AAF pilot serial numbers
 

Is there a website, or other source, which would assist in finding serial numbers for AAF pilots, or in rare situations, where a serial number is known but I cannot match it with a name? I am concerned primarily with Ninth Air Force pilots and have several gaps even after going through all of the group and squadron records (microfilm and CD) and files at NARA II. Thank you for any help.

Kent

Re: AAF pilot serial numbers
 

I don't know of any really good site. The Army and USAF section of this site has sometimes been helpful, but it is a matter of luck if the person you seek is listed.

http://www.usofficerdocuments.com/index.html

You can do a google "site search" to find by a serial number.

E.g: site:www.usofficerdocuments.com/ "1688073"

will find an officer whose serial number contains 1688073, the search will find:

YABLON, ABRAHAM O-1688073

(Actually, I just noticed that their built in "Search" works for serial numbers also.)



fold3.com can sometimes be helpful as names and serial numbers will appear in MACRs, sometimes just in the witness statements.

Re: AAF pilot serial numbers
 

RSwank,

Thank you for the lead, I will check into it. I do subscribe to fold3 so have gone through it, as well as AAF Study #85 (which is limited to pilots who were awarded victories), both the POW listing and Escape and Evasion listing thru on-line NARA as well as other misc documents and records I run across from various sources.

Kent

Re: AAF pilot serial numbers
 

Hello,
What are the names that you are looking for service numbers for ?
What are the service numbers that you are looking for names for ?
Alex

Re: AAF pilot serial numbers
 

Alex,

There are way too many to list or ask folks to supply information on. I'll keep plugging away, or if the list gets whittled down quite a bit, I may ask for certain individuals.

Kent

Re: AAF pilot serial numbers
 

Give this site a try.


http://airforcehistoryindex.org/

Re: AAF pilot serial numbers
 

Ed,

Thanks for another possible source. I will do some browsing on this site.

Kent

Re: AAF pilot serial numbers
 

Kent,
The problem, as far as I can tell, is that the Army (and the Air Force after it seceded from the Army) never published Reserve Officers Registers, only Regular Officers Register. The Navy and Marine Corps did publish Reserve Officers Registers.

There are only two sources I have found for names and service numbers of Army Air Force officers, neither of which exists in any complete collection. The first is the graduation orders from the Advanced Training Air Fields, for pilots, navigators and bombardiers. In the best cases they put the list of graduates in alphabetic order, with full name (ie, middle name included, not just middle initial), and then assigned them sequential service numbers. Sometimes it is only middle initial; and sometimes even the service numbers are left out. I do not know if those training fields still in operation (for example, Luke and Randolph) have copies of their advanced training graduation orders for the wartime years.

The other source are the General Orders (GO) issued by the various commands. I have never seen General Orders giving middle names. Sources for these would be the AFHRA at Maxwell, and the MPRC in St Louis, but neither collection is complete as far as I know. And GOs will involve a lot more paper than advanced training graduation orders, since they will contain the full text of award citations. And the GOs are usually unavailable after 1970 when the services went to using Social Security Numbers instead of assigned service numbers.

Enjoy!

Frank.

Re: AAF pilot serial numbers
 

Frank,

Thank you for the information. I've been to Maxwell but need to make another visit when time permits. From time to time I have had access to "mass" orders assigning pilots to Eighth and Ninth Air Force units, normally received from fellows who thankfully kept all of their orders and other paperwork. If I ever happen to run across any documents which are organized or fairly complete, I will pass it along. Thanks again to all who have responded.

Kent