William Portwood Erwin
| William Portwood Erwin | |
|---|---|
William Portwood Erwin, 1918
|
|
| Nickname(s) | Bill |
| Born |
October 18, 1895 Ryan, Oklahoma, USA |
| Died | c. August 1927 (disappeared) Pacific Ocean |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch | Air Service, United States Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | |
| Battles/wars |
 World War I
|
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross, French Croix de Guerre |
Air Service, United States Army
Lieutenant William Portwood Erwin was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.
William Portwood Erwin was the son of W. A. Erwin of Chicago. The younger Erwin, born elsewhere, was a Chicago native also.
Erwin was assigned to 1st Observation Squadron on 19 July 1918. As a Salmson 2A2 pilot, he scored his victories between 15 September and 22 October 1918; half of them were with gunner Arthur Easterbrook.
Erwin died during the Dole Air Race between Oakland, California and Hawaii. He flew the Dallas Spirit, a custom aircraft built by the Swallow Airplane Company on credit for the attempt. Erwin failed to return from a search for two other missing competitors, the Miss Doran and The Golden Eagle, and is presumed drowned 19 August 1927.
American Aces of World War 1 Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2001. , .
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