El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-08-23
Air Service Covers District
Between Nogales, Ariz.,
and Fort Hancock.
Nv FIRST LIEUT.. f. W. RALEf,
Air Service.


The air service troops stationed in
this district are organized into what
IL known as the First BON Daronenl
grouD, under command 81 MAJ l. -
Walton. J. n. A. The 1lrsl eelacL-
ment, consisting OF i've re nav s 5ll.-llo
Il Tobfn. arrived at Fort Bliss from
Kelly field on June IL 1919
Two flights Of six machines each,
from Ellington field arrived shorty
after. These detacnnents pecan w a
Immediately, patroling the Der1tr
from Columbus. n. n. TO i orr nan
cock. Tex The territory covered mas
since been extended. and the group
now covers the border from Nosales.
Ariz. to Sanderson, Texas
The group is euipped with the De
Havilland-4 planes, powered Win
Liberty u cylinder engines. Inc ma
chimes are an American adaplauon OF
an English model. redesiSned to ae-
commodate the Liberty engine Ine
machines are equipped with MarilI
synchroniZed guns firing 1orM arr
through the propeller disc and lex
fble Lewis guns aft. bomb racks, and
in addition. as the duties OF me srolp
now consist chiefly OF Observation
and reconnaissance work, the ma
chimes have been equipped With wire
less telegraph outfits
Two Served Overseas
With two exceptions. none OF the
officers now on duty with the sEoup
served with IL overseas Capt Cecli
q. Sellers, now commanding the 96tn
squadron. was placed in command OF
the goth squadron at the time OF inc
organization of the group, prior 70 the
St Nihiel drive. Lieut. T. =. smith
now a member OF the 18th squadron.
was assigned TO the seth squadron al
Maulan The pilots and observers
now serving with the Organization
are mostly from Ellington and Kelly
fields, where the majority OF them
have served as instructors
The present commanding officer OF
the group. Mai walton. graduated
from the United States military acad-
envy IN 1915, Joined the 10th cavalry
in September Of that year. He served
under Cen John J. Pershing from
March till December. 1915 Maj. Wall
ton received his flying training al
Rockwell field. san Diego. Calits
where he was stationed until August,
1917. Subsequently he was stationed
IN turn at Kelly. Call and Brooks
fields. for short time was stationed
at Washington on temporary duty.
acted as assistant to Col James z
Fechet. district supervisor, and prior
TO assuming command Of this organi-
zation was officer in charge OF flying
at Kelly field Maj Walton is known
as an authority on flying training,
he having organized schools for ny
ing llSLE leLoE6 At 9EQlhH anu nG.A-
fields, where, under his direction. tie
Gosport method OF flying training was
adapted 10 the training Of American
pilots
First Group Organized
The first bombardment group was
originally organized on September Z,
1918. at Amanty. France. and consist
ed Of the nth aero squadron. com
manded by Lieut.. Thornton 2. Hooper.
the goth. commanded by Capt Cecil
G. Sellers and the 9sth. commanded
by Capt. Somerset The group com
mander was MAI J. L Donsworth-
About the middle OF October the l6sth
l squadron was added 70 the group.
| Commanded by Capt. Parks. with the
i exception OF the 96th squadron. the
group was enuiDped with De Havil-
! land planes. OF the same type as those
new being used at this station The
9sth was equipped with Breguets, a
French bombing machine
During the first three days OF the
Z st. MihieI drive the nth and goth
sduadrons were used as biplace pur-
J suit squadrons. while the s6th per
formed day bombing duties On Sep