Lot of 4 letters from American flyers, 2 badges, plus 3 other items. Alexander Bruce, 8pp letter, April 27, 1918, to his mother. Lots of information on French customs and military i.e. Regarding the mess/food: "We eat at the French officers’ mess. It costs a bit more than we have ever paid, but it is miles better than any American mess. The method of distributing the cost is novel, but characteristic of the democratic French army…. Bills are proportional to the officer’s salary; a captain pays proportionally more than a sous-lieutenant, because for the latter with his small pay the mess would otherwise be too costly…. French-like, only two meals are served at the mess. Our breakfast we can obtain at a French cooperative store in camp any time during the morning.” He spends several pages detailing problems with his plane engine. He would lose power in one cylinder, then another. The mechanics kept working on it, but never figured out what was wrong. At the end of this letter, he describes a new plane that they began training in, more powerful than his other "machine." Cover with “Officer’s mail” franking, return address “A.B. Bruce / 1st Lt. ASSC USR / A.E.F.” With censor’s stamp. Alexander Bruce graduated from Phillips Andover Academy in 1911, then attended Harvard College, graduating in 1915. When war broke out in Europe, he helped form the Andover Ambulance Unit of 23 men who went to France in April 1917.Bruce then switched to French aviation, being assigned to “Escadrille de Chasse N-71.” That squadron is sometimes referred to as the “2nd Lafayette.” They were assigned to defend Paris. Shortly after, Bruce was transferred as a US Air Service pilot to the famous “94th pursuit Squadron." While flying with this unit he was killed in action in August 1918. Three WWI typed letters. Two to “Harland” and one to “Mr. Noyes.” (same person?) Only one writer put enough information in letter to be identified – Charles (Carl) H. Dolan, Jr. (1st. Lieut, 103rd Pursuit Squadron [Layfette “Escadville” (Escadrille)], Julliet 15, 1918. TLS "Leon," 3rd AIC (Air Instructional Center –( Issoudun Aerodrome), July 9, 1918. To Harland. “July fourth and the three following days were holidays for us and seven of us went down to Tonlonse (?Toulouse?). I sure did appreciate the change of scenery and the nice clean bed and bath, but after seeing the interesting things there was not much to do except adopt the French custom of sitting in front of a café and sipping wine….This city did not appear to be effected [sic] at all by the war and was booming with prosperity and we were all very much surprised to see a very larger number of young men in civilian clothes. Everything in the city was open and we attended a few shows but they were not at all appreciated by us. The movies were good but the French never ventilate the theatres and I am worse off than ever when it comes to staying awake at a show. The fourth was celebrated all over France and we had quite a time in Tonlonse. Very few Americans, strange to say, had been at this city and that day there were only about thirty officers there. We occupied places of honor, etc., at the ceremonies and had champagne at their capitol with many supposedly french notables.” TLS, 103rd Aero Pursuit Squadron, 2nd Pursuit Group 1st Pursuit (Lafayette Escadville), Juliet (July 15, 1918. “Dear Harland” relatively short letter. Signed "Carl" but with manuscript "Charles (Carl) H. Dolan, Jr. /1st. Lieut, 103rd Pursuit Squadron" below. Short letter, which he concludes with “Remember me to all in Lynn”[MA]. Although this letter is short, young Dolan wrote a description of his service for inclusion in New England Aviators, 1914-1918: Their Portraits and their Records, (Caroline Ticknor, Houghton Mifflin, 1919): CHARLES H. DOLAN, JR. LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE, FIRST LIEUTENANT, A.S., U.S.A., ONE HUNDRED THIRD AERO SQUADRON, THIRD PURSUIT GROUP SON of Charles H. and Anne (Mainwaring) Dolan; was born at Boston, Mass., Jan. 29, 1895.
Lot of 4 letters from American flyers, 2 badges, plus 3 other items. Alexander Bruce, 8pp letter, April 27, 1918, to his mother. Lots of information on French customs and military i.e. Regarding the mess/food: "We eat at the French officers’ mess. It costs a bit more than we have ever paid, but it is miles better than any American mess. The method of distributing the cost is novel, but characteristic of the democratic French army…. Bills are proportional to the officer’s salary; a captain pays proportionally more than a sous-lieutenant, because for the latter with his small pay the mess would otherwise be too costly…. French-like, only two meals are served at the mess. Our breakfast we can obtain at a French cooperative store in camp any time during the morning.” He spends several pages detailing problems with his plane engine. He would lose power in one cylinder, then another. The mechanics kept working on it, but never figured out what was wrong. At the end of this letter, he describes a new plane that they began training in, more powerful than his other "machine." Cover with “Officer’s mail” franking, return address “A.B. Bruce / 1st Lt. ASSC USR / A.E.F.” With censor’s stamp. Alexander Bruce graduated from Phillips Andover Academy in 1911, then attended Harvard College, graduating in 1915. When war broke out in Europe, he helped form the Andover Ambulance Unit of 23 men who went to France in April 1917.Bruce then switched to French aviation, being assigned to “Escadrille de Chasse N-71.” That squadron is sometimes referred to as the “2nd Lafayette.” They were assigned to defend Paris. Shortly after, Bruce was transferred as a US Air Service pilot to the famous “94th pursuit Squadron." While flying with this unit he was killed in action in August 1918. Three WWI typed letters. Two to “Harland” and one to “Mr. Noyes.” (same person?) Only one writer put enough information in letter to be identified – Charles (Carl) H. Dolan, Jr. (1st. Lieut, 103rd Pursuit Squadron [Layfette “Escadville” (Escadrille)], Julliet 15, 1918. TLS "Leon," 3rd AIC (Air Instructional Center –( Issoudun Aerodrome), July 9, 1918. To Harland. “July fourth and the three following days were holidays for us and seven of us went down to Tonlonse (?Toulouse?). I sure did appreciate the change of scenery and the nice clean bed and bath, but after seeing the interesting things there was not much to do except adopt the French custom of sitting in front of a café and sipping wine….This city did not appear to be effected [sic] at all by the war and was booming with prosperity and we were all very much surprised to see a very larger number of young men in civilian clothes. Everything in the city was open and we attended a few shows but they were not at all appreciated by us. The movies were good but the French never ventilate the theatres and I am worse off than ever when it comes to staying awake at a show. The fourth was celebrated all over France and we had quite a time in Tonlonse. Very few Americans, strange to say, had been at this city and that day there were only about thirty officers there. We occupied places of honor, etc., at the ceremonies and had champagne at their capitol with many supposedly french notables.” TLS, 103rd Aero Pursuit Squadron, 2nd Pursuit Group 1st Pursuit (Lafayette Escadville), Juliet (July 15, 1918. “Dear Harland” relatively short letter. Signed "Carl" but with manuscript "Charles (Carl) H. Dolan, Jr. /1st. Lieut, 103rd Pursuit Squadron" below. Short letter, which he concludes with “Remember me to all in Lynn”[MA]. Although this letter is short, young Dolan wrote a description of his service for inclusion in New England Aviators, 1914-1918: Their Portraits and their Records, (Caroline Ticknor, Houghton Mifflin, 1919): CHARLES H. DOLAN, JR. LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE, FIRST LIEUTENANT, A.S., U.S.A., ONE HUNDRED THIRD AERO SQUADRON, THIRD PURSUIT GROUP SON of Charles H. and Anne (Mainwaring) Dolan; was born at Boston, Mass., Jan. 29, 1895.
Try LotSearch and its premium features for 7 days - without any costs!
Be notified automatically about new items in upcoming auctions.
Create an alert
