Edward Howell Sims (born May 29, 1923) is an American author, wartime fighter pilot, and newspaper figure. He is best known for his extensive chronicling of fighter missions and fighter tactics covering the period 1914 to 1970.
Biography
Sims was born and spent his early years in Orangeburg, South Carolina. When
World War II began, he enlisted in the
Army Air Force
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
, and received his officer's commission and pilot wings. He flew 33 missions over
Germany-occupied territories.
After the war Sims received a
Bachelor of Arts degree from
Wofford College in Spartanburg SC. He also studied
journalism at
Emory University in Atlanta (Georgia), while also working at the ''Orangeburg Times'' as the sports editor. He later served as associate editor, and then editor of the newspaper.
In 1947 Sims founded a
Washington, D.C. bureau to represent several regional newspapers. He also became the DC correspondent for ''Editor's Copy Syndicate'', a national news and feature service. In 1952 he became the editor and publisher of that service. During those years he contributed a weekly news column (beginning in 1948), and was regularly featured on a DC radio news broadcast (beginning in 1951).
Sims was married. They had one child, a daughter. After retiring from Washington, the family returned to Orangeburg.
Published works
*''American Aces in Great Fighter Battles of World War II'' (1958), Harper & Brothers, New York, Library of Congress Catalog No. 58-5752 (Descriptions of 12 USAAF fighter pilots and their most memorable missions)
*''Greatest Fighter Missions of the Top Navy and Marine Aces of World War II'' (1962), Harper & Row, New York, Library of Congress Catalog No. 62-7921 (Descriptions of 11 USN or USMC pilots and their most memorable missions)
*''The Greatest Aces'' (1967) (Descriptions of World War II fighter aces from the US, England, and Germany)
*''Fighter Exploits - A Study of Air Combat from World War I to Vietnam (1973)
*''The Aces Talk'' (January 1974)
*''Aces Over the Oceans - the Great Pilots of World War II'' (April 1987)
amazon.com ''Aces Over the Oceans''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sims, Edward H.
1923 births
Living people
American aviation writers
American male journalists
American newspaper editors
Emory University alumni
People from Orangeburg, South Carolina
United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II
Wofford College alumni