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Archives at The Museum of Flight


Irwin Bryan Meyers Photograph Album

 Collection
Identifier: 1994-10-20
The collection is comprised of a photograph album and accompanying typescript document relating to Meyers' service as an airplane mechanic and the activities of the 88th Aero Squadron during and after World War I.

The album contains one hundred twenty-nine (129) photographs with images featuring squadron and group photos, often posed with aircraft; maps and aerials; souvenir copy photos; shots of servicemen, aircraft, offices, and construction at Orly Field; airships and hangars, aircraft; numerous views of troops on the move. Locations primarily follow the movements of the 88th around France and their post-war station in Trier, Germany. Aircraft pictured include Caudron, de Havilland, Hannover, Junkers, Royal Aircraft Factory, Rumpler, Salmson, Sopwith, and SPAD planes.

The document provides a detailed description of the movements, missions, promotions, and other activities of the 88th Aero Squadron, from their arrival in France in November 1917 to the armistice in November 1918.

Please note that some of the images in this album contain graphic images of wartime casualties.

Dates

  • circa 1918-1919

Creator

Language of Materials

All 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.

Extent

0.25 Cubic Feet (1 legal size folder and 1 oversize folder)

Abstract

The Irwin Bryan Meyers Photograph Album is comprised of a photograph album and accompanying typescript document relating to Meyers' service as an airplane mechanic and the activities of the 88th Aero Squadron during and after World War I.

Biographical Note

Private Irwin Bryan Meyers served in the U.S. Army Air Service during World War I as an airplane mechanic for the 88th Aero Squadron. As part of his duties, he would retrieve crashed airplanes. No further information about Meyers is known.

Source:

Biographical note derived from collection paperwork.
Historical Note The 88th Aero Squadron was formed at Kelly Field, Texas in August 1917. In October, they were stationed at Garden City, New York before shipping overseas. They arrived in France in November, where they assisted with the construction of the Colombey les Belles Air Depot. In February 1918, they received orders to move to Amanty, where they were outfitted as an observation squadron. They moved to Ourches at the end of May where they stayed until September. At the end of September 1918, the 88th was ordered to Souilly, where they flew a number of observation missions. From then until the armistice, the squadron participated in several important engagements including the Battle of Chateau-Thierry, the Vesle, St. Mihiel, and Argonne-Meuse. After the war, they became part of the occupational forces and were stationed at Trier, Germany. They were ordered home in May 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.

[Wilson G. Crosby]. Fletcher Ladd McCordic, 1st Lieut., 88th Aero Squadron A.E.F., 1891-1919 : a tribute. Chicago : [s.n.], 1921.

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.

Related Archival Materials at the Museum of Flight

Herman J. Sommerhauser Collection. Album of photographs from the World War I career of Sommerhauser in France. The photographs in this collection primarily center around Orly Field, which is also featured significantly in the Meyers Photograph Album. Based on the handwritten captions on the prints in both the Sommerhauser and Meyers Collections, they may have even come from the same photographer.
Title
Guide to the Irwin Bryan Meyers Photograph Album
Status
Completed - Level 3
Author
A. Demeter
Date
2017
Description rules
dacs
Language of description
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

Revision Statements

  • November 2018: Finding aid migrated to ArchivesSpace.

Repository Details

Part of the The Museum of Flight Archives Repository

Contact:
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874


The Museum of Flight | 9404 E. Marginal Way South | Seattle WA 98108-4097 | 206-764-5874
Contact us with a research request
curator@museumofflight.org