission was changed from air interdiction to ground support of advancing Army forces, normally flying below 800 meters. The first task was to shoot down German observation balloons. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive began on the 26th and each day before daylight patrols to attack enemy balloons were sent out. Low patrols continued throughout October. On the 2d, Lt Jones brought down a

Halberstadt Halberstadt ( Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the capital of Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town center that was greatly destroyed by Allied bombi ...

biplane well inside our lines. Many German planes were seen in the air every day and combat was frequent, with the squadron being frequently outnumbered. On 10 October Lt. White shot down a

Hannover CL Hannoversche Waggonfabrik AG was a German aircraft manufacturer of the World War I era. It was known as a railway rolling stock constructor until required by the German government in 1916 to start the construction of aeroplanes. The aircraft branc ...

in conjunction with Lt. Porter and another pilot shortly past noon. Three hours later, Lt White took off again. He had already become the 147th Aero Squadron's leading ace and had orders to return to the United States when he flew this last sortie. When he saw a

Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII qui ...

on the tail of an inexperienced pilot, White intervened. When his guns jammed so he couldn't fire at the enemy, he instead rammed the German instead, to score his eighth victory. White was posthumously recommended for the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

, but was instead awarded an

Oak Leaf Cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a speci ...

to his DSC. During the balance of October, the usual patrols took place with large German Fokker formations were frequently encountered, with air-to-air combat taking place. During the first days of November, patrols were kept up, even though the weather was unfavorable. It was during this time rumors of an armistice were about, and the enemy was not very active. The squadron's patrols collected valuable intelligence that was passed down to the ground units. On 11 November hostilities ceased and the 147th Aero Squadron made its last patrol over the lines. During its time in combat, the squadron gained 62 victories and suffered nine casualties. The squadron flew 2,000 combat hours.

Demobilization

Proficiency flights were conducted after the Armistice with Germany, however, no flights were permitted to be flown over German-controlled territory. The squadron remained at Rembercourt for about a month. On 12 December 1918 orders were received from First Army for the squadron to report to the 1st Air Depot,

Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome : ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force'' When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...

to turn in all of its supplies and equipment and was relieved from duty with the AEF. The squadron's SPAD aircraft were delivered to the Air Service American Air Service Acceptance Park No. 1 at Orly Aerodrome to be returned to the French. There practically all of the pilots and observers were detached from the squadron.Series "E", Volume 27, Supplemental History of the 10th–636th Squadrons. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. During the organization's stay at Colombey, the men attended to the usual camp duties. Personnel at Colombey were subsequently assigned to the commanding general, services of supply, and ordered to report to one of several staging camps in France. There, personnel awaited scheduling to report to one of the base ports in France for transport to the United States and subsequent demobilization.Series "D", Weekly Statistical Reports of Air Service Activities, October 1918 – May 1919. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. On 5 February 1919, the 147th was moved to Base Station No. 5 near the port of

Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...

prior to its return to the United States. Upon arrival the men were caught up on any back pay owed to them, de-loused, a formal military records review was performed and a passenger list was created prior to the men boarding a ship. On 8 March 1919, the 147th Aero Squadron boarded a troop ship and sailed for New York Harbor, arriving on the 18th. It proceeded to Camp Mills, Long Island, on 19 March where the personnel of the squadron were demobilized and returned to civilian life.

Lineage

* Organized as 147th Aero Squadron on 10 November 1917 : Re-designated: 147th Aero Squadron (Pursuit), June 1918 : Re-designated: 17th Squadron (Pursuit) on 14 March 1921AFHRA 17th Weapons Squadron

Assignments

* Post Headquarters, Kelly Field, 10–12 November 1917 *

Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps The Aviation Section, Signal Corps, was the aerial warfare service of the United States from 1914 to 1918, and a direct statutory ancestor of the United States Air Force. It absorbed and replaced the Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps, and con ...

: Attached to the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

, 12 November 1917 – 19 February 1918 * Aviation Concentration Center, 19 February-5 March 1918 * Headquarters, Chief of Air Service, AEF, 25 March-1 June 1918 * 2d Air Instructional Center, 25 March-22 April 1918 *

, Air Service, 1st Army, AEF, 1 June-12 December 1918 * 1st Air Depot, AEF, 12 December 1918 – 5 February 1919 * Commanding General, Services of Supply, 5 February 1919 * Eastern Department, 19 March 1919

Stations

Kelly Field Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. In ...

, Texas, 10 November 1917 *

Benbrook Field Benbrook Field (Camp Taliaferro Field #3) is a former World War I military airfield, located North of Benbrook, Texas. It operated as a training field for the Air Service, United States Army between 1917 until 1919. It was one of thirty-two ...

(#2), Camp Taliaferro, Texas, 12 November 1917 *

Hicks Field Hicks Field (Camp Taliaferro Field #1) is a former World War I military airfield, located North-northwest of Saginaw, Texas. It operated as a training field for the Air Service, United States Army between 1917 until 1920. It was one of thirt ...

(#1), Camp Taliaferro, Texas 22 December 1917 *

Aviation Concentration Center Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden City. In September 1 ...

, Garden City, New York, 19 February 1918 – 5 March 1918 * Port of Entry,

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 i ...

:: Trans-Atlantic crossing: RMS ''Cedric'', 5–14 March 1918 *

, England, 14 March 1918 * Romsey Rest Camp,

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

, England, 15 March *

, France, 23 March 1918 *

, France, 25 March 1918 * Epiez Aerodrome, France, 22 April 1918 * Croix de Metz Aerodrome, Toul, France, 1 June 1918 * Touquin Aerodrome, France, 28 June 1918 *

, France, 9 July 1918 *

, France, 1 September 1918 *

, France, 12 December 1918 *

Brest, France Brest (; ) is a port city in the Finistère department, Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of the peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French mi ...

, 5 Feb-8 Mar 1919 *

Camp Mills, New York Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden City. In September ...

, 19 March 1919

Combat sectors and campaigns

Notable personnel

* Lt. Thomas J. Abernathy, DSC, CdG, 3 aerial victories * Lt. Tyler C. Bronson, CdG, 1 aerial victory * Lt. William E. Brotherton, DSC, CdG, 3 aerial victories * Lt. Meredith L. Dowd, DSC (KIA) * Lt. Frank S. Ennis, 1 aerial victory * Lt.

James Andrew Healy Lieutenant (later Colonel) James Andrew Healy was a World War I flying ace credited with five victories. Biography He was the son of Colonel Daniel Healy, one of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders who was killed at San Juan Hill in the Spanish–Am ...

, DSC, CdG, air ace, 5 aerial victories (Son of Rough Rider Daniel Healy – KIA Battle of San Juan Hill, Cuba) * Lt. James P. Herron, 1 aerial victory * Lt. Arthur H. Jones, DSC, SSC, CdG, 4 aerial victories * Lt. Cleveland W. McDermott, DSC, CdG, 3 aerial victories * Maj. James Armand Meissner, Squadron Commander, DSC (2x), air ace, 8 aerial victories (4 with the

94th Aero Squadron The 94th Aero Squadron was the United States Army Air Service designation for the current 94th Fighter Squadron that fought on the Western Front during World War I.. The squadron was assigned as a Day Pursuit (Fighter) Squadron as part of th ...

and 4 with the 147th Aero Squadron) * Lt. Oscar B. Myers, CdG 2 aerial victories * Lt.

Ralph Ambrose O'Neill Ralph Ambrose O'Neill (December 7, 1896 – October 23, 1980) was a Mexican flying ace from World War I credited with 103 combat patrols and five aerial victories. He was the first "Chief" Commander of the modern Mexican Air Force. He was also a ...

, DSC (3x), CdG, air ace, 5 aerial victories * Lt. Maxwell O. Parry, 1 aerial victory * Lt. Charles P. Porter, DSC (2x), CdG, 4 aerial victories * Lt. Kenneth Lee Porter, DSC, CdG, air ace, 5 aerial victories * Lt. Joseph C. Raible Jr., DSC, CdG, 2 aerial victories * Lt. George A. S. Robertson, SSC, 1 aerial victory * Lt. Louis C. Simon Jr., DSC (2x), CdG, 2 aerial victories * Lt. Francis M. Simonds, SSC, CdG 4 aerial victories * Lt. John H. Stevens, DSC, 1 aerial victory, (KIA) * Lt. George C. Waters, 1 aerial victory * Lt.

Wilbert Wallace White Lieutenant Wilbert Wallace White was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. He was recommended for the Medal of Honor for his heroic self-sacrifice. Early life The son of a Protestant minister had graduated from Mercersburg ...

, DSC (2x), CdG, air ace (KIA) * Lt. Josiah P. Rowe Jr., author of Letters from a World War I Aviator DSC:

; SSC:

Silver Star Citation The Citation Star was a Department of War personal valor decoration issued as a ribbon device which was first established by the United States Congress on July 9, 1918 (Bulletin No. 43, War Dept. 1918). When awarded, a silver star was placed o ...

; CdG:

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

(France); KIA: Killed in Action

References

{{Wwi-air Fighter squadrons of the Air Service, United States Army 0147 Military units and formations established in 1917