24th Aero Squadron

24th Aero Squadron
24th Aero Squadron, Vavincourt Aerodrome, France, November 1918
Active	1 May 1917-1 October 1919
Country	United States
Branch	Air Service, United States Army
Type	Squadron
Role	Army Observation
Part of	American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)
Engagements	World War I Occupation of the Rhineland
Commanders
Notable commanders	Lt. Harry A Miller Capt. Maury Hill
Insignia
24th Aero Squadron Emblem
Aircraft flown
Fighter	Spad XIII, 1919
Reconnaissance	Salmson 2A2, 1918 Dayton-Wright DH-4, 1918-1919
Trainer	Curtiss JN-4, 1917

First Army Observation Group
Western Front, France: 14 August-11 November 1918

Notable pilots:

The 24th Aero Squadron was a Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.

The squadron was assigned as an Army Observation Squadron, performing long-range, strategic reconnaissance over the entire length of the United States First Army sector of the Western Front in France. After the 1918 Armistice with Germany, the squadron was assigned to the United States Third Army as part of the Occupation of the Rhineland in Germany. It returned to the United States in August 1919 and was demobilized.

In 1921, the squadron was consolidated with the United States Army Air Service 24th Squadron. It later served in the Panama Canal Zone during World War II as the 24th Fighter Squadron under 6th Air Force. It has been inactive since October 1946.

The 24th Fighter Squadron was originally formed on 1 May 1917 as Company F, Provisional Aviation School Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas. It then became the 19th Provisional Aviation School Squadron on 14 June 1917 and the 24th Aero Squadron (Observation) 23 July 1917. On 11 November 1917, the original squadron was divided, with half of the squadron being re-formed into the 185th Aero Squadron.

On 28 December the 24th Squadron left Kelly Field, moving to the Aviation Concentration Center, Camp Mills, Garden City, New York where the unit awaited transport for overseas service. The squadron sailed on the Cunard Liner RMS Carmania on 9 January, arriving at Liverpool, England on 24 January. From Liverpool, the squadron went by train to the Romney Rest Camp, Winchester, where it awaited a training assignment with the Royal Flying Corps for advanced training. On 31 January, the squadron was divided into four flights for training, which "A" Flight was assigned to RFC Wye, Kent; "B" Flight to RFC London Colney, Hertfordshire; "C" Flight to RFC Sedgeford, Norfolk and "D" Flight RFC Wyton, Huntingdonshire. On 7 March, "B" Flight was moved to RFC Croydon in South London. At these locations, squadron personnel worked with British RFC units in maintaining aircraft and learning the means and methods of an operational squadron.