LaFayette Flying Corps experts????

[Jay Stone]

Gentlemen,
As a young boy around 1970 or so I was befriended by a local Federal Judge, namely Thomas F. McAllister from Grand Rapids, MI. He was also very much involved in the local French Society. He knew of my interest in Napoleon and WW I avaition so he gave me a few books and referred to his days flying with the French. He passed away several years ago but I have been doing some research on his story.
The Herbert Malloy Mason book lists him as a member of the LaFayette Flying Corps with the French Spa 285 squadron. However, none of my other books on the subject matter mention his name (including the excellent Schiffer book). Can anyone with greater sources please help me out?
All the best,
Jay

[wacoavn]

So, Let me do some looking into this from my printed sources. Dennis Gordon, author of the Schiffer book on the LFC is still kicking - maybe he is on the Aerodrome? There may even be some users here who are experts on Spa 285. Let's see what the Aerodrome communtiy can do on this quesiton. Please stand by. What were the books Mr. McAllister passed to you?

[Froggy]

Bonjour Jay

Yes Thomas Allister belonged to escadrille Spa 285
but only since 6 Novembre 1918,five days before armistice
Here is his record at the escadrille



Cordialement
Bruno

[wacoavn]

Originally Posted by Froggy

Bonjour Jay

Yes Thomas Allister belonged to escadrille Spa 285
but only since 6 Novembre 1918,five days before armistice
Here is his record at the escadrille



Cordialement
Bruno

A great find Bruno! Odd that an American volunteer would have been initially assigned to a French unit so late in the war.

Can we assume he was an LFC member who was maybe in an earlier escarille, did not transfer to the AEF when the US joined the fight? Does he have a personal fiche we can access which might show his service history?

[ONEALM]

Gents -

Looks like "McAllister" "Allister' -was an observer, not a pilot so may I suggest he was with the French so late in the war due perhaps to failing the USAS physical ? Or it might have just more expedient to get into the French Air Service since he was probably already overseas (see below).

Also interestingly, I found a 2/Lt. Thomas E. McAllister who was a rated pilot from Carbon, Texas. Unlikely to be the same man....

FWIW, SPA 285 was constituted on 3 March 1918 as a Sopwith unit and re-equipped with SPAD XVI's in July.

I found his passport app for June 1917 which states his purpose for going overseas is to join the American Field Service. I've also attached his draft reg. card.

He appears to have served with SSU 69 for 4 months in 1917, and attended U of Mich. The "Friends of France" ( http://libcudl.colorado.edu/wwi/pdf/i73728925.pdf ) lists his as a Sous-Lt in the French Artillery.


Hope this helps -
Mike

[Froggy]

Here is à biography of Thomas Mc Allister

Michigan Supreme Court History Society ::
And another more detailled here


http://genealogytrails.com/mich/kent/biomcallister.html
Bruno

[Jay Stone]

Gentlemen,
Incredible information.....merci beaucoup Bruno et mes amis. Yes, the gentleman I'm after is definitely Thomas Francis McAllister from Grand Rapids, MI. Both of us are graduates of the University of Michigan and went into the legal profession. Bruno, I am aware of the Michigan Supreme Court website. There is actually better information on the Federal Judiciary website which doesn't seem to working at the moment.
I have read and I was told by the gentleman that he went to France and enlisted in the French Foreign Legion (if my memory serves me correctly!) eventually transfering to l"Aviation Militaire. I do not recall anything about his service with the ambulance forces but the above records seem conclusive.He also was a member of the Legion d'honneur but I do not know the reasons for his obtaining this prestigious decoration. Bruno, are there aechival sources in France for Legion d'honneur???? I have contacted the UM Bentley Historical Library and have inquired into getting copies of his wartime letters home which they have. Any additional would be most welcome gentlemen.
Merci beaucoup,
Jay

[Froggy]

Yes there are official ressources for légion d'honneur
contenu
But all the awarded people are not yet online
I have not found Mcallister, may be ne cause he was awarded later

Bruno

[Jay Stone]

Merci Bruno. The next time my wife and I get back to Paris I'm heading to La Musee de la Palais de Legion d'honneur (ancien l'Hotel de Salm-Salm) next to the Musee d'Orsay. I understand that it has been redone recently.
a votre sante,
Jay

[wacoavn]

Jay,

There is a great group focused on the AFS activities in WWI on facebook. If you post your search there, you are bound to come up with more info in his AFS history.

In France they also maintain the records of the French Foreign Legion. You could write there an inquire about his records.

I am interested to know if McAllister is a long lost member of the LFC who was not captured in Gordon's book. It sounds like this might be the case, but I would be interested to hear what Mr. Gordon thinks.