A local veterans group has asked me to purchase a paver for a memorial walk in my fathers honor.  One of the questions on the form is the branch served in. Since dad was in the US Army Air Corps, I want to be sure that I fill it out correctly. I do see USAAF on many posts but not any or at least many USAAC. Which is correct for WWII vets since there was no AIR FORCE until 1947? This is chiseled in stone so I would like it to be correct!

Bar Flies insignia 73FS 318FG 7AAF

Hugh,

As past Quartermaster of my local VFW Post I processed a considerable
number of applications for membership. The last official designation of
service branch affiliation is standard procedure. If your dad entered
service in the USAAC but was discharged from the USAAF, the latter
would be used for your purposes.

Hope this helps.
Bob

Bob, Thank You, I will look on his discharge papers. Sorry I didn't think of that!Thanks again,   Hugh 

Bar Flies insignia 73FS 318FG 7AAF

For what its worth the info I have read shows the Army Airforces came into Being on June 20, 1941.  Army Air Corps prior to that date.  Henry L. Stimson( Secretary of War),George C. Marshall(Army Chief of Staff), with General H.H.(Hap) Arnold as head of Army Airforces.

From our old FAQ section which languishes in obscurity now.

The Army Air Forces was established on 20 Jun 41.  It did not replace the Army Air Corps, but controlled Air Corps and GHQ, Air Force units.  It became the United States Air Force on 18 Sep 47.  In the spring of 1942, GHQ, Air Force (renamed Air Force Combat Command on 30 Jun 41) was discontinued and units that had formerly reported to it (primarily the numbered Air Forces in the United States) or to the Chief, Air Corps (primarily schools and support commands) were transferred directly to Headquarters, Army Air Forces, ending the Army Air Corps as anything other than a branch.

Scott Burris, 381st BGMA LTM
ArmyAirForces.com

    According to the Air Force Historical Studies Office, the Army Air Corp existed as a combatant arm of the Army Air Force until September 1947.   If one was in an active theater of operations, he was technically in both.

Steve G

I don't believe that's correct at all.

Here are some lovely organizational charts I recreated in visio.

Army Air Forces, organizational chart, 1942, - need to track my source down on this one.
Army Air Forces, organizational chart, 1944 - 1945, Vol. VI, ed. Craven and Cate, p 46.

Attached Image(s)

Scott Burris, 381st BGMA LTM
ArmyAirForces.com

You can have real fun reading about AAF organizational structure.

I'm trying to reread chapter 2 "The AAF" of The Army Air Forces in World War II: vol VI Men and Planes edited by Craven and Cates, to clear the confusion.  The one thing I know for certain is that I may need an asprin or two.

Scott Burris, 381st BGMA LTM
ArmyAirForces.com

I go along with Scott on this one. The following may be overkill
but here it is;

1-Aug-1907 / United States Army Signal Corps Aeronautical Division
18-July-1914 / United States Army Aviation Section
14-May-1918 / United States Army Air Service
1926 / United States Army Air Corps
9-Mar-1942 / United States Army Air Force
26-Jul-1947 / United States Air Force

Bob

Good chronology, but it's important to remember that the Air Corps didn't go away, it was placed elsewhere in the command structure.  Mostly dealing with training, supply, and ferrying.
 
There are some other members here who are really into the weeds on this stuff and can explain it better.

Scott Burris, 381st BGMA LTM
ArmyAirForces.com

If I'm not mistaken Scott, even though the AAC continued to exist it
was a subordinate internal component within the overall AAF structure.

Bob

From the perspective of usage and based on my personal official documents dated '43, '44 and '45 the term Air Corps was preferred.  Most are signed Joe Doe, Ist Lt., Air Corps.  Higher up authorities would indicate Army Air Forces in referring to an organization.

The term Air Corps was often the usual and, may I say proud, designation used by we combat crews.  This was preferred even to Army Air Corps

We didn't like to think we were a part of the Army.

Bob Gilbert
Ball Turret Gunner, Goldin crew
381st Bomb Gp., 533rd Bomb Sq.
US 8th Air Force

Bob do you think that's because it was the name known by the public for the 15 years or so before the war, or was that sense more from the the core pre-war personnel of the service that lead and trained the massive war-time expansion?

Scott Burris, 381st BGMA LTM
ArmyAirForces.com

Skybear - No offense, but there was never an Army Air Force. Your entry dates and designations I can agree with, except for THE ARMY AIR FORCE. There was only the ARMY AIR FORCES. I know it's a big deal over nothing, but I read that Chuchhill said, "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."

The Lineage of the United States Air Force

• Aeronautical Division, US Signal Corps
  1 August 1907 - 18 July 1914

• Aviation Section, US Signal Corps
  18 July 1914 - 20 May 1918

• Division of Military Aeronautics
  20 May 1918 - 24 May 1918

• Air Service
  24 May 1918 - 2 July 1926

• Air Corps*
  2 July 1926 - 18 September 1947

• Army Air Forces
  20 June 1941 - 18 September 1947

• United States Air Force
  18 September 1947
  
  * The Air Corps became a subordinate element of the Army Air Forces on 20 June 1941, and it continued to exist as a combat arm of the Army until 1947.
  

Scott Burris


Bob do you think that's because it was the name known by the public for the 15 years or so before the war, or was that sense more from the the core pre-war personnel of the service that lead and trained the massive war-time expansion?

Scott,

I think it probably was the result of positive publicity for the flying branch of the Army.  It may not have ever been exactly correct, but it was simple and felt good.  Maybe believing our own propaganda.  There was a common slogan used "The Air Corps Takes Care of its Own" when activities that were unique such as the Flak Shack rest home arrangements were identified.

Just my guesses.

Bob Gilbert
Ball Turret Gunner, Goldin crew
381st Bomb Gp., 533rd Bomb Sq.
US 8th Air Force

From Wikipedia:

During World War II the role of the Air Corps changed again. On March 9, 1942, with the issuance of War Circular 59, the Air Corps was further subordinated to the USAAF as a combatant arm (as Infantry and Field Artillery were subordinate combatant arms of the Army Ground Forces) and the office of Chief of the Air Corps was abolished. The required Congressional disestablishment of the Army Air Corps itself did not occur until 1947. 


Based on this, it seems fair to say the Air Corp is to the Army Air Force, as the Infantry is to the Army Ground Force.

Steve G

I'm looking at a certificate on my wall:
'FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE
The Comm. Gen. of the U.S. Army Air Forces
Extends the Gratitude of the
United States Army Air Forces
etc. etc.
Signed by Gen. "Hap" Arnold""

But as the old saying goes - call me anything but late for chow.
Jack

Wikipedia can't be relied upon.  It can be a useful place to start research but I wouldn't end it there.

I can find no combat elements attached to the Air Corps after the 1940 reorganization.   There was a clear division between combat commands of GHQAF and the logistic/training commands of the office of the Air Corps.

These charts are from The Army Air Forces in World War II: VI Men and Planes (Office of Air Force History), pp. 19, 27, and 33.

If there were combat elements attached to the Air Corps office I can't figure out what they were.

Attached Image(s)

Scott Burris, 381st BGMA LTM
ArmyAirForces.com

One more on the CONUS command progression, p 64 of the same source.

Attached Image(s)

Scott Burris, 381st BGMA LTM
ArmyAirForces.com