William George Forsyth collection

Collection

Identifier: MSS-3697

No requestable containers

Scope and Contents

The collection contains the U.S. Army Air Corps dress uniform worn by William George Forsyth during World War II. This uniform was a precursor to the uniforms developed by the military when the United States Army Air Corps morphed into the United States Air Force. The uniform in this collection consists of only the tunic and pants; there are no rank or unit insignia.

The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), established in 1941. Although abolished as an administrative entity in 1942, the Air Corps (AC) remained as one of the combat arms of the Army until 1947.

The collection also contains a copy of the Veterans Hospital News of 7 November 1947 from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with a front page article about Forsyth's dog, Bease, who logged 185 hours flying with Forsyth, as well as photocopied photographs of Bease climbing into a C-47.

Dates

Creation: circa 1941

Biographical / Historical

William George Forsyth, son of Arthur R. and Elizabeth Harris Forsyth, was born on 8 January 1910 in Birmingham, Alabama, the fourth of five children. He entered Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, and later enrolled at the University of Alabama where he majored in Civil Engineering. He married Elizabeth D. and the couple had one daughter, Julia (Judy).

He joined the United States Army in September 1940, serving as a Gunnery Officer in the Army Air Corps. He was discharged on 29 June 1947, and received an Honorable Discharge from the Air Force Reserve with the rank of Major.

Forsyth died in February 1992, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Extent

3 Linear Feet (contains Forsyth's U.S. Army Air Corps dress uniform)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Forsyth's United States Army Air Corps World War II era dress uniform and an article about his dog.

Provenance

gift of Judy Phipps (daughter), 2013

General

To provide faster access to our materials, this finding aid was published without formal and final review. Email us at archives@ua.edu if you find mistakes or have suggestions to make this finding aid more useful for your research.