Augustus M. Brenneke Papers

Collection

Identifier: F006-85

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection contains photographs, correspondence, military records, and memorabilia that were created and/or collected by Augustus M. Brenneke during his military career with the American Expeditionary Forces. The Augustus M. Brenneke Papers are housed in one half-size manuscript box, totaling 0.2 linear ft.

The collection arrived in good condition and was initially processed with only a container list as description. Due to a change of the content management system, further description proved to be necessary.

Dates

1914 - 1972
Majority of material found within 1914 - 1918

Language of Materials

Collection is in English.

Access Restrictions

Materials in this collection are open for research.

Literary Rights Statement

Permission to publish material from this collection in any form, current or future, must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives Division, Eugene McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas.

Biographical Sketch

Augustus M. Brenneke, also known as Gus, was born in Avon, Livingston County, New York on October 29, 1894 to Martin Brenneke. The latter was born in 1864 in Hannover, Germany and immigrated to the United States sometime during the 1880s. Augustus had two brothers, Charles and Rudolf Brenneke.

Augustus M. Brenneke graduated from New Bedford in Massachusetts High School and attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he completed his ground school training. In 1916, he enlisted in the Aviation Section, Signal Corps, the predecessor of the United States Air Force. At Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas, Brenneke completed his basic training, after which he went to Benbrook Field, Fort Worth, Texas as a flight instructor. He was sent overseas to Toms, France in 1917 with the 28th Squadron, part of the American Expeditionary Forces. After being honorably discharged from the services on July 15, 1919, Brenneke returned to Dallas, Texas, where he worked for the Elrod Engineering Firm.

On June 2, 1923, Augustus M. Brenneke married Ms. Mary Leah Norwood. They had three children, two daughters and one son. One of the daughters died in early infancy. The couple then moved to Denison, Texas, where Brenneke found employment with the Julian Field Paving Company.

During World War II, Brenneke designed and constructed airfields for the United States government and Pan American Airways. After the war, Brenneke returned to Dallas and worked for Chappell Stokes and Brenneke.

Augustus M. Brenneke died on June 18, 1984 at the age of eighty-nine in Dallas, Texas. He was survived by his wife Leah Norwood Brenneke, his daughter Mary Elizabeth Dean, his son Noorwood Martin Brenneke, three grand-children, two great-grand children, as well as his two brothers and several nephews.

Sources

Source: "Augustus M. Brenneke Papers," Military Record Certificate of Honorable Discharge, Folder 7, Box 1, Series number, History of Aviation Archives, Special Collections and Archives Division, Eugene McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas.
Source: "Brenneke Family Tree, Descendent of Martin Brenneke, Augustus Martin Brenneke," accessed August 27, 2018, brennekefamilytree.com/Page1-2-1-6-1.htm
Source: "Find A Grave", database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 27 August 2018), memorial page for Augustus Martin “Gus” Brenneke (29 Oct 1894–18 Jun 1984), Find A Grave Memorial no. 32562257, citing Oakwood Cemetery, Honey Grove, Fannin County, Texas, USA; Maintained by Carole Curry (contributor 46835680)
Source: "My Corner Online," Descendants of Johann Heinrich Brenneke and Juliane Caroline Herbst, accessed August 27, 2018, http://www.mycorneronline.com/brennecke/brenneckeunlinked4.html

Extent

0.2 Linear Feet ((One half-size manuscript box).)

Additional Description

Abstract

Augustus M. Brenneke, also known as Gus, served with the 28th Squadron of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. He received his training at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas and served as a flight instructor at Benbrook Field in Fort Worth, Texas, (also known as Taliaferro No. 2) and Carruthers Field.

The collection contains photographs, correspondence, memorabilia, and military records.

Series Description

The archivist kept the original organization intact without any further arrangement.

Provenance Statement

The Augustus M. Brenneke Papers were donated to the History of Aviation Archives, Special Collections and Archives Division, Eugene McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas, by his son Norwood M. Brenneke, on 1985-03-28.

Additional Sources

Additional information can be found in the History of Aviation Archives in the following collections: George H. Williams Jr. World War Aviation I Library

Image ID

It is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission from copyright holders of materials to which this institution does not own copyright.

Images in this collection are identified by a unique number that provides information about the format, record group, collection, series, box, folder, and image numbers. Please use this number when ordering reproductions of images from this collection.

Record Group Code

1 = CAT/Air American Archives

2 = Doolittle Archives

3 = Lighter than Air Archives

4 = George H. Williams, Jr., World War I Aviation Library

5 = History of Aviation Archives

6 = University Archives

7 = HAC Stacks

8 = WPRL Stacks

9 = Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Collection

10 = Belsterling Collection

11 = Closed Stacks

12 = Unidentified

13 = Chance Vought Archives

14 = Twirly Birds Archives

Image Format Code

P = Photograph/Postcard

S = Slide

N = Negative

T = Positive Transparency

B = Black and White

C = Color

Example: 4AMB-1-1-PB1

4 = George H. Williams, Jr., World War I Aviation Library

AMB = Augustus M. Brenneke Papers

= Series Number

1 = Box Number

1 = Folder Number

P = Photograph/Postcard

B = Black and White

1 = Image Number

Images archived in plastic image holders may also have a location code in the format: 1/TL. In this example, the number is the sheet number and the letters indicate the top left position on the sheet. Position indicators are T = top, L = left, R = right, M = middle, and B = bottom. Position indicators may be combined to describe the position on the sheet, as shown in this example.

Subjects

Brooks Air Force Base (Tex.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Dallas (Tex.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Fort Worth (Tex). Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
George H. Williams, Jr. World War I Aviation Library Subject Source: Local sources
Kelly Field (Tex.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Pan American World Airways, Inc. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
United States. Army. Air Service. Aero Squadron, 19th Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
World War, 1914-1918 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings