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Note: President during census: William H Taft · 1910 census included a question regarding if an individual was a survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy · The first flight to carry cargo leaves Huffman, Ohio and lands in Columbus, Ohio – November 7, 1910 · Henry Ford patents the Automotive Transmission – Oct 10, 1911 · HMS Titanic strikes an iceberg on April, 14 1912 · Publication Title: Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917-1919Content Source: The National Archives Publication Number: M990 Publisher: NARA National Archives Catalog ID: 631392 National Archives Catalog Title: Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, compiled 07/05/1917 - 08/31/1919, documenting the period 05/26/1917 - 03/31/1919 Record Group: 120 Short Description: NARA M990. Historical narratives, reports, photographs, and other records that document administrative, technical, and tactical activities of the Air Service in the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. Roll: 0025 · Image Info* - alternate info Series: H Series Description: Mechanics Regiments Volume: 4 Volume Description: History of the 4th Air Service Mechanics Regiment Views: 28 · Marcus SharpDeparture Date:15 Jul 1918Departure Place:New York, New YorkResidence Place:Schlater, MissNext of Kin:Mr Edward B SharpRelationship:FatherShip:ThemistoclesMilitary Unit:4-M MRank:PrivateService Number:2397734Notes:12th Company 4th Motor Mechanics Regiment, Signal Corps Name:Marcus SharpDeparture Date:16 Jun 1919Departure Place:St Nazaire, FranceArrival Date:28 Jun 1919Arrival Place:Brooklyn, New YorkResidence Place:Inverness MississippiNext of Kin:Edward B. SharpRelationship:FatherShip:Luckenbach, JuliaMilitary Unit:11TH CO 4 MRAS Rank: Corporal
Marcus SharpShip:ArchimedesRank:PrivateService Number:2397734
Without the time or infrastructure in the United States to equip units to send overseas using aircraft designed and built in the U.S., the AEF Air Service acquired Allied aircraft designs already in service with the French and British air services. On August 30, 1917, the American and French governments agreed to a contract for the purchase of 1,500 Breguet 14 B.2 bombers-reconnaissance planes; 2,000 SPAD XIII and 1,500 Nieuport 28 pursuits for delivery by July 1, 1918. By the armistice, the AEF actually received 4,874 aircraft from the French, in addition to 258 from Great Britain, 19 from Italy, and 1,213 of American manufacture, for a total of 6,364 airplanes. 1,664 were classed as training craft.[31] The United States recognized that French skilled labor was severely limited by war casualties, and promised to train and deploy 7,000 automobile mechanics to aid the French Motor Transport Corps. In December 1917 the Aviation Section developed a maintenance organization of four large units termed Motor Mechanics Regiments, Signal Corps, each regiment consisting of four battalions of five companies totaling more than 3,600 men. The key innovative element was the use of junior officers recruited from the automobile industry as "technical officers" to supervise maintenance. In February 1918, Colonel S.D. Waldon of the Signal Corps returned from observing British factory and field methods in aviation operations, just as the Bureau of Aircraft Production concluded that the French were unable to meet their aircraft production goals. Waldon recommended that the regiments be reorganized for aircraft instead of automobile mechanics. The change came too late to affect the 1st and 2nd Regiments, which landed in France in March 1918, but both the 3rd and 4th Regiments reorganized, delaying their deployment until the end of July. By the Armistice all four regiments were configured as aircraft repair and maintenance units, and designated Air Service Mechanics Regiments. The primary aircraft used by the AEF at the front (the "Zone of Advance") were the SPAD XIII (877), Nieuport 28 (181), and SPAD VII (103) as pursuit aircraft, the DeHaviland DH-4B (696) and Breguet 14 (87) for daylight bombing, and the DH-4 and Salmson 2 A.2 (557) for observation and photo reconnaissance. The SE-5 operated as the main trainer for the Air Service. Balloon companies operated the French-designed Goodyear Type R, a winch-tethered, hydrogen-filled, captive "Caquot" observation balloon of 32,200 cubic-foot (912 cubic meters) capacity, deploying one balloon per company.[n 13]
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