Archives at The Museum of Flight

Contents of the Collection The Lewis Paul Bowers World War II Collection is comprised of photographs and various textual materials, including military records, orrders, certificates, and correspondence, primarily related to the World War II experience of Lewis Paul Bowers, a flight navigator on a Consolidated B-24 Liberator ("Rude Nude") of the 307th Bombardment Group, 13th Air Force. There are also some items related to post-war activities as well as personal and family materials. The bulk of the collection...

Abstract William Orthman (1911-1990) was drafted into the United States Army in 1942. He served in the China-Burma-India Theater as Public Relations Officer. The collection is comprised of 340 photographs and a small amount of textual materials from his 1945-1946 service.

Abstract William Dummer Powell was born in about 1906 in Canada, became a United States citizen in 1935 and served in the Army Air Force 449th Bomb Group as a Staff Sergeant during World War II. The collection consists of a small amount of military documents, personal documents, and twenty-five (25) photographs primarily related to Powell's World War II service in the Army Air Force.

Abstract Seymour Rutberg (1919-2009) was a Jewish American World War II pilot. The collection documents Seymour Rutberg's World War II service as a pilot as well as his post-war service and veteran activities. A smaller amount of material is personal in nature. Most items are dated 1941-1952 and types of material include military records, flying logs, clippings, correspondence, reports and photographs.

Contents of the Collection The Margery Watson World War II Photographs is a small collection comprised of 31 photographs either taken or gathered by Margery Watson while she was employed at North American Aviation in Inglewood, California as a draftsperson between 1943-1945. The photographs are primarily small black-and-white snapshots that document NAA personnel adding a Merlin engine and performing engine tests on the prototype P-51 nicknamed "Baby" for United States Army Air Force ground crews. Some of the photographs...