billerwin

L to R: Then 1st Lieut. Arthur J. Coyle, 1st Aero Squadron CO, and 1st Lieut. William P. Erwin standing along the left side of Coyle’s Salmson 2A2 #24. SDASM's scan will show the '2' better.

At center in the photo is American fighter ace William P. "Bill" Erwin. Erwin would perish in 1927 searching for missing fliers during the ill-fated Dole Air Race from Oakland to Honolulu, Hawaii. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Portwood_Erwin

L to R: Lieutenants Harry C. Roberts and George M. Belser, Captains William P. Erwin (shown wearing his Distinguished Service Cross, an eight-victory ace from the 1st Aero Squadron) and Thomas C. Traill (an eight-victory Bristol Fighter ace from 20 Squadron RAF), and Ewin T. Carroll (Lieut. Frank Carroll’s father and a prominent Evangelical Methodist, Local Preacher in Illinois), at Forest Park in St. Louis on April 14, 1919. This was the Victory Loan Flying Circus, Mid-West Flight's fourth air show during their tour of the Midwest. (Note: Roberts face is missing here, but I have my own personal copy, which is in much better condition.)

American World War I fighter ace William P. Erwin. Bill Irwin would perish while searching for those lost during the ill-fated Dole Air Race in 1927. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Portwood_Erwin en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dole_Air_Race

1st Lieut. William P. Erwin, location unknown but probably Coblenz, Germany along the Rhine River, December 1918‒early January 1919, eight miles SE of the Weißenthurm aérodrome, where the 1st Aero Squadron was stationed postwar.