George E. Adams, Jr. Papers and Photographs
Collection
Identifier: 2002-03-15
The George E. Adams, Jr. Papers and Photographs is comprised of materials related to the military service of Second Lieutenant George E. Adams, Jr. Adams was a member of the 30th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron (Ninth Air Force) during World War II, and this collection documents his training and active service in the war.
Series I, Manuscripts, includes military personnel documents, correspondence between Adams and his family, maps, and a log book. The log book covers his flight training only; none of his flights in Europe are recorded in the log. Also included are a yearbook for one of Adams' training classes and a newspaper clipping from his hometown newspaper.
Series II, Photographs, consists of sixty-five (65) photographs, most of which are aerial photographs of Western Europe. There is also a small number of images showing men in the 30th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron enjoying leisure time and some formal group portraits of the pilots. It appears that the photographs in Folders 6 and 7 may have at one time been stored in the "30th in the ETO" folder in Folder 8, and that they served as a sort of scrapbook of the 30th's activities in the European Theater.
There are an additional one hundred seventy-five (175) aerial photographs of Western Europe, taken in 1944-1945. Some of the images are reconnaissance images, while others are records of the damage inflicted by Allied bombing. The images are from all of the major operations that the 30th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron participated in, including reconnaissance photographs of the D-Day invasion beaches and a series of photographs documenting bridges and dams on the Rhine and Roer Rivers in Germany.
Also included among the documents in Folder 4 is one archival item from Brigadier General Bruce A. Adams (United States Army, 1969-1998), one of Adams' sons. In addition, several items in the objects component of the collection belonged to George E. Adams, Sr., who served in the United States Army infantry during World War I.
Series I, Manuscripts, includes military personnel documents, correspondence between Adams and his family, maps, and a log book. The log book covers his flight training only; none of his flights in Europe are recorded in the log. Also included are a yearbook for one of Adams' training classes and a newspaper clipping from his hometown newspaper.
Series II, Photographs, consists of sixty-five (65) photographs, most of which are aerial photographs of Western Europe. There is also a small number of images showing men in the 30th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron enjoying leisure time and some formal group portraits of the pilots. It appears that the photographs in Folders 6 and 7 may have at one time been stored in the "30th in the ETO" folder in Folder 8, and that they served as a sort of scrapbook of the 30th's activities in the European Theater.
There are an additional one hundred seventy-five (175) aerial photographs of Western Europe, taken in 1944-1945. Some of the images are reconnaissance images, while others are records of the damage inflicted by Allied bombing. The images are from all of the major operations that the 30th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron participated in, including reconnaissance photographs of the D-Day invasion beaches and a series of photographs documenting bridges and dams on the Rhine and Roer Rivers in Germany.
Also included among the documents in Folder 4 is one archival item from Brigadier General Bruce A. Adams (United States Army, 1969-1998), one of Adams' sons. In addition, several items in the objects component of the collection belonged to George E. Adams, Sr., who served in the United States Army infantry during World War I.
Dates
- circa 1943 to 1945
Creator
- Adams, George Earl, Jr., 1923-1996 (Person)
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
0.95 Cubic Feet (1 full-width legal size document box and 1 flat box)
Abstract
Collection of materials related to the military service of Second Lieutenant George E. Adams Jr., who served as a reconnaissance pilot in World War II.
Biographical Note: George Earl Adams, Jr.
George Earl Adams, Jr. was born March 23, 1923 in Kansas. Adams, Jr. was accepted for flight training with the Army Air Force in 1943, and volunteered for Photo Reconnaissance duty. During his training and throughout the war he flew in a variety of aircraft, including North American AT-6 Texans and Lockheed P-38 Lightnings.
During 1944-1945, Adams, Jr. flew 68 missions with the 30th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron. He received the Air Medal with 8 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. By the end of the war he had achieved the rank of 1st Lieutenant.
After being discharged from the Air Force in 1946, he attended Kansas State University and graduated with a B.S. in Agriculture. In the following decades, Adams, Jr. farmed and continued his service through work with the National Guard. He retired from the Kansas National Guard as a Major on the Brigade Staff at Forbes Field (Topeka, Kansas).
George and his first wife, Yvonne Cassidy Adams, had eleven children (three died in infancy). Yvonne passed away in February 1982. In July 1983, he married Ramona Kuhn Adams. After retiring in 1984, George and Ramona moved to Puyallup, Washington and ran a small berry farm. The couple ran the farm until they moved to Sumner, Washington in the early 1990s. George Earl Adams, Jr. died in Sumner, Washington on August 17, 1996.
During 1944-1945, Adams, Jr. flew 68 missions with the 30th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron. He received the Air Medal with 8 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. By the end of the war he had achieved the rank of 1st Lieutenant.
After being discharged from the Air Force in 1946, he attended Kansas State University and graduated with a B.S. in Agriculture. In the following decades, Adams, Jr. farmed and continued his service through work with the National Guard. He retired from the Kansas National Guard as a Major on the Brigade Staff at Forbes Field (Topeka, Kansas).
George and his first wife, Yvonne Cassidy Adams, had eleven children (three died in infancy). Yvonne passed away in February 1982. In July 1983, he married Ramona Kuhn Adams. After retiring in 1984, George and Ramona moved to Puyallup, Washington and ran a small berry farm. The couple ran the farm until they moved to Sumner, Washington in the early 1990s. George Earl Adams, Jr. died in Sumner, Washington on August 17, 1996.
Historical Note: 30th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron
The 30th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron was activated on May 1, 1943. The Squadron originally trained at Peterson Field (Colorado) but moved to Will Rogers Field (Oklahoma) on October 8, 1943. On January 1, 1944 the squadron was sent to New Jersey, where they took a boat to Europe. They arrived at Chalgrove Airfield (Oxfordshire, England) on February 1, 1944.
The squadron began operations out of Chalgrove in March. The squadron flew numerous missions over occupied Europe, mapping 6,000 square miles of the Netherlands and assessing bombing damage in Belgium, Holland, and France during April of 1944.
In May of 1944 the squadron moved to Middle Wallop (Hampshire, England), and continued to photograph occupied territory. During this period the Squadron received a Distinguished Unit Citation for their work photographing Utah Beach from May 7th–20th, 1944. This mission was particularly dangerous since the Normandy beaches were heavily armed with anti-aircraft ammunition and they needed to fly at very low altitudes to capture the images needed for planning the D-Day invasion.
After the successful invasion of mainland Europe, the 30th moved to Le Molay (Basse-Normandie, France) in July 1944. Throughout 1944 and early 1945 the squadron continued to move east, providing aerial reconnaissance for the First and Third Armies. The squadron entered Germany in August 1944, and took part in the Siegfried Line offensive and the Battle of the Bulge.
After the Army's entry into Germany, the 30th photographed dams and bridges on the Rhine and Roer Rivers and aided the continued Allied assault on German forces. They ended the war in Eschwege, Germany and were sent home to the United States in early July 1945. The 30th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron was officially demobilized on November 7, 1945.
The squadron began operations out of Chalgrove in March. The squadron flew numerous missions over occupied Europe, mapping 6,000 square miles of the Netherlands and assessing bombing damage in Belgium, Holland, and France during April of 1944.
In May of 1944 the squadron moved to Middle Wallop (Hampshire, England), and continued to photograph occupied territory. During this period the Squadron received a Distinguished Unit Citation for their work photographing Utah Beach from May 7th–20th, 1944. This mission was particularly dangerous since the Normandy beaches were heavily armed with anti-aircraft ammunition and they needed to fly at very low altitudes to capture the images needed for planning the D-Day invasion.
After the successful invasion of mainland Europe, the 30th moved to Le Molay (Basse-Normandie, France) in July 1944. Throughout 1944 and early 1945 the squadron continued to move east, providing aerial reconnaissance for the First and Third Armies. The squadron entered Germany in August 1944, and took part in the Siegfried Line offensive and the Battle of the Bulge.
After the Army's entry into Germany, the 30th photographed dams and bridges on the Rhine and Roer Rivers and aided the continued Allied assault on German forces. They ended the war in Eschwege, Germany and were sent home to the United States in early July 1945. The 30th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron was officially demobilized on November 7, 1945.
Biographical Note: George Earl Adams, Sr.
George Earl Adams was born July 19, 1899 in Kansas. He served in the 1st Field Artillery of the Kansas National Guard in World War I, and was a trench runner on the Western Front. After the war, Adams married L. V. Adams in 1923 in Kansas City, Missouri. George Earl Adams, Sr. died in April 1963 in Ohio.
Biographical Note: Bruce A. Adams
Brigadier General Bruce A. Adams was one of George E. Adams Jr.'s sons. Adams attended Kansas State University, and received a commission from the Army upon his graduation in 1969. Adams was on active duty in Germany from 1971 to 1975, and then served as a reservist in the Army from 1975 to 1998.
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.
Separated Materials
The following items have been separated from the archival component and are kept in Objects storage:
World War I United States Army infantry helmet
World War I United States Army dagger with sheath
World War I United States Army Air Force bayonet with sheath
Four (4) unit insignia pins (crest with motto “Semper Parvo Meliores”), circa World War I
World War II Luftwaffe sword with sheath
World War II Luftwaffe dagger with sheath
World War II German portepeeunteroffizier [sword knot]
World War II German uniform cap
World War II United States Army Air Force garrison cap
World War II United States Army Air Force Major rank pin
World War II United States Army survival kit
World War II [German?] binoculars
German goggles case
World War II era United States Government document case
Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity identification card in case (George Earl Adams, Jr.)
Three (3) brown leather patches with G.E. Adams in gold
World War II United States Army Air Force 9th Air Force patch
World War II United States Army Air Force silk map of Spain, France, and Portugal
World War II United States Army Air Force silk map of Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, and Switzerland
World War II German armband (gold, black and white with words "Deutsche Wehrmacht")
World War II German armband (red, white and black with swastika)
Two (2) World War II German swastika pennants
Two (2) World War II German swastika banners
Two (2) sets World War II United States Army Air Force dog tags for George E. Adams Jr.
Fifty-one (51) coins from various countries in Europe, circa 1908-1988 (bulk World War II era)
Twenty-seven (27) pieces of paper currency from various countries in Europe, circa World War II
Small clear glass vial containing black sand, circa World War II
World War II United States Army Air Force compass
World War II Victory Medal
World War II Victory Medal ribbon
World War II Air Medal
World War II Air Medal lapel button
World War II Air Medal ribbon
World War II Air Medal ribbon with oak leaf cluster
World War II Distinguished Flying Cross medal
World War II Distinguished Flying Cross lapel button
World War II Victory Medal
World War II Victory Medal ribbon
World War II Distinguished Unit Badge ribbon
Three (3) ribbons on metal backing (Armed Forces Reserve Medal, American Campaign, World War II Victory Medal)
World War II United States Army Air Force Marksmanship pin, Pistol-D
Three (3) Air Defense Artillery pin
Four (4) Chemical Warfare Service pins
Four (4) World War II United States Army Air Force Captain bars
Three (3) unit insignia pins (crest with motto “Better Than The Best”)
Gold religious cross military uniform pin
- Adams, Bruce A.
- Adams, George E., Sr., 1899-1963
- Adams, George Earl, Jr., 1923-1996
- Aerial reconnaissance
- Air pilots, Military
- Airspeed Horsa Mk.I (AS.51)
- Arc de Triomphe (Paris, France)
- Belgium
- Bombing, Aerial
- France
- Germany
- Hunter Field (Savannah, Ga.)
- Lockheed F-5 Lightning Family, Civil Use
- Lockheed P-38 Lightning Family
- Lockheed P-38L Lightning
- Netherlands
- Notre-Dame de Versailles (Church : Versailles, France)
- Republic P-47 (F-47) Thunderbolt Family
- Tour Eiffel (Paris, France)
- United States. Army Air Forces
- United States. Army Air Forces. Photographic Squadron, 30th
- Will Rogers World Airport (Oklahoma)
- Williams Air Force Base (Ariz.)
- World War, 1939-1945
- aerial photographs
- clippings (information artifacts)
- correspondence
- identity cards
- logs (records)
- maps (documents)
- military records
- newspapers
- photographic prints
- printed ephemera
- yearbooks
Creator
- Adams, George Earl, Jr., 1923-1996 (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the George E. Adams, Jr. Collection
- Status
- Completed - Level 4
- Author
- L. Zaborowski, J. Parent
- Date
- 2015
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Edition statement
- 2nd Edition
Revision Statements
- 2018: This finding aid has been revised to reflect updated DACS and Museum of Flight standards.
- November 2018: Finding aid migrated to ArchivesSpace.
- May 2020: Updated related agents.
Repository Details
Part of the The Museum of Flight Archives Repository
Contact:
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874
curator@museumofflight.org
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874
curator@museumofflight.org