William Thaw II

William Thaw II
Nickname	Bill
Born	12 August 1893(1893-08-12) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Died	22 April 1934(1934-04-22) (aged 40) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Allegheny Cemetery	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	French Foreign Legion; aviation
Years of service	1914 - 1917 (France) 1917 - 1918 (USA)
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Unit	Escadrille No. 6, Escadrille No. 42, Escadrille No. 65, N124 (Escadrille Americaine)
Commands held	103rd Aero Squadron USAAS, 3rd Pursuit Group USAAS
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, french Legion d'Honneur and Croix de Guerre

Lieutenant Colonel William Thaw II (12 August 1893(1893-08-12) – 22 April 1934(1934-04-22)) was a World War I flying ace credited with five confirmed aerial victories and two unconfirmed ones. He is believed to be the first American to engage in aerial combat in the war.^[1] He was the first to fly up the East River under all four bridges.^[2]

Early life

He was born on August 12, 1893 to Benjamin Thaw, Sr.^[1] He learned to fly in 1913, while he was attending Yale University. His father bought him a Curtiss Hydro flying boat that he took to France for the Schneider Trophy races. When war broke out, Thaw gave his airplane to the French and enlisted in the Foreign Legion.^[2]

Military career

He joined Escadrille 6.^[1] He then became a Corporal in Escadrille 42 in 1915, flying a Caudron. He flew a Nieuport in Escadrille 65, before transferring into a French unit composed of American volunteers, known as the Escadrille Americaine, Escadrille 124 under its new designation became nicknamed the Lafayette Escadrille.^[2]

Thaw scored his first kill using a Nieuport on 24 May 1916. His next kill was on 27 April 1917. He had two unconfirmed claims in late 1917. He was transferred to the United States Army Air Service, where he commanded the 103rd Aero Squadron and the 3rd Pursuit Group. He would score three quick wins for them, in April and May 1918. His final tally was one enemy observation balloon and four airplanes shot down.^[1]

Final years

He married Marjorie Everts on March 2, 1921.^[3][4] He died of pneumonia on 22 April 1934 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.^[1][3][5] He was buried in Allegheny Cemetery.^[1] His widow died in 1936.^[4]

Honors and awards

• Distinguished Service Cross (DSC): "The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to William Thaw, Major (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Reims, France, March 26, 1918. Major Thaw was the leader of a patrol of three planes which attacked five enemy monoplanes and three battle planes. He and another member of the patrol brought down one enemy plane and the three drove down, out of control, two others, and dispersed the remainder."^[1]
• Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) with Oak Leaf Cluster: "The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to William Thaw, Major (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Montaigne, France, April 20, 1918. In the region of Montaigne Major Thaw attacked and brought down, burning, an enemy balloon. While returning to his own lines the same day he attacked two enemy monoplanes, one of which he shot down in flames."^[1]
• French Légion d'Honneur.^[1]

See also

• List of American Aero Squadrons

Sources of information

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} "William Thaw". http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/usa/thaw.php. Retrieved 2010-10-09. "Abandoning his studies at Yale in 1913, William Thaw, the son of Benjamin Thaw, obtained a pilot's certificate from the Curtiss school and became a flight instructor. When war broke out in Europe, he volunteered for the French Air Service but was rejected. Instead, on 4 September 1914, he joined the French Foreign Legion and served in the trenches. Despite poor vision, defective hearing and a bad knee, Thaw was permitted to join the French Air Service in December 1914. After serving as an observer/gunner, he received flight training and was reassigned to the Escadrille Americaine on 28 April 1916. ..." 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Norman Leslie Robert Franks. Nieuport Aces of World War 1. [Osprey Publishing]]. p. 66–67. ISBN 1855329611. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Colonel Thaw, War Ace, Dies After Week's Illness .". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 23, 1934. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HeAdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NmkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3663,2740374&dq=benjamin+thaw&hl=en. Retrieved 2010-10-09. "Colonel Thaw leaves his widow, Mrs. Marjorie Everts Thaw; a brother, Benjamin Thaw, counsellor of the United States embassy at Oslo, Norway; and a sister, ..." 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Mrs. William Thaw 2D; Widow of the Lafayette Escadrille Commander Dies on Coast". New York Times. March 16, 1936. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60C14FD395B1B7B93C4A81788D85F428385F9. Retrieved 2010-10-09. "William Thaw 2d of Pittsburgh. At her marriage to Colonel Thaw on March 2, 1921, ... Commander of the Lafayette Escadrille and an "ace" in the World War, ..." 
5. ^ "William Thaw 2nd, War Ace, 40, Dead; Won 3 Citations for Service in Lafayette Escadrille and Third Pursuit Group. Became Aviator in Youth. First to Fly Up East River Under All Four Bridges. Member of Pittsburgh Family". Associated Press in the New York Times. April 23, 1934. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10711FA3F5B107A93C1AB178FD85F408385F9. Retrieved 2010-10-09. "William Thaw 2d, commander of the heroic little band of American fliers who formed the Lafayette Escadrille and made blazing ..."