William Thaw II

William Thaw II
Lieutenant Colonel William Thaw II, 1918
Born(1893-08-12)12 August 1893
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
Died22 April 1934(1934-04-22) (aged 40)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Buried
Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Plot: Section: 20, Lot: 55
Allegiance France
 United States
Service / branchAéronautique Militaire (France)
Air Service, United States Army
Years of service1914–1918 (France)
1918 (USA)
RankLieutenant Colonel
UnitAéronautique Militaire
  • Escadrille D.6
  • Escadrille C.42
  • Escadrille N.65
  • Escadrille N.124 (Lafayette Escadrille)

Air Service, United States Army

Commands103rd Aero Squadron
3d Pursuit Group
Battles / wars World War I
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, french Legion d'Honneur and Croix de Guerre
William Thaw II and Stephen McGordon photographed while flying under the four bridges of New York's East River, October 1913. Mr. Thaw is seated at the left hand steering wheel at the right of the picture.
William Thaw II, right arm in a cast, member of the Lafayette Escadrille stands in front of a Nieuport XVI

Lieutenant Colonel William Thaw II ((1893-08-12)12 August 1893 – (1934-04-22)22 April 1934) was an American combat aviator who served in World War I and became a flying ace. Credited with five confirmed and two unconfirmed aerial victories, he is believed to be the first American to engage in aerial combat in the war.[1] He was the first to fly up the East River under all four bridges.[2]

  1. ^ "William Thaw". Retrieved 2010-10-09.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference nie was invoked but never defined (see the help page).