43rd Aero Squadron, AEF

[ONEALM]

A good friend's grandfather served with this unit as a mechanic, but he has virtually no information about the unit - formation date, assignments, equipment, etc. and is looking for anything that would be instructive.

UTD's Gorrell History is missing this squadron, but we know it was at one point stationed in England - maybe a training formation ?

Any help, hints, etc., will be, well, helpful .

Thanks in advance,

[Amy]

Hi ONEALM:

I couldn't find anything in my humble little library, but I found some tidbits on the 43rd Aero from the Internet.

Some random quotes plucked from the Web:

The 43rd FS is scheduled to re-activate in October. The 43rd FS was inactivated in 1994 while serving as an air defense unit in Alaska. Its history dates back to 1917 when it was first organized as the 43rd Aero Squadron at Camp Kelly, Texas. Its operating locations include England, France, Texas, Panama, MacDill AFB, Fla., Clark AB, Philippines, South Vietnam and Alaska.

[hr]

The Connecticut Air National Guard began with the activation of the 43rd Aero Squadron, which participated in combat operations in France during W.W.I. Later, the National Defense Act of 1921 provided for a number of National Guard Aviation Squadrons and the 43rd Aero Squadron was redesignated as the 43rd Division Air Service Squadron. Before Brainerd Field in Hartford was completed in 1923, the squadron was based in Rhode Island. When construction was complete, the unit was reorganized as the 118th Observation Squadron and its first aircraft was the Curtis JN-4 "Jenny".

[hr]

Donald Black enlisted in the U.S. Army 15 May 1917 at Portland, Oregon. He was assigned to the 43rd Aero Squadron. He was honorably discharged 10 April 1919 and re-enlisted in the Regular Army on 11 April 1919. He served until 12 April 20 at which time he was again honorably discharged, at the Presidio of San Francisco, California. Source: National Archives Form 13041, dated 23 Nov 1994.

[hr]

Hoaglin, Oliver Morgan, b. 12/11/1894, d. 02/18/1954, PFC 43RD AERO SQDN, Plot: 273 6/, bur. 02/23/1954 at Los Angeles National Cemetery.

[hr]

University of Arizona, University Library, Special Collections, Tucson AZ, (602) 621-6424 has the following: *
Garing, Robert S., ? -? . A236.
Scrapbook; 1914-1919; 1 volume.
This scrapbook includes pictures and mementos of his service in World War I with the 43rd Aero Squadron, US Army, 1917-19. No finding aid available.

Maybe your friend can use something out of these quotes to run with, particuarly that last one.

Cheers,
Amy

[ONEALM]

Amy -

Thanks for the leg work and good leads. I will put this out to my buddy and hope he follows up.

Very best for the Holidays,

The 34th Aero squadron is a similarly obscure unit, r.e. WWI. The Maurer book ("Air Force Squadrons of WWII") says that the 34th was stationed at Tours, France, as some kind of training unit, but there is no more info on it.
In researching the training establishment at Tours however, there is info that the USAS had some 192 Caudron G.3's, a few G.4's and maybe some Nieuports. From this, I've inferred that the Caudron G.3 was the WWI mount of the 34th, albeit in a training-only environment.
Looks like I gotta go get that Roseplanes kit after all *

Anybody know whether these Caudron G.3 trainer ships would have had USAS or French roundels? Any pix out there?

CHEERS!
Von L.

[ONEALM]

VonL-

Thanks for the post. Did you mean 34 or 43 ? The original post asked about 43.....

As for what the markings on the Caudrons at Tours would have been, definately French. Here's a photo from Tours - the pilot was kind enough to crash the plane in such a way that we get a good look at the roundel........

I'm sure 43 was a training unit, but don't have much other than that. Anything additional would be helpful!

Actually I was referring to the 34th, the point being that I found useful info indirectly, by hunting down stuff about Tours.
*But - having just dug out my Maurer text ("Combat Squadrons of the Air Force - World War II"), it appears there is some good stuff on the 43rd in there:

Organized as 43rd Aero Sqdn; 13 Jun 17 (Camp Kelly, TX)

Assignments (to group or wing-level units), 1917-1919: unknown

Stations:
- Camp Kelly, TX (13 Jun 1917)
- Wilbur Wright Field, OH (25 Aug 1917)
- Ellington Field, TX (18 Dec - 17 Feb 1918)
- South Carlton, England (16 Mar 1918; incl. detachments at Grantham & Beaulieu & Hooten Park)
- Codford, England (14-21 Oct 1918)
- St. Maixent, France (25 Oct 1918)
- Issoudun, France (1 Nov 1918)
- Bordeaux, France (6 Jan - 8 Mar 1919)
- Demobilized 17 Apr 1919

- WWI Aircraft incl: DH-4, Spad XIII, SE-5
- Assigned as, but never quite got operational as, a Pursuit Sqdn in France.

EMBLEM: An angry hornet poised to sting, on a blue field w/ an orange border (approved 22 May 1924; may not reflect WWI insignia).

CHEERS!
Von L.

[ONEALM]

VonL -

Thanks for the update and the additional info. It will all be useful.

You are correct about the 43rd insignia being post war. The father of a good friend of mine - an aviation painter you may have heard of, Keith Ferris - was an instructor with the 43rd when they were at Kelly. Many of his paintings despict the P-16's of that squadron in the mid 20's with the stinging hornet insignia.

Now if I could only learn to paint like that guy! Try his website, there's a few shots of various Curtiss's with the unit insignia visible.

Thanks again,

http://www.keithferrisart.com/

[Rick]

Now if I could only learn to paint like that guy!

I dunno, Mike, I think you paint pretty darn good. R.

[ONEALM]

Rick -

Thanks. Just for that, here's a snippet of a painting I just finished. Can't show you the whole thiing though, it's a tremendous secret !

[wingstrutdotcom]

...the name of the jpeg file which appears may or may not suggest what the "secret" is.

Is that in oil?