National Air and Space Museum Archives

William E. G. Taylor Collection

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.1999.0033
Creators:
Taylor, William E. G., 1905-1991
Dates:
[ca. 1920s-1970s]
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1.14 Cubic feet
(1 slim legal document box) (1 flatbox)
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of the following types of material documenting Taylor's remarkable aviation career: two scrapbooks, photographs, invitations, correspondence, identification cards, newspaper articles, Eagle Squadron Association material, Armed Forces memoranda, and biographical information. The scrapbooks contain material mostly highlighting Taylor's aviation career and the countries where he served; however, there are also photographs of Russia before the 1917 Revolution.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
William E. G. Taylor (1905-1991) was an aviator for the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Taylor enrolled at the Guggenheim College of Aeronautical Engineering at New York University, but left to join the Naval Reserves in 1925. He received his Naval pilot's license in 1927 and was assigned to Fighting Squadron Five, Scouting Fleet. He resigned in 1928 when his squadron was ordered to inactive status and he then joined the US Marine Corps Reserve, where he was an aviator from 1928-1933. In 1933, he was again ordered to inactive status. At this point Taylor left the Armed Services and became a pilot for United Airlines. In 1939, however, he joined the Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy, where he was in combat operations aboard the HMS Furious and HMS Glorious. Taylor then joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and became the first Squadron leader for the Eagle Squadron (71 Squadron, RAF), January - June 1941. In June, Taylor left the Eagle Squadron and rejoined the United States Naval Reserve, 1941-1951 where he served on the following vessels: Lexington, Yorktown, Wasp, Enterprise, Saratoga, and Ranger. After the war, Taylor was, among other posts, the commanding officer of Project Afirm and the commanding officer for the Night Attack and Training Unit, Atlantic (NACTU). In 1951 Taylor resigned from the Navy Reserves and worked first for Braniff Airlines in Panama, and then as a Vice President for Scandinavian Airlines System.

Administration

Immediate Source of Acquisition
Connie J. Ford-Miller, Gift, 1998, 1999-0033, NASM

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Use
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests

More Information

General

General
NASMrev


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Aircraft carriers Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aeronautics, Military Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aeronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Air pilots Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fighter pilots Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
World War, 1939-1945 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Airlines Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Russia -- Politics and government -- 1894-1917 Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ephemera Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Clippings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Articles Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Scrapbooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Great Britain. Royal Naval Air Service Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. Navy -- Aviation Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. Navy Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. Marine Corps Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Great Britain. Royal Air Force Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Great Britain. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Great Britain. Royal Air Force. 71 Squadron (Eagle Squadron) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Yorktown (Aircraft carrier, CV-10) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lexington (Aircraft carrier : 1927-1942) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wasp (Aircraft carrier : CVS-18) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Enterprise (Aircraft carrier : CV-6) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Saratoga (Aircraft carrier : CV-3) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ranger (Aircraft carrier : CV-4) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. Navy. Night Attack and Training Unit, Atlantic Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Scandinavian Airlines System Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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