Scope and Contents of Collection
The Sidney Van Wyck Peters Scrapbook contains photographs, military orders and memos, maps, clippings, and ephemera relating to Peters' service with the 24th Aero Squadron in World War I. The scrapbook contains three hundred eighty-four (384) photographs, which comprise the bulk of the album, with some family snapshots mixed in with a majority of wartime images. A significant number of the wartime photos feature portraits and group shots, including officers, squadron groups and aircraft in formation, snapshots of cadets, trainees and servicemen, Red Cross women, and men in military and pilots' uniforms, often posed in front of aircraft. Other images include aerial photos; street scenes and post-bombing ruins in French cities and towns; a number of souvenir copy photographs of war scenes; warcraft, aircraft including balloons, Curtiss, Salmson, and captured German planes.
In addition to the photographs, the scrapbook includes ephemera from Peters' travels in France and his military service. Of particular note is a German propaganda leaflet, as well as military documents such as an order crediting Peters with downing a German plane. Other materials include newspaper clippings, tickets, leave passes, French and German money, pencil sketches, maps, and menus.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1917-1918
Creator
Language of Materials
A few pieces of ephemera are in French. All other materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research and is accessible in the Dahlberg Research Center by appointment. For more information contact us.
Conditions Governing Use
The Museum of Flight (TMOF) Archives is the owner of the physical materials in the archives and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from TMOF archives before any publication use. TMOF does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.
Biographical Note: Sidney Van Wyck Peters
Sidney Van Wyck Peters was born in Seattle, Washington. Before his enlistment in 1917, he was a Packard automobile salesman in the city. He served in France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces in the U.S. Army Air Service, 24th Aero Squadron during World War I, attaining the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. After the war he returned to sales. He died in 1973.
Sources:
Biographical information derived from donor notes and collection materials.
Historical Note
The 24th Aero Squadron was formed at Kelly Field, Texas in August 1917. In January 1918 they were stationed at Garden City, New York and that same month left for France via the Port of Embarkation in Hoboken, New Jersey. They performed reconnaissance for the First Army Observation Group, which was formed in September 1918 with the 91st Aero Squadron and the 9th Night Reconnaissance Squadron, flying primarily in Salmson 2A2 aircraft. The 24th was intended to participate in the St. Mihiel offensive but was limited by the inexperience of its new pilots. In late September they relocated to the airdrome at Vavincourt and flew observation during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. They remained at Vavincourt as part of the occupational forces after the armistice, and ultimately returned home to Mitchell Field, New York in August 1919.
Sources and further reading:
Center of Military History, United States Army. Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the World War - Zone of the Interior: Directory of Troops, vol. 3, pt. 3. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1988.
Maurer Maurer, ed. The U.S. Air Service in World War I. Maxwell AFB, Ala: Albert F. Simpson Historical Research Center, 1978-1979.
Extent
0.25 Cubic Feet (1 oversize folder)
Abstract
Sidney Van Wyck Peters of Seattle, Washington served with the U.S. Army Air Service, 24th Aero Squadron during World War I. The collection contains a scrapbook album containing photographs and paper ephemera related to his service overseas.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Existence and Location of Copies
Materials from this collection have been digitized and are available at The Museum of Flight Digital Collections.
Subject
- American Red Cross (Organization)
- United States. Army. Air Service. Aero Squadron, 24th (Organization)
- United States. Army. American Expeditionary Forces (Organization)
- Peters, Sidney Van Wyck, Sr., d. 1973 (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Sidney Van Wyck Peters Scrapbook
- Status
- Completed Level 4
- Author
- A. Demeter
- Date
- 2017
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
- Sponsor
- Processing, cataloging and digitization of this collection was made possible by a Council on Libraries and Information Resources (CLIR) "Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives" grant.
- Edition statement
- 1st Edition
Repository Details
Part of the The Museum of Flight Archives Repository
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874
curator@museumofflight.org