William Carey Van Fleet, Jr. attended the University of California from 1909 to 1911. He departed school early to work on a ranch in Nevada and in the oil industry in California. He also assisted in the development of J.J. Trumble's small one-man submarine in which the U.S. government had no interest. (Japan incorporated its design into the miniature submarines it used during WW2.)
On July 21, 1917, Van Fleet enlisted in France's Service Aeronautique. On July 31, 1917 he entered the aviation, acrobatic, and gunnery schools at Avord, Tours, Pau, Cazeaux, and the G.D.E. He received his brevet on the Caudron on October 1917, and he graduated from the training pipeline on June 30, 1918.
From July 1 to August 28, 1918, Caporal Van Fleet was assigned and flew with Escadrille SPA 78 where he was a "skillful and aggressive pilot." On August 24, 1918, at the request of his father, Sergent Van Fleet enrolled in the Naval Reserve Flying Corps in Paris. He was given the rank of Ensign and Naval Aviator #1731 (HTA).
From September 1-15, 1918, Ensign Van Fleet served at the U.S. Naval Air Station at Dunkirk. From September 15 to October 30, he flew chasse aircraft at the Front with Escadrille de Saint-Pol and was awarded France's Croix de Guerre with Palm for "his great initiative and courage during numerous pursuit patrols and combats." He was also awarded the U.S. Navy Cross for his "combats with enemy airplanes, and in attacks upon enemy batteries."
Ensign Van Fleet served with the Northern Bombing Group from October 31 to the end of the war on November 11, 1918. His service included time aboard the U.S.S. Texas, 6th Battle Squadron, where he and fellow Lafayette Flying Corps pilot Lt Willis Haviland introduced the U.S. Fleet to the English method of piloting land scout planes from the ship's deck.
Following WW1, Van Fleet was stationed at the seaplane training station at Bay Shore, Long Island, New York. He was honorably discharged on December 30, 1921.
Van Fleet settled in Mexico and went to work in the oil industry. In 1925 he married Margaret Clare MacNachtan of Lake Ontario, Canada. In the late 1920's, Van Fleet returned to California and established the Van Fleet-Durkee chain of automobile gas stations. In 1932 he sold the chain to Shell Oil. Eventually, he became the third senior Shell officer in the United States and President of Shell Services, Inc. He retired from Shell Oil in the late 1930's and pursued his hobby of fly-fishing.
[Source: "The Lafayette Flying Corps: The American Volunteers in the French Air Service in World War One," by Dennis Gordon. Schiffer Military History; Atglen, PA: 2000.]
On July 21, 1917, Van Fleet enlisted in France's Service Aeronautique. On July 31, 1917 he entered the aviation, acrobatic, and gunnery schools at Avord, Tours, Pau, Cazeaux, and the G.D.E. He received his brevet on the Caudron on October 1917, and he graduated from the training pipeline on June 30, 1918.
From July 1 to August 28, 1918, Caporal Van Fleet was assigned and flew with Escadrille SPA 78 where he was a "skillful and aggressive pilot." On August 24, 1918, at the request of his father, Sergent Van Fleet enrolled in the Naval Reserve Flying Corps in Paris. He was given the rank of Ensign and Naval Aviator #1731 (HTA).
From September 1-15, 1918, Ensign Van Fleet served at the U.S. Naval Air Station at Dunkirk. From September 15 to October 30, he flew chasse aircraft at the Front with Escadrille de Saint-Pol and was awarded France's Croix de Guerre with Palm for "his great initiative and courage during numerous pursuit patrols and combats." He was also awarded the U.S. Navy Cross for his "combats with enemy airplanes, and in attacks upon enemy batteries."
Ensign Van Fleet served with the Northern Bombing Group from October 31 to the end of the war on November 11, 1918. His service included time aboard the U.S.S. Texas, 6th Battle Squadron, where he and fellow Lafayette Flying Corps pilot Lt Willis Haviland introduced the U.S. Fleet to the English method of piloting land scout planes from the ship's deck.
Following WW1, Van Fleet was stationed at the seaplane training station at Bay Shore, Long Island, New York. He was honorably discharged on December 30, 1921.
Van Fleet settled in Mexico and went to work in the oil industry. In 1925 he married Margaret Clare MacNachtan of Lake Ontario, Canada. In the late 1920's, Van Fleet returned to California and established the Van Fleet-Durkee chain of automobile gas stations. In 1932 he sold the chain to Shell Oil. Eventually, he became the third senior Shell officer in the United States and President of Shell Services, Inc. He retired from Shell Oil in the late 1930's and pursued his hobby of fly-fishing.
[Source: "The Lafayette Flying Corps: The American Volunteers in the French Air Service in World War One," by Dennis Gordon. Schiffer Military History; Atglen, PA: 2000.]
William Carey Van Fleet, Jr. attended the University of California from 1909 to 1911. He departed school early to work on a ranch in Nevada and in the oil industry in California. He also assisted in the development of J.J. Trumble's small one-man submarine in which the U.S. government had no interest. (Japan incorporated its design into the miniature submarines it used during WW2.)
On July 21, 1917, Van Fleet enlisted in France's Service Aeronautique. On July 31, 1917 he entered the aviation, acrobatic, and gunnery schools at Avord, Tours, Pau, Cazeaux, and the G.D.E. He received his brevet on the Caudron on October 1917, and he graduated from the training pipeline on June 30, 1918.
From July 1 to August 28, 1918, Caporal Van Fleet was assigned and flew with Escadrille SPA 78 where he was a "skillful and aggressive pilot." On August 24, 1918, at the request of his father, Sergent Van Fleet enrolled in the Naval Reserve Flying Corps in Paris. He was given the rank of Ensign and Naval Aviator #1731 (HTA).
From September 1-15, 1918, Ensign Van Fleet served at the U.S. Naval Air Station at Dunkirk. From September 15 to October 30, he flew chasse aircraft at the Front with Escadrille de Saint-Pol and was awarded France's Croix de Guerre with Palm for "his great initiative and courage during numerous pursuit patrols and combats." He was also awarded the U.S. Navy Cross for his "combats with enemy airplanes, and in attacks upon enemy batteries."
Ensign Van Fleet served with the Northern Bombing Group from October 31 to the end of the war on November 11, 1918. His service included time aboard the U.S.S. Texas, 6th Battle Squadron, where he and fellow Lafayette Flying Corps pilot Lt Willis Haviland introduced the U.S. Fleet to the English method of piloting land scout planes from the ship's deck.
Following WW1, Van Fleet was stationed at the seaplane training station at Bay Shore, Long Island, New York. He was honorably discharged on December 30, 1921.
Van Fleet settled in Mexico and went to work in the oil industry. In 1925 he married Margaret Clare MacNachtan of Lake Ontario, Canada. In the late 1920's, Van Fleet returned to California and established the Van Fleet-Durkee chain of automobile gas stations. In 1932 he sold the chain to Shell Oil. Eventually, he became the third senior Shell officer in the United States and President of Shell Services, Inc. He retired from Shell Oil in the late 1930's and pursued his hobby of fly-fishing.
[Source: "The Lafayette Flying Corps: The American Volunteers in the French Air Service in World War One," by Dennis Gordon. Schiffer Military History; Atglen, PA: 2000.]
On July 21, 1917, Van Fleet enlisted in France's Service Aeronautique. On July 31, 1917 he entered the aviation, acrobatic, and gunnery schools at Avord, Tours, Pau, Cazeaux, and the G.D.E. He received his brevet on the Caudron on October 1917, and he graduated from the training pipeline on June 30, 1918.
From July 1 to August 28, 1918, Caporal Van Fleet was assigned and flew with Escadrille SPA 78 where he was a "skillful and aggressive pilot." On August 24, 1918, at the request of his father, Sergent Van Fleet enrolled in the Naval Reserve Flying Corps in Paris. He was given the rank of Ensign and Naval Aviator #1731 (HTA).
From September 1-15, 1918, Ensign Van Fleet served at the U.S. Naval Air Station at Dunkirk. From September 15 to October 30, he flew chasse aircraft at the Front with Escadrille de Saint-Pol and was awarded France's Croix de Guerre with Palm for "his great initiative and courage during numerous pursuit patrols and combats." He was also awarded the U.S. Navy Cross for his "combats with enemy airplanes, and in attacks upon enemy batteries."
Ensign Van Fleet served with the Northern Bombing Group from October 31 to the end of the war on November 11, 1918. His service included time aboard the U.S.S. Texas, 6th Battle Squadron, where he and fellow Lafayette Flying Corps pilot Lt Willis Haviland introduced the U.S. Fleet to the English method of piloting land scout planes from the ship's deck.
Following WW1, Van Fleet was stationed at the seaplane training station at Bay Shore, Long Island, New York. He was honorably discharged on December 30, 1921.
Van Fleet settled in Mexico and went to work in the oil industry. In 1925 he married Margaret Clare MacNachtan of Lake Ontario, Canada. In the late 1920's, Van Fleet returned to California and established the Van Fleet-Durkee chain of automobile gas stations. In 1932 he sold the chain to Shell Oil. Eventually, he became the third senior Shell officer in the United States and President of Shell Services, Inc. He retired from Shell Oil in the late 1930's and pursued his hobby of fly-fishing.
[Source: "The Lafayette Flying Corps: The American Volunteers in the French Air Service in World War One," by Dennis Gordon. Schiffer Military History; Atglen, PA: 2000.]
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