Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Donald Smith aviation training record
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Donald Smith aviation training record
- Date
- 1943-1944 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Smith, Donald E., 1924-1944
- Extent
- 0.05 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Air pilots, Military
- World War, 1939-1945.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0554: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Donald Smith aviation training record, 1943-1944, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Donal Edson Smith (1924-1944) was born in Bedford Hills, New York, to Albert Edson Smith (1892-1947) and Ida Hyde Smith (1982-1985). Donald trained to be a fighter pilot from 1941 to 1944 at the Southern Aviation School in Camden, South Carolina, and was killed in combat on August 18th, 1944 ,in Paris, France. He is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.
- American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.
- Scope and Content
- The Donald Smith aviation training record (dated 1943-1944; 0.05 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises the records of Donald Smith's training as a pilot while at the Southern Aviation School in Camden, South Carolina during World War II. This record lists the flights of Smith from June 1943 to August 1944. This log is broken down into sections including; date, make of aircraft, make of engine, flight path, time, and remarks from instructors. Smith recorded flights starting locally in Camden, around surrounding states, and then eventually flying to both England and France. The only mentions of combat are two flights concerning ship bombings and a flight around Paris on August 18th, 1944 when Smith was killed. Also included in the collection are two training certifications belonging to Smith dated December of 1942.
- The Donald Smith aviation training record is part of the Wade Hall Collection of American letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
