E. C. Kirkpatrick Papers

This collection contains personal papers, CAT, CNAC, Air America, Flying Tigers, Hump Pilots, and Pan American Airways Association records, personal and association correspondence, membership directories and cards, reunions, mailing lists, journals, memos, rosters, contracts, and agreements, flight crew seniority lists, clippings, personal interest stories, certifications, identification cards, vaccination records, training materials, quizzes and proficiency records, newsletters, circulars, photographs, negatives, transparencies, one movie film, maps and charts, forms and instructions, post cards, business cards, and scrapbooks. The E. C. Kirkpatrick Papers are housed in forty-nine boxes of various sizes and one oversized flat file drawer totaling 46.71 linear ft.

The collection arrived in four accessions and was in very good condition and well organized. It was partially processed by another archivist. The previously processed materials were reviewed and as required, adjustments and changes were implemented so that uniformity was established and maintained throughout the processing effort. The archivist identified ten series with the first series being the Personal Papers Series, which is further organized into six subseries: 1. Correspondence, 2. Education and Employment, 3. Certificates, Identification, and Medical, 4. Social Memberships, 5. Log- and Scrapbooks, and 6. Assorted.

Subseries 1. covers family member and personal letters, bank deposit slips, real estate transactions, business correspondence, letters to and from William Leary, and queries concerning Royal Leonard.

Subseries 2. contains training lesson materials, course descriptions, quizzes and examinations, one Link Trainer Time Log, recommendation and qualification letters, security questionnaires, and compensation documents.

Subseries 3. includes airmen certificates, medical certificates and vaccination records, pilot licenses, identification cards, and country entry clearance papers.

Subseries 4. contains Saigon Club, CAT Association directories, and reunion documents, Flying Tigers Association membership rosters, bulletins, and newsletters, China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) newsletters and history, correspondence to and from Joe Muroney, Air America reunions and rosters, Hump Pilots Association reunions and rosters, Flying Tigers Association reunion reports, Pan American Airways (Africa) reunion documents, Air America Club reunion rosters and announcements, Over The Front membership directories, Museum of Aviation exhibit donation paperwork, and Confederate Air Force membership documents.

Subseries 5. includes Student Pilot’s Rating Books, Pilot Log Books, personal log books, scrapbooks containing subject matter relating to CNAC, Flying Tigers Association, letters describing the pioneering work done by CNAC to provide service between India and China, flying The Hump, Central Air Transport, and materials about General Claire Chennault, and Whiting Willauer, Introduction Manual to The DC-3, USAF Pilot’s Handbooks, USAF and U.S. Navy Radio Frequency Handbooks.

Subseries 6. contains flight plan receipts, TWA materials, and 12th Air Force security information.

The second series is the China National Airlines Corporation (CNAC) series containing policies and rules, pilot’s flight reports, radio facility charts, flight accidents, flying The Hump documents, flight crew lists, and employment history letter.

The third series is the Civil Air Transport (CAT) series that provides insight into the relationship of CAT and the French military forces involved in the Indo-China War. This series includes flight records, Operation Cognac and Project Squaw correspondence, contracts, and covenants between CAT and the French Government/Air Force, Pilatus PC-6/A specifications, Beechcraft B55 Baron documents, an extract from a William Leary book, pilot application form, a personal ballad about “Earthquake McGoon,“ images of Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar aircraft in flight and battle damaged articles on the ground.

The fourth series is the Air America series that encompasses materials about Sikorsky S-62 helicopters, leased aircraft documents, Fairchild C-123 Provider documents, air and sea rescue letter of appreciation from the American Embassy in Laos, flight crew rosters, and Air America history summary prepared by the CIA.

The fifth series is the Pan American Airways series comprised of newsletters, memoranda, flight information and schedules, news releases, and ferry services documents.

The sixth series is the Newspapers and Clippings series that includes a wide scope of subjects during the World War II era and post war activities in China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The contents consist of ferry pilots and civil aeronautics training articles, operational aircraft losses and accidents, CNAC aircraft, the Flying Tigers, Post World War II China, Air America, CAT, the battle of Dien Bien Phu, covert operations and the CIA, David Hickler’s efforts to seek government pensions, Flying Tiger Airlines, various articles about E. C. Kirkpatrick, the World War II Normandy landings, World War II history by battle, CNAC and Indo-China activities, and flying The Hump.

The seventh series is the Charts and Maps series. Some of these charts and maps contain handwritten notations specific to routes and approach paths. The contents includes Radio Beacon Charts, Long Range Navigation Charts, Special Air Navigation Charts, Pacific Airways Plotting Chart, Link Trainer Chart, New Zealand Flying Map, Foreign Charts, Aeronautical Planning and Flight Charts, USAAF Aero Plotting Chart and Variation of The Compass Chart, USAF Long Range Navigation Charts, China Proper Charts, China Regional foldable maps mounted on linen, Airways Map of the United States, Post Office Airmail Routes, London-Paris Channel Crossing Map, U.S. Foreign Airmail Routes, Manufacturers Aircraft Association Map of Air Routes of the World, Pan American System California-Hawaii map, Robertsville Ohio Quadrangle, Daily Telegraph War Map Number 5 Mediterranean and Northern Africa, S.W. England, Midlands, and Wales Aeronautical Map Ordinance Survey, and maps of France and Italy.

The eighth series is the Media Series, which is further organized into five subseries: 1. Photographs, 2. Negatives, 3. Transparencies, 4. Reel to reel film, and 5. Reference Log Books.

Subseries 1. contains mostly black and white photos from the mid 1930s to the late 1980s. A great majority are concentrated during the late 1930s through the 1960s. The geographical subject area is the Middle East and Asia Pacific. The photographs are extensive and cover a far ranging variety of subjects such as conventional and rotary operational aircraft, damaged and crashed aircraft, airport and remote sites, leisure time activities, business associates, friends, family, operations, venues under construction, military bases and maintenance facilities. There are also reconnaissance photos related to the missions supporting the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. These photographs are populated with hand written notations and are particularly interesting.

Subseries 2. includes negatives that are undated and specific subjects are difficult to ascertain. However, it is assumed that this content would have similar parallel topic themes as identified within the photograph collection. Some of the negatives mounted within archival polypropylene sleeves contain reference numbers that were applied when the collection was previously processed. Although this nomenclature was not removed, this schema is no longer being used and should be disregarded. There is also a folder of materials labeled as research materials for Joe Leeker. This remains intact from the previous processing of the collection.

Subseries 3. contains a large variety of 35mm and 120mm transparencies. They are mostly aligned to countries and cities geographically located in the Southeast Asia Region, plus Australia and New Zealand. Subjects consist of aircraft, maintenance and operations facilities, business associates, meetings, venues, friends, family, military installations, and recreational activities.

Subseries 4. contains one small reel of motion picture film. The subject could not be determined.

Subseries 5. includes three journal log binders that are a reference source to identify specific details about the transparencies within the collection. Each listed transparency is denoted with a number and a line item entry indicating the subject matter and the date. The same number is also noted on the related transparency.

The ninth series is the Ephemera series that includes CNAC flight folders and a commemorative booklet about a survey flight from Shanghai to Batavia, a CAT airline schedule, Eugene Hasenfus fund raising handouts, and a Taiwan travel brochure.

The tenth series is the Memorabilia series that contains certificates including a Pan American Air Ferries Graduation Certificate for Junior Pilots, CAT Service Certificates, National Geographic Society Certificate, Lockheed C-130 demo flight invitation, U.S. Naval Institute Membership Certificate, Membership Certification in the American Aviation Historical Society, Vietnam and Hong Kong currency, personal telephone and address booklets, financial records, CAT rolled calendars, CAT cigarette lighters, key chains, and desk calendars, CNAC identification booklet for James T. Scoff, a leather flying cap, ammunition belt, nose mask with hose, a “Sam Brown” belt, Cox and Stevens Aircraft Navigation Computer, U.S. Army Air Corps Dead Reckoning Computer Type E-6B, True Airspeed Calculator Type G-1, Dalton Aircraft Navigation Computer Mark VII, post cards addressed to and from relatives, friends, and business associates, and three Aviators Kit Bags AN 6505-1.