Raynal Cawthorne Bolling
[The given name "Raynal" is pronounced as in "canal."] (September 1, 1877 – March 26, 1918) was the first high-ranking officer of the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
to be killed in combat in
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 ...
. A corporate lawyer by vocation, he became an early Army aviator and the organizer of both of the first units in what ultimately became the
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
and the
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commiss ...
.
Sent to France to lay a foundation for the
Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force as head of what became known as the "Bolling Mission," he remained in France instead of returning to the United States, served briefly in a number of staff positions and was selected for a future combat command. He was touring his future area of operations to learn the nature of the work he would be expected to perform when he was killed in action by German troops during the opening days of the
1918 spring offensive. He was the namesake of
Bolling Air Force Base
Bolling Air Force Base or Bolling AFB was a United States Air Force base in Washington, D.C. In 2010, it was merged with Naval Support Facility Anacostia to form Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling. From its beginning, the installation has hosted elem ...
.
Biography
Bolling was born in
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs for which the city is n ...
, and was a resident of
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...
from 1911 until 1915. In 1912, he commissioned
Carrère and Hastings
Carrère and Hastings, the firm of John Merven Carrère ( ; November 9, 1858 – March 1, 1911) and Thomas Hastings (architect), Thomas Hastings (March 11, 1860 – October 22, 1929), was one of the outstanding American Beaux-Arts architecture, Be ...
, the architects of the New York Public Library, to build an estate for him at 137 Doubling Road in Greenwich that he later named ''Greyledge''. Greyledge was constructed between 1912 and 1914. Greyledge was an English-style manor situated on an estate that sprawls from 137 Doubling Road to Boulder Brook. In addition to a sitting room, family room, library and thirteen fireplaces, the estate was also home to a shooting gallery. Upon completion in 1914 Colonel Raynal Bolling and Anna Tucker Phillips Bolling moved in to Greyledge with their family of four daughters and one son. However, Bolling spent virtually no time enjoying his family and new home. In November 1915, Bolling, then a First Lieutenant in the Air Force, was appointed to the New York National Guard. The estate was later razed, in 2007, by its current owner despite a public outcry.
He attended the
Penn Charter School in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, graduating in 1896. He graduated from
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...
in the class of 1900 and from the
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each class ...
in 1902.
Bolling was an attorney at
Guthrie, Cravath, and Henderson. A little after a year there he began his career in the legal department of the
United States Steel Corporation
United States Steel Corporation, more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations primarily in the United States of America and in several countries ...
. By 1907 he was assistant general solicitor and married Anna Tucker Phillips, June 25, 1907 in Beverly, Massachusetts. She was the sister of
William Phillips William Phillips may refer to:
Entertainment
* William Phillips (editor) (1907–2002), American editor and co-founder of ''Partisan Review''
* William T. Phillips (1863–1937), American author
* William Phillips (director), Canadian film-make ...
, a prominent career diplomat. He also joined the
New York National Guard
The New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs (NYS DMNA) is responsible for the state's New York Army National Guard, New York Air National Guard, New York Guard and the New York Naval Militia. It is headed by Adjutant General of New ...
. He and his wife had four daughters and a son, one of whom, Cecelia Raynal Bolling, died in infancy. In 1913 he was named general counsel of US Steel at the age of 36.
["Bolling Won Fame as Young Lawyer," ''New York Times'', April 16, 1918.](_blank)
Retrieved 2012-03-28.
Military service
National guard aviation pioneer
In the summer of 1915 Bolling, along with his brother-in-law and seven New York businessmen, all members of the
American Aero Club
The Aero Club of America was a social club formed in 1905 by Charles Jasper Glidden and Augustus Post, among others, to promote aviation in America. It was the parent organization of numerous state chapters, the first being the Aero Club of New E ...
, began taking flying lessons on property owned by the
Wright Company
The Wright Company was the commercial aviation business venture of the Wright Brothers, established by them on November 22, 1909, in conjunction with several prominent industrialists from New York and Detroit with the intention of capitalizing o ...
near
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 ...
. They contracted with an aviation school operated by
Edson and Herbert Gallaudet for the use of their Gallaudet C-2 dual-controls trainer, which had a
50-horsepower Gnome motor, and the services of 20-year-old Peter Carl "Tex" Millman as an instructor.
By the end of July, Millman reported several of his students including Bolling were ready to try for their American Aero Club license.
Bolling was in sympathy with the objectives of the
Preparedness Movement
The Preparedness Movement was a campaign led by former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, Leonard Wood, and former President Theodore Roosevelt to strengthen the U.S. military after the outbreak of World War I. Wood advocated a summer training sc ...
, a group of influential Americans advocating military preparedness for involvement in World War I and drawn primarily from wealthy lawyers, bankers, academics, and politicians of the Northeast. Starting August 10, he was a participant in the first "
Business Men's Camp", a volunteer summer military training camp organized and funded by the Preparedness Movement in
Plattsburgh, New York
Plattsburgh ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is a city in, and the seat of, Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surrounding ...
, with the encouragement of Major General
Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood (October 9, 1860 – August 7, 1927) was a United States Army major general, physician, and public official. He served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba, and Governor-General of the Philippi ...
, commanding the Army's Eastern Department. There he organized a "motor machine gun troop" and arranged for Millman to fly Gallaudet's C-2, re-engined with a 100-horsepower Gnome and termed the "Military Tractor," from the camp to demonstrate its military usefulness.
Despite a long delay caused by lack of a safe landing ground nearby, Millman made 20 flights over a three-day period. Bolling also arranged for use of the American Aero Club's six-person balloon, the ''America III'', to make a demonstration for the trainees.
In September, after the Plattsburgh encampment was over, Bolling began preparations for organizing an aero company for the guard. He secured the services of three additional flying instructors
[One of the instructors was a fellow guardsman, Lieutenant Alexander Blair Thaw II, whose brother William Thaw was then flying with the ]Lafayette Escadrille
The La Fayette Escadrille (french: Escadrille de La Fayette) was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War (1914–1918). This escadrille of the ''Aéronautique Militaire'' was composed largely of Ameri ...
. and began recruiting personnel. He received $12,500 in funding from the Aero Club of America (ACA)
[The American Aero Club had instituted a subscription fund, called the "National Aeroplane Fund," in May 1915 to "develop aviation corps for the militia" after the apparent success of similar efforts in Europe. The earmarks for the 1st Aero Company eventually grew to $59,000.] The funds provided Bolling were donated anonymously by two wealthy New Yorkers, including
William K. Vanderbilt
William Kissam "Willie" Vanderbilt I (December 12, 1849 – July 22, 1920) was an American heir, businessman, philanthropist and horsebreeder. Born into the Vanderbilt family, he managed his family's railroad investments.
Early life
William Kiss ...
, specifically to establish a unit for the NY Guard. and rented both the "Military Tractor" and Gallaudet's earlier prototype, the C-1. Authorization to form an aviation section in the Signal Corps of the Guard was announced by New York Governor
Charles S. Whitman
Charles Seymour Whitman (September 29, 1868March 29, 1947) was an American lawyer who served as the 41st Governor of New York from January 1, 1915, to December 31, 1918. An attorney and politician, he also served as a delegate from New York to t ...
in October, and Bolling, who had just completed his flying instruction, was then appointed to the ACA's special committee to support its implementation.
In November 1915, Bolling was appointed as a
first lieutenant
First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.
The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...
in the New York National Guard and organized the "Aviation Detachment,
First Battalion Signal Corps, National Guard, New York." During the winter of 1915-1916, when it reached its authorized strength of four officers and 40 enlisted men, the detachment was designated the "1st Aero Company" and was the first national guard aviation unit in the United States.
[Although several naval militia units had announced themselves as "organized," none had aircraft and only one had pilots, whereas the 1st Aero Company had both.] The pilots of the company were prominent young New Yorkers, many of whom had already had some flight instruction over the summer. Within a month, half of the 48 states had applied to the ACA for financial assistance in purchasing aircraft and equipment.
[''Aerial Age Weekly'', Vol. II No.14, December 20, 1915, p. 326.]
![Gallaudet Tractor biplane New York ANG 1915](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Gallaudet_Tractor_biplane_New_York_ANG_1915.jpg)
Flying instruction began immediately at
Garden City Aerodrome, with 56 flights in November alone.
Throughout the winter of 1915-1916 the 1st Aero Company conducted flying operations, but by April continuing bad weather and engine problems slowed progress in training. The company returned its rented trainers to Gallaudet and acquired five more of disparate manufacture and age, including purchase of a
Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny". In addition, the company attended weekly classes in aircraft engines and the theory of aviation at the
Columbia School Of Engineering.
The company, commanded by now-Captain Bolling, was mustered into federal service on July 13, 1916, and began a five-week encampment. The Army opened the "Signal Corps Aviation Station,
Mineola" at the Garden City Aerodrome on July 22
and the 1st Aero Company received regulation training from two
regulars, 1st Lieutenants
Joseph E. Carberry
Joseph Eugene Carberry (July 20, 1887 – November 12, 1961) was a pioneer aviator. He won the Mackay Trophy in 1913 with Fred Seydel.
Biography
He was born on July 20, 1887, to John M. Carberry in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He graduated from West Poi ...
and
Walter G. Kilner,
both veterans of the
Punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a political entity or any group of people outside the borders of the punishing state or union. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavio ...
in Mexico with the
1st Aero Squadron
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 ...
. On August 1 the aviation school received the first of forty new aircraft to be delivered over the next eight months, most of them Curtiss Jennies, authorization to buy fuel, and to hire three civilian instructors and seven mechanics as staff. In addition to the 1st Aero Company, the newly formed 2nd Aero Company NYNG also arrived for training (but was not federalized or subject to Carberry's orders), as did 14 officers from the guards of other states, all of which enabled the company to train as a unit.
Bolling passed a flying test for an expert pilot's license on October 25, receiving
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The (; FAI; en, World Air Sports Federation) is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions regarding human spaceflight. It was founded on 14 October 1905, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It maintai ...
certificate No. 536, and passed the
Reserve Military Aviator (RMA) qualification test.
Intended for service in Mexico, the 1st Aero Company never left Long Island but did train 25 of its own members as pilots before mustering out of federal service in November 1916.
It is recognized as the
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
's oldest unit and its lineage is carried by the
102d Rescue Squadron
The 102nd Rescue Squadron (102 RQS) is a unit of the New York Air National Guard 106th Rescue Wing stationed at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, New York. The 102nd is equipped with the HC-130J Combat King II tra ...
, New York ANG. The increasing numbers of Army aircraft at Mineola enabled the company to continue flying even after it returned to the jurisdiction of the national guard.
At the same time as these events involving Bolling's unit, a parallel private pilot training program was underway. After American troops under General
John J. Pershing entered Mexico in March 1916, a group of wealthy New Yorkers underwrote another school at nearby
Fort Jay
Fort Jay is a coastal bastion fort and the name of a former United States Army post on Governors Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. Fort Jay is the oldest existing defensive structure on the island, and was named for John Jay, a me ...
in New York City. The organizer was attorney Phillip A. Carroll, who had been one of the nine men trained by Millman the previous summer. Called the Governors Island Training Corps, the small group of candidates began instruction on May 2. They trained daily under the authority of and in conformance with regulations set down by General Wood with the goal of passing the RMA test and being commissioned in the new aviation section of the Signal Reserve Corps.
[Passed June 3, 1916, the National Defense Act provided for an additional 296 officers and 2,000 men in the Signal Corps specifically for the aviation section.] Ultimately 17 men participated, ten completed the course, and seven including Carroll received ratings and commissions by May 1917.
In its second winter of operations but no longer under federal control, the 1st Aero Company continued training flights in conjunction with the small force of reserve candidates flying from Governors Island. On November 18, 1916, Bolling led a flight of seven Jennies from Mineola to New York harbor, where they were joined by a pair of JN-4s from the Governors Island school.
[One Jennie was flown by Carroll and the other by Yale graduate Cord Meyer, who had noted former Princeton football player and fellow trainee ]Hobey Baker
Hobart Amory Hare "Hobey" Baker (January 15, 1892 – December 21, 1918) was an American amateur athlete of the early twentieth century. Considered the first American star in ice hockey by the Hockey Hall of Fame, he was also an accomplished Ame ...
along as an observer. Both were among the seven later commissioned, and served together in France with the 103rd Aero Squadron
The 103rd Aero Squadron was an aviation pursuit squadron of the U.S. Air Service that served in combat in France during World War I. Its original complement included pilots from the disbanded Lafayette Escadrille and Lafayette Flying Corps. One ...
. One of Carroll's instructors in his own plane accompanied the group as the ten airplanes flew cross country together to
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of whi ...
, to attend the
Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
-
Princeton
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
game, the largest such formation of airplanes to date. In one of its final tactical maneuvers, led by Bolling on March 8, 1917, the 1st Aero Company participated in an exercise that involved 25 aircraft and half of the company's 44 personnel, simulating battlefield reconnaissance of camouflaged equipment and fortifications, and smoke from a simulated artillery battery.
[Although not a member of the national guard, Tex Millman was one of the company's pilots during the maneuvers. The 22-year-old Millman contracted ]pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
and died on March 21st. Six pilots of the company were his pallbearers, and another 12 flew a formation in the shape of a cross over his burial service. (''New York Times'', March 22, 1917) Despite their achievements, Bolling's report to the Chief of the Militia Bureau concluded that the development of national guard aviation was not practical at that time because of difficulties in attracting skilled mechanics into the guard to maintain the aircraft. As a result, and because of a curtailment of federal funding for the project, the War Department decided not to use national guard aero squadrons for service in the war. The 1st Aero Company was disbanded on May 23, 1917.
By that time the United States was
at war with
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Bolling was called to active duty as a major in the
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 ...
on April 27, 1917, "for duty in connection with the organization of the 1st Reserve Aero Squadron," pursuant to authorization of the
National Defense Act of 1916
The National Defense Act of 1916, , was a United States federal law that updated the Militia Act of 1903, which related to the organization of the military, particularly the National Guard. The principal change of the act was to supersede provi ...
. On May 26, 1917, shortly after the national guard company was disbanded, he organized the new 154-man squadron, the first
air reserve unit in the United States. The squadron became the
26th Aero Squadron after it deployed to France and had as its cadre the former guardsmen of the 1st Aero Company and the reserve military aviators with whom Bolling had trained in 1916-17.
[The 2nd Aero Company NYNG, from Buffalo, New York, provided men for the 2nd Reserve Aero Squadron, organized at the Chandler Field Aviation Station at ]Essington, Pennsylvania
Tinicum Township, more popularly known as "Tinicum Island" or "The Island", is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The population was 4,091 at the 2010 census, down from 4,353 at the 2000 census. Included within the townships boundarie ...
, on July 12, 1917. Its state of training was far less than its predecessor. After its induction, the Army ordered that no other reserve squadrons be formed. The 2nd RAS was redesignated the 45th Aero Squadron, a part of the National Army, and transferred to Gerstner Field
Gerstner Field is a former World War I military airfield, located southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana. It operated as a training field for the Air Service, United States Army between 1917 until 1919. The airfield was one of thirty-two Air Se ...
, Louisiana, for the remainder of the war.
World War I
Before Bolling could actually take command of his unit, he was detached in June 1917 for staff duty. French premier
Alexandre Ribot
Alexandre-Félix-Joseph Ribot (; 7 February 184213 January 1923) was a French politician, four times Prime Minister.
Early career
Ribot was born in Saint-Omer, Pas-de-Calais. After a brilliant academic career at the University of Paris, where h ...
had sent U.S. President Woodrow Wilson a telegram at the end of May urging the United States to contribute 4,500 aircraft; 5,000 pilots; and 50,000 mechanics to the war effort. Because of his legal experience Bolling was assigned to assist in the drafting of legislation to fund the development of military aviation in response to Ribot's proposal. The subsequent Aviation Act (40 ''Stat''. 243), passed July 24, 1917, was the largest single
appropriation for a single purpose to that time, $640 million.
In conjunction with that duty, he was also appointed to the advisory Aircraft Production Board of the
Council of National Defense
The Council of National Defense was a United States organization formed during World War I to coordinate resources and industry in support of the war effort, including the coordination of transportation, industrial and farm production, financial s ...
to head an aeronautical commission to Europe known as "the Bolling Mission," to represent
Secretary of War
The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
Newton D. Baker
Newton Diehl Baker Jr. (December 3, 1871 – December 25, 1937) was an American lawyer, Georgist,Noble, Ransom E. "Henry George and the Progressive Movement." The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, vol. 8, no. 3, 1949, pp. 259–269. w ...
and the Board. His commission consisted of himself, two Army pilots trained in aeronautical engineering at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
, two naval officers, seven civilian industrial experts, and 93 civilian manufacturing technicians.
[The Navy members were Naval Constructor George C. Westervelt and engine expert Lieut. Warren G. Child. The seven civilians were Robert Glendenning (a banker), Howard Marmon (an automobile manufacturer), Herbert Hughes (with Packard; an engine authority), C.H. Heilman and H.B. Hurley (metallurgists), R.A. Vail (Dodge Motor Company efficiency expert), and a Mr. Stay (aluminum castings). 18 of the technicians became officers in the Air Service.] The commission was charged with studying the types of military aircraft being used by the
Allied Powers, recommend types to be put into production in the United States, and determine what types should be purchased directly from European sources. Bolling was chosen for his business and legal skills in negotiating prices and royalties. The commission left for Europe on June 17, 1917 and arrived in
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 ...
on June 26. After a week in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, where its members fanned out to English airfields and aircraft factories, the commission repeated the process in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
for two weeks,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
for ten days, and then returned to Paris.
Bolling took advantage of his mission's "quasi-diplomatic" status and his brother-in-law's authority as an
Assistant Secretary of State Assistant Secretary of State (A/S) is a title used for many executive positions in the United States Department of State, ranking below the Under Secretary of State, under secretaries. A set of six assistant secretaries reporting to the Under Secret ...
to communicate with Washington using the
State Department
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...
's
transatlantic telegraph cable
Transatlantic telegraph cables were undersea cables running under the Atlantic Ocean for telegraph communications. Telegraphy is now an obsolete form of communication, and the cables have long since been decommissioned, but telephone and data a ...
.
Bolling reported to the
Chief Signal Officer
)
, colors = Orange and white
, colors_label = Corps colors
, march =
, mascot =
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
...
from Paris on August 15 and recommended that the United States send materials, engines, and parts for assembly of airplanes in Europe.
To accelerate the number of American pilots, the report recommended that the best cadets then in ground schools be shipped to France to complete their primary flight training under French instructors. The report further recommended an air force of "fighting airplanes and bombers" well beyond the numbers of airplanes providing auxiliary support of ground forces by observation. In particular Bolling and his Army colleagues, Captains
Edgar S. Gorrell
Edgar Staley Gorrell (February 3, 1891 – March 5, 1945) was an American military officer, aviation pioneer, historian, manufacturing entrepreneur, and advocate for the airline industry. He served eight years in the United States Army, most of i ...
and
Virginius E. Clark, were impressed by the concept of long-range strategic bombing, influenced by the Italian use of
Caproni bombers against Austrian targets. It was one of a number of aircraft the commission recommended for manufacture by American industry, including the
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
and
SPAD VII
The SPAD S.VII was the first of a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and r ...
fighters, but of its recommendations, only the
deHavilland DH-4
DeHavilland Information Services Ltd is a British media company that provides political monitoring services for public affairs professionals. The company was founded in 1998 by Conservative MP Adam Afriyie.
History
DeHavilland Global Knowl ...
was suitable for American production methods or engines and thus built in quantity before the war ended.
Bolling prepared the preliminary aeronautical contract with the French, calling for delivery of 5,000 airplanes by July 1, 1918, which was signed on August 30, 1917, by the French air minister and General Pershing, now in command of the
American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought alon ...
.
Following his work with the commission, Bolling joined Col.
Billy Mitchell
William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force.
Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, command ...
's aviation headquarters in Paris, which was still being organized, as Chief, Zone of the Interior, Air Service.
On September 3, 1917, Pershing created the
Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force and chose Bolling to become Director of Air Service Supply, to administer the Air Service Zone of the Lines of Communication.
[In August 1918 the Lines of Communication section was separated from the Paris headquarters, renamed the Service of Supply with an Assistant Chief of Air Service (a brigadier general) in charge, and moved to Tours. Some biographies of Bolling assert that he was "Assistant Chief of Air Service," but his time in the AEF headquarters antedates this position by nine months and the Air Service itself by six.] Bolling was promoted to
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
and his duties were a continuation of those under Mitchell: the supervision of training, the administration of personnel records, the operation of Air Service lines of communication (supply), the activities of the Balloon Division, and the establishment of training schools and air depots for equipment and repair. The most important sections of his new office were those which performed flying training, all balloon activities, and aerial photography units. One of his first tasks was the accelerated construction of a large flying school at
Issoudun
Issoudun () is a commune in the Indre department, administrative region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is also referred to as ''Issoundun'', which is the ancient name.
Geography Location
Issoudun is a sub-prefecture, located in the east o ...
to provide advanced training to cadets completing their preliminary instruction in France, as he had earlier recommended.
[Ironically, after a slow trickle at the start, the numbers of cadets arriving in the autumn of 1917 overwhelmed the inadequate and unprepared French flight schools, causing a backlog by the end of 1917 of more than a thousand untrained flying cadets awaiting instruction. Issoudun was forced to cut back its advanced training to open a primary school to help reduce the backlog. In a further irony, many experienced pilots of the 1st Reserve/26th Aero Squadron were used to fill instructor needs at Issoudun and the primary school at Tours.]
On November 17, 1917, the headquarters of the Air Service AEF underwent a shakeup when its new commander, General
Benjamin Foulois
Benjamin Delahauf Foulois (December 9, 1879 – April 25, 1967) was a United States Army general who learned to fly the first military planes purchased from the Wright brothers. He became the first military aviator as an airship pilot, and achi ...
, arrived from
Washington D.C.
)
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with a large staff and displaced all the existing members.
[Foulois' staff numbered 112 officers, all of whom were non-aviators chosen from the General Staff in Washington and many commissioned directly from civilian life. Mitchell called them "carpetbaggers" and considerable internal strife resulted that was not resolved until Pershing directed Maj. Gen. Mason Patrick to take over from Foulois in May 1918. Bolling was a victim of that strife as Foulois thought him inexperienced in handling large organizations, disregarding his extensive business and legal experience with U.S. Steel, and was critical of his use of State Department cablegrams to communicate with Washington.] Bolling was relieved by Foulois and assigned to be chairman of the Joint Army-Navy Aircraft Committee, ostensibly to coordinate the activities of the military and the aviation industry in procuring aircraft.
He was also Pershing's nominal aviation representative on the
Supreme War Council
The Supreme War Council was a central command based in Versailles that coordinated the military strategy of the principal Allies of World War I: Britain, France, Italy, the US and Japan. It was founded in 1917 after the Russian revolution and w ...
; however, Foulois sat on both these committees. The assignment proved frustrating as his staff work and proposals were often undermined by competing interests, political in-fighting, and administrative delays.
Bolling sought a combat command and was picked to become chief of air service for the
U.S. II Corps when it formed in the spring.
To prepare himself he visited aerodromes of the
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colors =
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in the vicinity of
Amiens
Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
in March 1918 to observe air operations in support of the
British Expeditionary Force during the
German spring offensive.
Death
On the morning of March 26, 1918, during the
opening phase of the offensive, Bolling and his driver, Private Paul L. Holder of the
22nd Aero Squadron
The 22nd Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.
The squadron was assigned as a Day Pursuit (Fighter) Squadron as part of the 2nd Pursuit Group, First United States Army. ...
, left their hotel in
Amiens
Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
, headed for the British aerodrome at
Harbonnières
Harbonnières (; pcd, Harbounière) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
The commune is situated on the D337 road, east of Amiens.
Population
Places of interest
* Saint Martin's church at Har ...
. They found it deserted and continued driving east toward the front lines, where they encountered three British Army officers in
Estrées-Deniécourt, including a major with whom Bolling had an acquaintance. The officers indicated that to the best of their knowledge the oncoming German forces were still five kilometers distant. With this assurance, they headed towards a hill about 2.5 km away from which they might be able to observe the battlefield. Only Bolling was armed, and that an officer's service revolver.
[ pp. 198-201 and Apprendix I]
After driving only 300 meters, their car was ambushed by hidden German machine guns on both sides of the Amiens-Saint-Quentin Road (). Before Holder could turn the car around, German fire disabled its motor. Holder and Bolling took cover in separate shell holes, which were connected by a ditch that enabled Bolling to see Holder. The fire of the machine guns lasted fifteen minutes, after which two German soldiers approached Holder's position. When one of them fired twice at the unarmed Holder crouching in his hole, Bolling shot and killed the German with his revolver. The other soldier killed Bolling with two shots, one to the chest and the other to the head.
The German troops continued west, and while Holder pretended to be dead in hope of escaping through the lines after dark, he was captured a half-hour later by follow-on troops and made a
prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...
. Bolling was the first high-ranking air service officer killed on the battlefield in World War I.
Legacy
![Bolling2233](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Bolling2233.jpg)
Bolling was posthumously awarded the
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
by the French government and the
Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation.
Examples include:
*Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action
* Distinguishe ...
by the United States Army. The sculptor
Edward Clark Potter
Edward Clark Potter (November 26, 1857 – June 21, 1923) was an American sculptor best known for his equestrian and animal statues. His most famous works are the marble lions, nicknamed ''Patience'' and ''Fortitude'', in front of the New Yor ...
created a life-size statue of Bolling that was cast in bronze by the Gorham Foundry of Rhode Island for permanent display near the town commons of Greenwich, Connecticut. The
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
background of the memorial shows aircraft in combat in
low relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impres ...
. Bolling is honored at the
Memorial Church of Harvard University
The Memorial Church of Harvard University is a building on the campus of Harvard University. It is an inter-denominational Protestant church.
History Predecessors
The first distinct building for worship at Harvard University was Holden Chapel, b ...
and by "Bolling Grove," a
redwood
Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affini ...
grove on the Avenue of the Giants, paralleling Highway 101 along the south Fork of the Eel River in
Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California.
Bolling Field The origins of the surname Bolling:
English: from a nickname for someone with close-cropped hair or a large head, Middle English bolling "pollard", or for a heavy drinker, from Middle English bolling "excessive drinking".
German (Bölling): from ...
,
District of Columbia
)
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, now a part of
Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, was opened on July 1, 1918 and named to commemorate Bolling.
Notes
;Footnotes
;Citations
References
*
* (Holley analyzes the Bolling Mission in detail, pp. 52–64)
*
*Maurer, Maurer (1978). ''The U.S. Air Service in World War I''. Washington, D.C.: Officer of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF.
Volume One - ''The Final Report and a Tactical History''Volume Two - ''Early Concepts of Military Aviation''*
*Nalty, Bernard C., ed. (1997). ''Winged Shield, Winged Sword: A History of the United States Air Force'', Vol. I. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program, USAF.
*
*
*
External links
Colonel Raynal C. Bolling Papers at the Greenwich Historical SocietyWar Memorials, GreenwichHarvard Memorial to graduates killed in World War IBolling Grove dedication ceremony in 1921National Guard portals
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolling, Raynal
1877 births
1918 deaths
Harvard Law School alumni
Harvard College alumni
People from Hot Springs, Arkansas
People from Greenwich, Connecticut
United States Army colonels
American military personnel killed in World War I
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur
William Penn Charter School alumni
Cravath, Swaine & Moore people
19th-century American lawyers
United States Army personnel of World War I