375 Squadron

Looking for history of this air squadron 1917-1919, particularly at/near Romorantorin (sp?), France. Were they flying U.S. or French planes? Any tidbit will be greatly appreciated!

[tamerlane]

If you're after 375th Aero Squadron, US Army Air Service, there's no information available in sources that cover the war years. They may have been in Europe in 1919, after the war, but they were certainly not there in 1917-1918, and they weren't included in the official histories of the war years.

I wish somebody had a detailed history of U.S. Army aviation in the years between the wars, but there doesn't seem to be one. Inquiries about these post-war squadrons always seem to hit a brick wall on this forum, so I guess nobody has this info.

Tamerlane: Thanks for your reply. Don't know what to make of this info...my father was a mechanic in 375th aerosquadron, U.S. Army; enlisted Dec. 1917, trained in (Waco?) Texas, sent to England, then to France. He was sent back to the States in late spring or early summer of 1919. Can you recommend a military history website such as National Archives or ???

If you're after 375th Aero Squadron, US Army Air Service, there's no information available in sources that cover the war years. *They may have been in Europe in 1919, after the war, but they were certainly not there in 1917-1918, and they weren't included in the official histories of the war years. *

I wish somebody had a detailed history of U.S. Army aviation in the years between the wars, but there doesn't seem to be one. *Inquiries about these post-war squadrons always seem to hit a brick wall on this forum, so I guess nobody has this info. *

[MikeW]

A search of the net turned this up, John Meir, near the bottom - might be an opportunity to investigate further.


http://www.rootsweb.com/~iaallama/Obits/o_meier.htm


Mike

Wow! Mike, you are a sleuth! Many thanks.

A search of the net turned this up, John Meir, near the bottom - might be an opportunity to investigate further.


http://www.rootsweb.com/~iaallama/Obits/o_meier.htm


Mike

[tamerlane]

I don't want to sound negative, but I see a lot of obits and biographies that make reference to service in WW1, with an Aero squadron number that is not in any of the reference books. Here are three possible explanations:

1) Typographical error - they could have meant the 370th Aero squadron, but somebody typed a 5 at the end by mistake.

2) Some of these people may have served in active units prior, and then transferred into these little-known units after the war.

3) They may have enlisted during the war, and by the time they got assigned to an aero squadron, it was past the time when anybody was keeping detailed historical records.

Basically, any aero squadrons created after about the end of 1918 have little or no recorded history in the standard reference books, and may not have much information even in the Air Force archives. I think that without combat reports, the history of these aero squadrons was reduced to mundane paperwork such as requisition and supply forms, which may not have been kept as historical records. There's probably not enough material on these squadrons to make a book, but there's a decent review of the period on the Air Force History web site:

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/history/pos...wwi/postwwi.htm

Unfortunately, this site doesn't list what squadrons were active during this time. If you go back to the main Air Force History page, however, there's a link to e-mail a historian at the USAF. You could give that a try and see if they can find anything out, then let us know what happens.

Tim

Thanks, Tim, I'll check it out.