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WW1 pilots.
Gentlemen:
I interviewed around thirty-five some WW1 pilots, 1 Belgien, 3 Fafayette Flying Corp,2 or 3 RFC/RAF types, 2 War Birds, and a bunch of Americans pilots and a couple of ground crew, one from the 27th Pursuit and and one from the 94th Pursuit Squadrons. There was a common thread that ran through the pilots, they were well bred and were educated and successful in business. All these interviews were taped, by a memmber of the San Franciso Chapter of Cross & Cockade Society. Several interviews became articles in the C& C Journal, a couple by my dear Friend Rick Duiven and several by Noel Shirley.
I had a format that I use to control the interview to keep it in chronalogical sequence, which I found worked well except for two interviews. Of all the interviews there was only one which I doubted the veracity of the "story teller."
What I did, was after, they agreed to be interviewed at aq C & C Meeting.
I would meet with them over lunch or dinner and conduct a pre-interview, the purpose of which was to find out what to discuss and what was out of bounds.
A kind of getting to know you. Then a second lunch when I then did a interview of about two hours. Prior to the first meeting, I read up on the pilot found out about victories and decorations, which I would use in the interview. There was no surprize questions, I did not play gotcha!
My first question always was, "Why did you volunteer for the Air Service?" The next question was, "Where did you receive ground training?" I took them one step at a time through their training, front service, etc. By doing this I open their minds to almost total recall of the events that took place.
One pilot I interviewed, that resulted in Patti and I being adopted, was Paul Winslow and his wife Ruth. Our relationship continued after Paul's death and ended with Ruth's death. We both miss them.
All these pilots became high ranking officers in WW2.
One, who had served in the Lafayette Flying Corp became my Commanding Officer of the 61st Fighter Wing as Brigadier General, California National Guard, which I joined after the War. After the interview when our paths would cross, he would always address by my given name. I never addressed him, except in the third person, as, "How is the General today?" I was a Tech Sergeant. He would reply, "Fine Sergeant Abbott!"
Blue skies,
Dan-San
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