Colonel Bert M. Atkinson Papers
Scope and Contents
The collection contains military orders, reports, and correspondence covering the years 1911-1918 and a 1913 map of Verdun, France, as well as material on the United States’ “Punitive Expedition” to Mexico in 1916 as well as Col. Atkinson’s service in World War I in France (Wing Commander, United States Army Aviation Corps, First Pursuit Group.) There are several military photographs of soldiers and airplanes taken at the North Island Aviation School in San Diego, Ca. in 1915; Columbus, N. M., and Dublou, Mexico in 1916; San Antonio, TX. in 1917 and Verdun, France in 1918. The collection also contains family photographs, newspaper clippings, and Atkinson’s personal papers that document his participation in the Early Birds Pilots’ Club, Aero Club of America and his involvement in the Eddie Rickenbacker Automobile Company. Lastly, there are documents and photographs regarding the Col. Bert M. Atkinson Air Field, a United States military base in Guiana from 1941-1949.
Dates
- Majority of material found within 1838-1945, Bulk 1911-1945
Conditions Governing Access
Open
Biographical / Historical
Bert Milton Atkinson (b.March 20, 1889- d.April 27, 1937) was the son of Georgia governor W. Y. Atkinson. A native of Newnan, Georgia, he attended the Georgia Military College and graduated from the University of Georgia in 1909. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army in 1911. In 1914 he transferred to the Aviation Corps and served as a pilot in the First Aero Squadron during the “Punitive Expedition” to Mexico in 1916. During World War I Atkinson served as the Wing Commander of the First Pursuit Group, the first American Air Service combat unit to serve in the war. In 1918 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and received numerous decorations including the Purple Heart, the French Legion of Honor and Croix De Guerre with Palm and the Belgium Order of Leopold. He was forced to retire from the military in 1922 due to poor health and died in 1937.
Extent
1 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
- Title
- Guide to the Colonel Bert M. Atkinson Papers
- Author
- Processed by: Anthony Donaldson Digitized by: Noah Biblis
- Date
- 06/21/2001; 01/16/2020
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Auburn University Special Collections and Archives Repository
Auburn University
Ralph Brown Draughon Library
231 Mell Street
Auburn Alabama 36849
334-844-1732
archives@auburn.edu
