Searching for Grandpa

[Sidney]

Hi All,

I am the granddaughter of an USAAC WWI Pilot and I'm updating the family history. I have only old photos and veryl little memories of what my father told me. Thanks to your forum postings, I have identified the collar disk on his uniform as an Aero Squadron disk (vertical 2 prong prop between wings).

Dad always told me that gramps did not see action because of the Armistice, but I do have a picture of him with his brother when they "shipped out" overseas. So I beleive he was either en route to Europe or had arrived at the time of the Armistice.

I have a picture of him in his leather flight jacket and helmet with goggles but there are no distinguishing insignia. I have a picture of him in civillian clothes taken at "Camp (Zachary) Taylor" in Louisville, Kentucky. I also have 2 pictures of him in uniform but I can only identify the collar disk, there are no other insignia. All these pictures are professional portraits but I don't think they were taken by the military. Each has the original cardboard cover with different studio names.

I have found from the forum here that there were many Aero Squadrons that did not see active duty ie: 163rd. I would like to figure out what squadron he was in as well as any and all information I can.

Does anyone know were I should look next?

He was Sidney (or Sydney?) Marsh Bryant
Born 22 Sept. 1888 Camden, Alabama.
Died 14 Aug 1943 Marion, Kentucky.

Sincere thanks for your help,

Diane

[Bleddyn]

Hello, sorry I have no assistance to offer you. I just wanted to bump your request to the top and wish you the best of luck.

[Sidney]

Thanks for that!

I was currious as to why he does not have pilot "wings" above his left breast pocket in any of the pictures. Do you think they gave out uniforms including flying leathers, helmet and goggles and they got their wings later? Doesn't seem to make sense to me.

=D

[tcrean7828]

Lass,
Welcome to the flagship of the Aerodrome - where the greatest minds on the planet get together and talk about their favorite subject - WW1.

ttfn

tcrean7828

tom

P.S. Werner Voss fan here.
P.S.S. sorry about your response, let me dig around in some of my books to try and help you, if not someone on the drome will come to your rescue. tc

[Sidney]

Thanks Tom. I thought I would try to ad his photos, maybe you all would enjoy looking, I know I have enjoyed photos from everyone else too. Here are 3 photos for now. In the last picture he is with his brother Erle taken before they shipped out. I thought that this type of hat was for infantry?

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[josquin]

Sidney,

If your grandfather was posted to a wartime squadron, he should be
listed in Col. Edgar Staley Gorrell's "History of the American
Expeditionary Force Air Service." You may have to find a
source where you can read the lists Gorrell included in his
very comprehensive work, as I could not get a response for
his name on the online search engine that is currently available.
Anyway, Gorrell is a good place to start; possibly also works about
the Air Service by Maurer Maurer (seriously, that was his name) and
James J. Hudson. Good luck in your search.

Regards,

Josquin

[Laserlloyd]

If you give his full name that maybe some one here might be able to look in up in our references.

Lloyd...

[josquin]

Originally Posted by Laserlloyd

If you give his full name that maybe some one here might be able to look in up in our references.

Lloyd...

Sidney gave her grandfather's full name at the end of her post:

Sidney Marsh Bryant (or Sydney; his first name is listed both ways
in different U.S. Census reports); born 1888, Camden, Alabama.

Josquin

[Laserlloyd]

This was a case of selected reading

Thanks...

Lloyd...

[tcrean7828]

Lass,
Quite a dashing young figure your grandfather was.

ttfn

tcrean7828

tom