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Archives at The Museum of Flight


Ralph Wandrey Fighter Ace Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 2017-04-18
The Ralph Wandrey Fighter Ace Collection documents fighter pilot and ace Ralph Wandrey's World War II service as well as activities associated to his veteran status, from 1935-2009. A smaller amount of material is personal in nature. Types of material include military records, a pilot's log, photographs, scrapbooks, correspondence, pamphlets, personal and educational records and clippings, among others. The collection has been arranged into three main series: Military Service, Veteran Affairs and Personal. Due to the relatively small size of each series, they have been ordered alphabetically.

Series I: Military Service materials consists primarily of Wandrey's military records and retirement documentation, 1942-1946. Additional materials include clippings, correspondence, a DVD with what is presumably an interview with Wandrey and his flight log.

Thirty-nine photographs are also present, including vintage prints and digital reprints. Sizes vary from 3x5" to 8x10". The images are a mix of casual and posed black-and-white prints and depict Wandrey and his fellow servicemen in military activities and settings, including with aircraft. Other images feature recreational activities, such as dining and sight-seeing. There are also two poster-size photographic reproductions. One is a black-and-white group portrait of servicemen in front of an obscured aircraft. Presumably these are members of 9th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group. Eleven men have gold star stickers on them, while two have silver stars. It is unknown what this signifies. The other poster is for the 9th Fighter Squadron and includes the squadron insignia and aerial victory markings as well as an honor roll and aces list, although the names are mostly illegible. Most of the photographs do not include captions to provide contextual information, such as names, dates, or years. Duplication occurs.

Series II: Veteran Affairs files includes brochures, correspondence, honor rolls, photographs and ephemera. Most materials are dated 1969-2009 and focus on assorted veterans' associations with the 49th Fighter Group and P-38 Association as most prevalent. There is a small amount of material which appears to have been used as display signage, likely at Association meetings. A highlight is a history of the 9th Fighter Squadron written by Wandrey in 1985. Additional materials include a small amount of commemorative material related to Major Richard I. Bong, known as "America's Ace of Aces." The items are mostly from the Richard I. Bong World War II Heritage Center and include brochures, postcards and background information on the Center. The VFW San Juan Marne Post #733, of which Wandrey was a member, is also well-represented with a 1969-1970 scrapbook. The scrapbook was disassembled for preservation reasons but materials were retained in original order. The dark gray leatherette cover was also kept for context. It includes a VFW insignia above a glued-on color photograph of a brick wall with signage that reads "V.F.W. Post 733." Materials within the scrapbook include clippings, 39 photographs and newsletters.

Last is Series III: Personal files which consists of textual and visual items that focus on Wandrey's early education and employment, CAA and FAA documentation, and also includes assorted clippings and 17 photographs. The photographs are a mix of black-and-white and color and range in size. Most are casual snapshots and depict unidentified people, likely friends and family, mostly at gatherings. Four are photographic Christmas cards from the Shaffer family, although it is unknown if they were friend or family. Very few photographs have captions. A highlight in this series is Wandrey's personal scrapbook, which has been disassembled for preservation reasons, although original page order was retained. Ranging from 1934 to 1945, it primarily showcases his activities prior to his military enlistment although a few items within are relevant to his military training and service. Materials include school report cards, ephemera from church, scouting, and assorted social activities, greeting cards, clippings, membership cards, and photographs. Most of the photographs were found loose in the final page of the scrapbook and feature a few family members, including Wandrey. Lastly, there is a very small amount of documents pertaining to Verla Bahr, including her 1941 high school diploma and cover as well as a clipping about her 1944 wedding to Wandrey.

Dates

  • 1935-2009, undated

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The DVD is currently not available, pending preservation measures. 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

1.35 Cubic Feet (2 full-width legal document boxes, 1 half-width legal document box, 1 oversize folder (30x40"), )

Abstract

Ralph H. Wandrey (1921-2020) was a World War II American fighter pilot and ace. The Ralph Wandrey Fighter Ace Collection documents fighter pilot and ace Ralph Wandrey's World War II service as well as activities associated to his veteran status, from 1935-2009. A smaller amount of material is personal in nature. Types of material include military records, a pilot's log, photographs, scrapbooks, correspondence, pamphlets, personal and educational records and clippings.

Biographical Note: Ralph Wandrey

Ralph H. Wandrey (1921-2020) was a World War II American fighter pilot and ace.

Ralph Henry Wandrey was born on November 15, 1921 in Mason City, Iowa to Henry E. and Lillian Emma Pauline (née Tobsing) Wandrey. He enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces on January 24, 1942 at Fort Des Moines, Iowa and earned his wings and commission as a second lieutenant on August 27, 1942. On April 1, 1943, Wandrey was sent to the South Pacific to join the 9th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group. He initially flew the Lockheed P-38G Lightning but later transitioned to the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. He earned his fifth aerial victory and became an ace on October 29, 1943. In total, Wandrey flew 191 combat missions by the time he returned stateside in August 1944, many as wingman to Richard Bong, known as "America's Ace of Aces." He did a four-month stint as a flight instructor in Independence, Kansas and then was sent to Perrin Field, Texas to serve as chief of flying safety at the Training Command Headquarters. Wandrey was medically retired from the military on January 9, 1947 due to tuberculosis. During his service he earned the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Medal.

Wandrey married Verla Bahr on October 4, 1944. The couple had two sons and a daughter. After his military retirement, Wandrey published an autobiography, Fighter Pilot. He was active with the Boy Scouts of America and the Lutheran Church. After several years of illness, he recovered and worked for multiple railroad companies until his retirement in 1976. He died on June 25, 2020 in Hayden, Idaho.

Biography derived from collection materials and records on Ancestry.com

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was donated by family.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Related Materials

The Museum of Flight Archives has multiple collections pertaining to fighter aces, including the American Fighter Aces Oral Interviews at https://digitalcollections.museumofflight.org/collections/show/280. For more information, contact us.

Separated Materials

The following material was separated from the archival component and is kept in the library:

  • Aces of the Southwest Pacific by Gene B. Stafford
  • Combat in the Southwest Pacific Area as I saw it and Lived it in 1943 by William F. Haney
  • Fighting 49ers: The History of the 49th Fighter Wing 1941-1999, by Gregory S Henneman
  • New Guinea Theater in World War II, 49th Fighter Group, 9th Fighter Squadron by George D. Alber
  • Peter Three Eight: The pilot's story by John Stanaway
  • Winged Samurai by Henry Sakaida
  • Fly Past magazine, April 1999
  • Saga magazine, February 1951
  • Yank, Vol 1 No 27, Vol 1 no 47, 1944
  • P-38 National Association newsletter, Vol 29 No 2, July 2016


The following material was separated from the archival component and is kept in objects storage:

  • Two uniforms
  • Cap with pins
  • Three plaques
  • Multiple pins and ribbons

Processing Information

The collection arrived in minimal order. Some materials required humidification to flatten. Photographs were placed in protective enclosures and some fragile materials were interleaved. Two scrapbooks were disassembled for preservations reasons, though original order of content was retained. Some pages were sleeved to protect loose materials or photographs. The cover of one scrapbook was kept, for original context.
Title
Ralph Wandrey Fighter Ace Collection
Status
Completed - Level 3
Author
Jenn Parent
Date
2023 February
Description rules
dacs
Language of description
English
Edition statement
1st edition

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