thaw

The Lafayette Escadrille, American volunteer pilots who flew combat missions for France before the US entered World War I.

Georges Thenault (1887-1948), commander of the Lafayette Escadrille - "the famed branch of the French air force in World War I composed of American volunteer pilots." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Thenault

On Norman Prince (at right in photo): "Captain Georges Thenault, the Escadrille's commander, credits Norman for conceiving the idea of bringing together his countrymen with some of those of the French Foreign Legion in a squadron of flyers to be initially known as the Escadrille Américaine."
(Wikipedia article puts Prince's date of death as October 15, 1916.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Prince
See notes under , taken in December, 1915 just before the founding of the squadron.

Art Siegel Quite right. Thanks for picking up my error.

A related group photo, with a negative date of 6/26/16.
From Kiffin Yates Rockwell's (1892-1916) page at the Virginia Military Institute site:
"Rockwell was accepted by the Service Aeronautique, began flight training in September 1915 and in April became one of the founding pilots in the squadron initially known as the Escadrille Americaine (later called the Lafayette Escadrille). In May 1916, while on patrol at the front, he became the first American pilot to down an enemy plane. Rockwell subsequently flew dozens of patrols and fought in many air battles, gaining fame for his skill and courage. His final combat took place on September 23, 1916, when his Nieuport was downed by the gunner in a German Albatross observation plane. Rockwell was first buried in the cemetery at Luxeuil-les-Bains, France, where there is still a marker; his remains were later moved to the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial at Marnes-la-Coquette."
www.vmi.edu/archives.aspx?id=12371

artolog: thanks for researching the names and background information on these men. We will update the record.

Emergency crash landing in Central Park, see notes under

Thanks artolog, we will update our catalog record. You can read a story about the crash from the NY Tribune at chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1916-03-07/ed-....

This photo appeared in The Sunday Oregonian, March 26, 1916, SECTION FIVE, Image 71 with the caption: "Alexander Blair Thaw is a brother of William Thaw, who is with the French army aviation corps. Alexander is an aviator also. Recently he was trying to fly to Governor's Island, when his engine went wrong, and he was obliged to make a perilous descent in Central Park, where his machine was wrecked. The aviator and his me chanic escaped unhurt." oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1916-03-26/ed-1/se...

Blair Thaw: www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/18991150729/

Thank you B-59 for adding more details to this photo and for finding the published image.

Wow! Great photo.