Uncategorised WW1 Observer Certificate

[Guest Rick Research]

Found this on the Mainland last week when I got Off-Island with the Traveling Museumhave never seen another U.S. wings entitlement from World War One! According to official sources, only 4,208 pilots AND observers completed flight training in America during the war. This is framed under glass and sealed in on the usual crappy wartime paper used even for commissions.

Donald Irving Perry was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts on 20 May 1897, son of Walter I. Perry of Bliss & Perry shoe manufacturers there. As his state military records reveal, he enlisted in the Enlisted Reserve Corps from the Psi U fraternity at Amherst College. Per normal practice at the time, he was discharged in order to be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on September 11, 1918.

[Guest Rick Research]

Note that despite his wings certificate showing graduation from the Cornell University (Ithaca, New York) training program, his service record showed him at Headquarters, 9th Cadet Squadron at Fort Dick, Texas to May 28, 1918when he got his wings April 27 from Cornell! His next few months were spent at Headquarters Aero Service (as it was then called) Flying School at Eberts Field, Arkansas.

[Guest Rick Research]

His commissioned service rather vaguely just shows him at Eberts Field, West Point, Mississippi, and Benbrook, Texas until demobilized on January 17, 1919 without ever leaving the United States. I have no idea what military facilities were at the latter two places.

By 1925 he was married (wife Lois, living on East High Street) remaining at least to 1940. Being offline, have yet to dig up any further data than that he died in Indian Rocks, Florida on September 21, 1989 at the ripe old age of 92. Presumably a Tampa newspaper would have his obituary, if any such is online.

Has anyone else ever seen wings certificates for U.S. flyers in WW1?

Sources:

Massachusetts Military Archives (GOD BLESS EM: closed while moving but ever helpful!!!)

Newburyport city directory 1925

U.S. Census 1930 and 1940

Amherst Graduates Quarterly index

The Official Record of the United States Part in the Great War, 1920

[army historian]

Great certificate - the only one I've seen - great research also. Thanks for sharing.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

Really nice doc!

Are you sure it is for wings? It looks like he has done the theoretical school, ... maybe like the theory in your driving test... but that is still not your license?

best

Chris

[Dave Danner]

Here is his entry in The Amherst Memorial Volume; a Record of the Contribution Made by Amherst College and Amherst Men in the World War, 1914-1918:

Donald I. Perry: enl., A. S., Nov., 1917; trained at Cornell, Dallas, Tex., and Ebert Field, Ark.; com., 2nd Lt., R.M.A.; trans. to Payne Field and Carruthers Field; served as Flying Instructor; hon. dis., Dec., 1919.

Here is a bit more biography from The Story of Essex County, published in 1935.

[Guest Rick Research]

Thanks Dave! Have got my computer back with most functions, but still borrowed computer online.

Excellent question, Chris--and one the owner and I are curious about, having NEVER seen ANY U.S. flight qualification paperwork. The design is for pilot wings, but "per story" he was an observer. ... ???

I'm wondering if he made the legendary (not when I was in college and had both volumes on open library stacks) "New England Aviators." Has anybody got those--or the reprints, to verify by portrait photo what wings he wore?

Thanks all, and Until Next Time!!!