Raynal Cawthorne Bolling

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Raynal Cawthorne Bolling was a lawyer-turned-aviator who led the "Bolling Mission" to Europe for the purpose of studying aircraft in the Allied countries.

He worked for U.S. Steel and in 1913 was its chief solicitor.[1]

Major Bolling impressed many people with whom he came in contact. Thus, Secretary of War Newton Baker selected Bolling to head a team of experts that investigated and recommended what airplanes and equipment the US government should produce. The group included Bolling, Captain V.E. Clarke, Captain E.S. Gorrell, Commander W.G. Westervelt and Lieutenant W.G. Childs of the US Navy, Mr. Howard Marmon of the Nordyke and Marmon Company, Mr. Herbert Hughes of the Packard Motor Company, Mr. C.H. Heilman of the Northway Motor Company, Mr. W.B. Hurley of the Midvale Steel Company, Mr. R.A. Vail of the Dodge Motor Company, and Mr. Stay of the Aluminum Castings Company. Known thereafter as the “Bolling Mission,” the group prepared for travel to Europe in mid-June 1917.[2]

The Bolling Mission arrived in England on 17 June 1917, then traveled to France and Italy. Bolling recommended buying airplanes from French or Italian manufacturers.[2]

General John J. Pershing soon thereafter, on 30 August 1917, signed a contract with the French for 5,000 aircraft and 8,500 engines.[2]

Bolling was deployed to work under Billy Mitchell in Paris, and soon thereafter personally appointed by Pershing as the Director of Air Service Supply for the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force. "As such, Bolling oversaw the Balloon Division, the many training schools, air depots, and the aerial photography units."[2]

Shortly after that, he was relieved in Paris by Brig. Gen. Benjamin Foulois, who

assigned him as the chairman of the Joint Army-Navy Aircraft Committee so that he could serve as the intermediary between the U.S. military and the American companies producing aircraft and aircraft parts. Ostensibly this was done to coordinate the activities of the miltiary and the aviation industry in procuring aircraft. During the same period, Bolling served as General Pershing's aviation representative on the Supreme War Council.[2]

He then switched to a combat command, visited the Royal Flying Corps facility in Amiens in March 1918.[2]

He died after being shot on a scouting mission in Germany.[1]

His papers are held by the Greenwich Historical Society in Connecticut.[1]

Several long quotations from Bolling regarding the difficulties of procurement and training can be found in the linked essay.[2]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mark K. Christ, "Raynal Cawthorne Bolling (1877–1918)", Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, last updated 13 February 2018.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Larson, Burge, & Barr, 2015, pp. 15–16.

Links


Names Raynal Cawthorne Bolling
Birth date 1877-09-01
Death date 1918-03-26
Countries US
Locations Hot Springs, Arkansas; Cambrdige, Massachusetts; Greenwich, Connecticut
Occupations attorney, military officer
Tech areas Airplane
Affiliations U.S. Army
Wikidata id