Records of the Army Air Force
Records Available at the National Archives at Fort Worth
Introduction
On August 1, 1907, the Chief Signal Officer created an Aeronautical Division within his office, and thus establishing an air service. Captain Charles De F. Chandler and two enlisted men were assigned to the Division with responsibility for all matters pertaining to military ballooning, air machines, and kindred subjects.
By an act of Congress approved July 18, 1914, created an Aviation Section in the Signal Corps charged with the duty of training 60 officers and 260 enlisted men in matters pertaining to military aviation. In 1915, the Aeronautical Division was established within the Office of the Chief Signal Officer and entrusted with the supervision of aviation matters. The National Defense Act of June 3, 1916, provided for an appreciable increase in personnel, but it was not until August that the first sizable aviation appropriation was made--a sum of $13,281,666. It was not until April 1917, however, did the organization of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer begin to expand. Between April and July, eight new divisions were formed--all concerned primarily with aviation functions. An Equipment Division was established in August as a result of the passage of the Aviation Act of July 24, 1917, in which Congress authorized an appropriation of $640,000,000 to increase the commissioned and enlisted strength of the Signal Corps of the Army, including the Aviation Section thereof. In September, several other divisions were abolished and consolidated into a new Air Division (formerly the Aeronautical Division). The Office of the Chief Signal Officer underwent numerous reorganizations throughout the next 8 months, but the aviation functions continued to be concentrated in the Equipment and Air Divisions.
An executive order, issued on May 20, 1918, transferred the duties connected with the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps to two separate and newly established agencies: the Division of Military Aeronautics and the Bureau of Aircraft Production. The Air Service Division (formerly the Air Division), became the nucleus for the Division of Military Aeronautics, under Brigadier General William L. Kenly. Kenly held the responsibility for all aviation functions except aircraft production. John D. Ryan became the director for the Bureau of Aircraft Production (the former Equipment Division), and assumed all activities pertaining to aircraft production.
Although the Executive order of May 20, 1918, attempted to spell out the division of responsibility between these two autonomous agencies, there were still conflicts. In August 1918, John Ryan was appointed Second Assistant Secretary of War and Director of Air Service, and gained the responsibility of supervising both the Bureau of Aircraft Production and the Division of Military Aeronautics. The two agencies operated separately until December when Major General Charles T. Menoher was appointed Director of Air Service.
When War Department General Order No. 19 of January 29, 1919, made the Director of Air Service directly responsible for the supervision, control, and direction of both the Division of Military Aeronautics and the Bureau of Aircraft Production, a massive consolidation of the two aviation agencies started. The end result: a unified Air Service. An Executive order of March 19 solidified the unification of the two departments under the control of the Director of the Air Service. On July 11, legislative authority extended the wartime organization of the Air Service as an independent branch of the War Department for another year. Although many air officers desired an independent air force, the Army Reorganization Act of June 4, 1920, the title of the Director of Air Service was changed to Chief of Air Service.
The Air Corps Act of July 2, 1926, changed the name of the Air Service to the Air Corps, but the position of the air arm within the War Department remained essentially the same as before. With the creation of the General Headquarters Air Force in March 1935 at Langley Field, the Office of the Chief of the Air Corps retained responsibility only for material, training, and related noncombatant air matters. In June 1941, however, a new position, Chief of the Army Air Forces, was created and charged with control of both agencies. At the same time the General Headquarters Air Force was renamed the Air Force Combat Command. By a general reorganization of the War Department in March 1942, these two agencies were merged into the single Headquarters Army Air Forces, under a Commanding General. In 1946, a general postwar reorganization was effected, and in September 1947 the Army Air Forces was renamed the United States Air Force under the newly created Department of the Air Force, as established by the National Security Act of 1947.
Related records in the National Archives might be found in: Record Group 98, Records of United States Army Commands; Record Group 107, Records of the Office of the Secretary of War, Record Group 111, Records of the Office of Chief Signal Officer; and Record Group 120, Records of the American Expeditionary Forces, 1917-21.
LIST OF PERSONS WHO HEADED THE AIR SERVICES 1906-1953
The National Archives at Fort Worth holds records of the following Army Air Fields:
- Barksdale Field, Shreveport, Louisiana
- Barron Field, Everman, Texas (formerly known as Taliaferro Field No. 2.)
- Brooks Field, San Antonio, Texas
- Call Field, Wichita Falls, Texas
- Carruthers Field, Benbrook, Texas (formerly known as Taliaferro Field No. 3.)
- Duncan Field, San Antonio, Texas
- Eberts Field, Lonoke, Arkansas
- Ellington Field, Houston, Texas
- Gerstner Field, Lake Charles, Louisiana
- Appendix A (War Department Decimal Classifications)
- Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas
- Love Field, Dallas, Texas
- Post Field, Fort Sill, Oklahoma
- Randolph Field, San Antonio
- Rich Field, Waco, Texas
- Taliaferro Field, Hicks, Texas (known as Taliaferro Field No. 2 until April 30, 1918.)
- 2nd Provisional Wing, Park Place, Houston, Texas
- Aerial Photography School, University of Texas, Austin Texas
- Air Service School for Radio Operations, University of Texas, Austin Texas
- Little Rock Aviation General Supply Depot, Little Rock, Arkansas
- San Antonio Air Depot, Duncan Field, Texas
- Sam Houston Aviation Supply Depot, San Antonio, Texas
- Aviation Examining Board, Camp Dick, Dallas Texas
- Fort Sam Houston, Texas
Barksdale Field, Shreveport, Louisiana
Barron Field, Everman, Texas (formerly known as Taliaferro Field No. 2.)
Brooks Field, San Antonio, Texas
Call Field, Wichita Falls, Texas
Carruthers Field, Benbrook, Texas (formerly known as Taliaferro Field No. 3.)
Duncan Field
Eberts Field
Ellington Field
Gerstner Field
Kelly Field
Love Field
Post Field
Randolph Field
General Records
Air Corps Training Center
School of Aviation Medicine
Rich Field
Taliaferro Filed (known as Taliaferro Field No. 2 until April 30, 1918.)
2nd Provisional Wing
Aerial Photography School
Air Service School For Radio Operations
Little Rock Aviation General Supply Depot
San Antonio Air Depot
Sam Houston Aviation Supply Depot
Aviation Examining Board
Fort Sam Houston
Appendix A
War Department Decimal Classifications