Manuscripts

Lindley Field History

MSS. COLL. #99


BRIEF INVENTORY

Title: Lindley Field History

Dates: 1927 – 1990

Quantity: ½ box

Types of Material: correspondence, printed material, oral histories, photographs, and thesis

Accession Numbers: 1989.12.1, 1991.10.1

Brief Description: This collection consists primarily of research materials collected for a UNCG history master’s thesis about Lindley Field from its establishment in 1927 to the military’s exit in 1946. It also contains an early version of the thesis, “Lindley Field: A Port of History, 1927-1946,” and the final version, Lindley Field: A Case Study in History Forgotten, by William John Decker, 1990.

The research materials include three cassette tapes with oral history interviews featuring Fritz Schwaemmle, a retired Delta executive, Clint Johnson, a worker at Lindley from the late 1920s to the early 1940s, and William Beerman, who was trained in the Civilian Pilot Training (CPT) program and flew in World War II. Beerman discussed the early history of Lindley Field (1920s–1940s), the CPT program, accidents, early Lindley military information, and the cemetery under the Taxi-way. Other items include printed reminisces of pilot Howard Weant about his experience in aviation school in Greensboro and early years as a pilot (1927-1931), correspondence related to the early years at Lindley Field (1927-1933), photocopies of newspaper articles about and in memoriam of Mary Nicholson (stunt pilot and Greensboro native), a military report about the history and military actions of the 47th Bombardment Group stationed at Lindley Field (January 1941-August 1943), a military report about the 326th aircrew college training detachment stationed at High Point College during World War II, and photocopies of information about Lindley Field (Airway Bulletin, March 13, 1928). The photographs show various airplanes at Lindley Field, pilots who flew at Lindley, and Lindley Field (1930s-1940s).

Major Names/Subjects: Air Force combat units of World War II
Airports–North Carolina
Aviation Education Programs (U.S.)
Beerman, William
Johnson, Clint
Lindley Field (Guilford County, N.C.)
Schwaemmle, Fritz
United States. Army Air Forces. Bombardment Group (Light), 47th
Weant, Howard

Date Surveyed: 12/14/2011