Loane, Ernest W., 1917-1978
Dates
- Usage: 1917 - 1978
Biographical Note
William Ernest Loane (1917-1978) was a member of the 1st American Volunteer Group, nicknamed the "Flying Tigers."
William Ernest Loane was born on March 11, 1917 in Maine. He had multiple nicknames, including "Bus," "Buzz," and "Buster." Loane graduated from Bowdoin College, Maine in 1939.
In 1940 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps Reserves at Kelley Field, Texas. He served as a flight instructor in Texas prior to resigning his commission to join the American Volunteer Group (AVG) in September 1941. Loane fought with the AVG as a wingman for the First Pursuit Squadron until the group disbanded on July 4th, 1942. He volunteered for an additional 2 weeks duty as the transition from the AVG to the 14th Air Force was completed.
Post-war, Loane joined the China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) as a pilot, where he stayed until September 1947. He then flew for the Civil Air Transport (CAT) until mid to late 1949 when he returned to the United States. Loane was hired by Flying Tiger Line and flew as a Captain until retiring in 1977. Ernest William Loane died on January 17, 1978.
Sources:
Biography derived from collection materials and online biography found at the AVG Flying Tigers website.
Citation:
https://flyingtigersavg.com/loane-ernest-william/#more-451Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Flying Tigers Association Collection
The Flying Tigers Association Collection consists of textual and visual materials related to the First American Volunteer Group (AVG), also known as the "Flying Tigers," from World War II. Materials from various members include logs, correspondence, identity cards, and photographic prints. Most of the material is from dates of active service, 1941-1942, but some items are commemorative, primarily lithographs and reunion materials, circa 1990s.
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