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[2 0 J~19i9] INFORM ATIOn SECTION ..

AIR SERVlCi A.-. j62d AJtRQ. .59.J.l&>J\.OH. . ....

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4, 1917 - 462d Aero Squadron was formed ae the 48th Provisional Squadron at Kelly ~iald. Lieutenant R. L. Walsh being the tir1t · Commanding Otticer, succeeded bf Lieutenant E. R. Scroggie •

• 25, 1917 - The squadron was made into the fir1t conat.ruction 1quad~on for

air· aervic.e work overseas. .. • .. . .. . . . . .. .

-SEPTDmER 17, 191'1 • The squadron· entrained for· Mineola arriYing September 21~ 191'1. ·

In October Captain H. M. Lamb reported and took the commaad1 ~way

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from Lieutenant Scroggie~· <-Al.10 Lieutenant Percy Blair. ' . Lieutenant llliot Cobb reported tor duty. i ~ .. , . ~ • . i

1917 ·- The 1quadrons embarked on th• Cunard Liaer "Pannonia... The voyage . was very etonriy and the ship loet ita convoy, arriving· ott ~he coa1t of Ireland on October 27th, where two ingliah

. ,. destroyers picked .it up and took it into . L~verpool. . . . . . . ' '

29, 1917 - ·Landed at Liverpool going to rest camp at Borden. spending two nights in a mud hole~ Then entrain~d tor 5outhempto~. . ...

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l, 1917 • Crossed the Channel on the "Viper" to Le Havre, spending one ' night at Rest Camp · No. 2. -

· 3, 191 '7 - Entrained for Issoudun where the squadron helped build the • .. •. ~ · largest flying instruction center in France now called .the 1 1

Third Aviation Instruction Center. Then the squadron built . \

barracks and shops out ot lumber from th~,llnited States and , erected French Bessoneaux hangars and did,kinda or work to ~ ~ ~ make a complete ·airdrome. · Here Lieutenant Blair waa detached end made Assistant· Provost Marshal end M. 'l'. o. of Iaaoudun,' ; ( and the surrounding country. Lieutenant Cobb was Assiatant · 1

Chief' Cone true tion Of tic er ot the Poet and in charge ot all t 1. building construction. 1' · .

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DECD4BER 2, 1917 • Lieutenant Scroggie took a detachment of torty mtti from the l'-'.. 1 aquadron to Tours, where th9y •tarted building th1 Beco~d t · · Aviation Inetruction Ceater. While there Lieutenant Scroggie took up flying and later joined the 94th Aero Squ!ldrea at the ;J Fz:ont. Being Yiounded and ta~en prisoner after a hard fight• f · Lieutenant Spaulding took charge of the detacbnent until ~ · : t Lieutenaat Scorggle was relieY1d1 by ~11utenant Deaa. The , t

t Squadro~ detacbment did epeedy 1xcellmt work oa building ~ barracks. . 1

' • • DECIMBER 16, 191'1 • Lieutenant Cobb took charge of building aix outside fields .

around the main ti ald at I1•1udun. Whena the 1quadron did taet · and 1xcell8at work of all kinda, . leTeling flying tield11

building barr~cka, road1, path• end hangars ad layi11g th1 water BJ&tem.

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DECEMBER 18 191'7 - At Iseeudun and Tours the squadron got, .th• reputation o·r being . ·· (continued) oae of the best all around conetructien unit• in the American

E. F. Lieutenant .B. C. Granger, was '8si•tant Constructioa Officer. under Lieu tenaat Frank on the main field. Wh1n Lieut­enet FrUk left h• took his place . ... Lieutenant .·H. W. Hillikl•)" assisted Lieutenant Cobb .in conetructing the outlying tielde. When completed he went to Romo nmtin. Lieutenant c. E. Palmer

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l9lS 1918

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stayed ·a short while having orders to report to · Colombey~lea• Belles. Lieutenaat E. D. Kiefer was Purchasing ~gent for, the Construction Department . at tlw post. · Later going with Lieut -

. enaat Frank. · ~ieutenut E. c. Fisher was tran·arerred to the 35th Aero Squadron ot which he took coi:unand shortly afterwards. Lieutenant R. 5~ Dean· who had charge of ·the Cadets at Third Aviation Instruction Cen•r was assiE)led aa Adjutant and Supply O!ticer of the squadron. Lieutenaat H • . B. Ramage wbo v.waa in charge ·of the construction and operati•a of· the leeoudun Railroadn•u,~ attaclied1 to .the 1quadron as a conatruction officer. During the atay at ·Ieaoudua the squadron n\lllber was changed to the 435th then to th• 462d, ~ whicqihe equadron 1till holds. ;'·

- ,Lieu~. Dean qrought . the detacbmmt back 'to . get readytt~ 90,lli~o · - The aquadllon entraia•d far tb rroat laading at Ro1it1f'la rn' 15018

- ~tarted to build th• Second Day Bombardment Airdrome, coaaiating ot 2'1 French Barracks, 14 Niaaon· Huts ud 15 Besaeaux Hangers, •ads bd all the necessary buil dlng,lc., . tor an airdrome. Here 200 Moraccalia assisted in leveling fly~ng · field. ·· Here Lieuten- · ant E. P. Peterman was assis,11•d tor duty from Colombey and took ·charge of barrack . conatrw: tiOn,camouflagin&athem i~h• woods. Lieutenant Ramage having charge ·or the· ti al.d and road work. Lieutenant Cobb as Chier Const·ruction Ot!icer.-

1918 • Captain Lamb was ordered to Paris for duty tu~ning o~er · the squadr~~- to Lieutenant Cobb. · ·

1918 - The 1quadron was attached tO the let Army and moved to Vancouleurs to build another airdrome in rush order tor the Saint Mihiel Drive. At the same time a small detachment with the Moraccans weat to BOY•• to do the same •

. 1918 ~The ·squadron moved ov•rlaad to BulainYitle, .Wheathey repaired

the field and barrack• and erected a few hangars. . . ,, , . " .

SEPTEMBER 19 • 1918 - Squadron moved to Vadelaincourt where they put u·p han iJir• and · alao at Foucaucourt. The hangars being trucked from Vt.uc•uleurs and co.lombey._ "

SEPT~BER 21, 1918 • Squadron moved to Liale •n Barroi• to ·ara•t barr&ek1 which they trucked from Yaucoul•ure. While here th• aquadron put up , more hangar• at Foucaucourt a11d helped otii.r coa1truction 1quam roa• erect hangar• en other field•.

- Squadron moyed to Paroia, Meuae, to build aa airdrome of 12 hangar• and 23 brracka. The field be:lag full o t trench and shell hol••· Here •• had to wait !or the doughbo11 to puah on. ~'- .

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NOVEMBll\ 6, 1918 • The squadron moved on to Buzaney to reconstruct a captured . German airdrome. 'lbe squadron waa the first aquadron 011 a Ger­

. man airdrome. Thia was the only airdrome the squadron built I '

that was never uaed. ...

NOVEMBER 11~ 1918' --The lrinietice was signed, thereTorestopping all work and· waited tor furtha r o rdere. \ f •

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Receired word that squadron was attached to the Third At'fft/ to go in to · Germany. · 1

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-NOVElBBER 20, 1918 - Squadron moved to Mercy l• Haut, taking all small tent• hangars with tilem. Got field ready in one day for one aqu~dron and then went back tor more hangar•.

DECQABER 2 • 1918 - Get erd1rs to move to Treves to prepare tor ·7 squadrons which

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the squadron did in three days.

The 462d Aero Squadron was the first construction squadr0J1 .. formed tor overseas duty; the first to land in England md France; ... the first to reconstruct a captured German airdrome. Also the first Air Service unit to enter Germany. On account of the ta.It and excellent work the squadron did in th• Fi nt Arm1, it was chosen as one of the two construction aquadr0ne to go with the Third ArlJ\Yt te lit: ·

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OFF~CE FIRST ARMY AIR SERVICE COWISSION AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES

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Franc•. November 21, 1918. /

· GENERAL ORDER ) • ...

No. 29

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x Extract.

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1. ~e Arm, Air Service Commander, First Army, desires to make or record in Gene'ral Orders of _the First Army Air Service his extreme .satisfaction with t~e conduct of the Otficera and Soldiers of the following unit•: ·

462d Aero Ce11etruction Squadron during ti. advance of our troop• in the St. Mihiel and Argonne-Meuse oft1nsiv1a constructed five &irdromes oa the retaken territory with auch alacrity as to enable our flyiag squadrons to carry on operations without del91. x x

OFFIUIAL: H. s. Sturgis

lat Lt •• A.s •• U.S.A., , Ad~utaat.

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By Order Col•n•l Milling:

w.c. Sherman Lt.co1.;a.s., u.s.A.,

Chief of Staff.

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