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Descriptive Finding Guide for the Horace Clyde Balsley Personal Papers
SDASM.SC.10013
SDASM.SC.10013
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Table of contents
Title: Horace Clyde Balsley Personal Papers
Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.10013
Contributing Institution:
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.36 Cubic feet
One Archival Box
Date (inclusive): 1893-1942
Abstract: Primarily, this collection focuses on Balsley’s service as a member of the Lafayette Escadrille. A significant item is a reprint
of Balsley’s war-time diary. This collection contains many newspaper clippings concerning injuries sustained when his airplane
was shot down in service. Balsley gained some fame and therefore generated much publicity when making appearances or speeches
during his subsequent service during war bond drives. Several letters seem to detail Balsley’s efforts to claim benefits from
the Veteran’s Administration. The collection also includes Balsley’s wedding announcement to actress Miriam MacDonald and
references to her sister, actress and producer Katherine MacDonald.
Related Archival Materials note
Photos of Balsley from the San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives are available for viewing on Flicker.com. Catalog numbers
BIOB00048–BioB00054.
Related Research Institutions: Allan H Muhr Photograph Collection, Hoover Institution Archives, Hoover Institution, 434 Galvez
Mall Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305-6010 650-723-1754; http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt809nf5wt/admin/#P2
Secondary Sources: Mason, Herbert Mason, Jr. The Lafayette Escadrille: (New York, Random House, 1964) Gordon, Dennis, Lafayette
Escadrille Pilot Biographies: (Missoula, Mont, First American Printing 1991).
Photos from the Collection have been digitized and are available for viewing.
Conditions Governing Access note
The collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Some copyright may be reserved. Consult with the library director for more information.
[Item], [Filing Unit], [Series Title], [Subgroups], [Record Group Title and Number], [Repository “San Diego Air & Space Museum
Library & Archives”]
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
The materials in this Collection were donated to the San Diego Air and Space Museum.
Capt. Horace Clyde Balsley (July 27, 1893 – July 23, 1942) was a member of the Lafayette Escadrille and the first American
whose plane was shot down during World War I, in effect, the first American pilot to be shot down in aerial combat. Lafayette
Escadrille was a French fighter squadron mostly comprised of American volunteers to aid France. The group hoped to encourage
America to abandon neutrality. Balsley was born in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. In 1915, he chose to go to France and participate
in the European conflict seeing it as a chance to see the war and to learn aviation. He was first a part of the American Ambulance
Hospital. In early 1916, he was accepted to the Air Guard of Paris, and he trained on the Nieuport 23. He became the ninth
American pilot of Lafayette Escadrille. Balsley’s combat career was short: his plane was shot down June 18, 1916. Association
of American Volunteers in the Foreign Legion 1914–1918. Upon his return to the US, Balsley served as a flight instructor at
Gerstner Field, near Lake Charles, Louisiana. Later, he was assigned to participate in recruiting and war bond drives. He
married silent film actress Miriam MacDonald in 1919. Never quite recovering from his combat injuries, Balsley became a general
manager for the Merle Norman cosmetics firm in Los Angeles until his death in 1942.
Primarily, this collection focuses on Balsley’s service as a member of the Lafayette Escadrille. A significant item is a reprint
of Balsley’s war-time diary. Telegrams, newspaper articles, letters, certificates, military documents, photos, address book,
calling cards, post cards, military base charge slips, orders, affidavits, Cross and Cockade journal.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Balsley, Horace Clyde, 1893-1942
France. Armée. Escadrille Lafayette.
Naval Air Station North Island. (Calif.)
Nieuport 23
Rockwell Field
World War, 1914-1918