Identified WWI US Pilot's Uniform with Great Coat
Item #: WR711
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This is a World War I pilots uniform grouping identified to 2LT James Wilson Dayton of Redding, Connecticut. The grouping consists of a tailor made tunic and pants, Sam Brown belt, overseas cap and a Model 1912 officer's greatcoat. The Model 1917 uniform was manufactured by Scott & Company of Boston, Massachusetts. The tunic is in very good condition with no moth damage. The epaulets have bullion 2nd Lieutenants bars sewn on them. The cuffs have the officer's gold trim as well. The collar insignia consists of the the U.S. officer insignia along with the insignia of the US Air Service, wings with a propeller. Sewn above the left breast pocket is an absolutely beautiful bullion Dallas wing on a black felt background. Pinned to the left breast pocket flap is an American Legion medal. The clothing label of Scott & Company is found in two locations of the tunic, one sewn on the lining below the inner pocket on the right hand side and the other inside the inner pocket. The label on the inside of the pocket contains the following information in hand written ink, X4174/J.W. Dayton/Dec. 6, 1917. The pants are made of the same quality material as the tunic. Inside of the usual strings, the leg openings are secured with buttons. There is some slight damage to the front of the pants on the left front, just below the crotch area. The fly is secured with five buttons all marked Scott & Company LTD. Boston. Instead of a larger button to secure the waist, a hook a loop type clasp is used. The same white label found in the pocket of the tunic is sewn on the back side of one of the front pockets. It is marked the same, in hand written ink, as the label found in the tunic pocket. In addition to the identification written on the makers labels, the tunic, pants, Sam Brown belt and greatcoat have small pieces of cloth tape on them marked Dayton. The only thing not marked in the group is the overseas cap. The sweatband is still in the cap, but the stitching is broken in several places. A 2nd Lieutenant's insignia is pinned on the left front side of the overseas cap. The Sam Brown belt is in very good condition. It shows wear from honest use, but is not abused. The leather is still very pliable. In addition to the tape label the belt is marked in two places, the belt is marked DAYTON and the shoulder strap is marked Lt J. W. Dayton. The greatcoat is a Model 1907 version, made by another Boston manufacturer. The coat is in very good condition, with only the top right side button missing. The sleeve cuffs both bear the braided insignia of a 2nd Lieutenant. The coat has two horizontal pockets in the inside and two pockets that allow the wearer to pass through as well as serve as pockets. The makers tag of the Talbot Company of Boston is sewn into the right inner pocket. The name H.V. Sullivan is hand written on the tag, but the tape label with Dayton is found inside the collar area of the coat. James Wilson Dayton was born on 5 June, 1893 in Redding, Connecticut. He was inducted into the service at age 24 on 5 August, 1917 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dayton was a cadet in aviation as part of the Reserve Corps of the regular army. He attended ground school at M.I.T. in Cambridge from 3 November, 1917 to 3 January, 1918. He continued ground school at Princeton, New Jersey from 3 January, 1918 to 18 January, 1918. From 15 January, 1918 to 25 April, 1918 he was at flight school at Park Field in Memphis, Tennessee. Dayton was at Camp Dick, Texas from 28 April, 1918 to 30 May, 1918. His final stint in the states was at Payne Field in West Point, Mississippi from 30 May, 1918 to 12 September, 1918. James W. Dayton was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on 25 April, 1918. He departed Hoboken, New Jersey aboard the USS Great Northern on 25 September, 1918 and arrived at Brest, France on 5 October, 1918. 2LT Dayton was stationed in two different locations in France before the war ended. He served in France from 9 October, 1918 to 7 February, 1919. On 8 February, 1919 he boarded the USS Canopic and arrived in New York on 9 February, 1919. He was discharged from the service on 24 February, 1919 at Garden City, Long Island New York. James Wilson Dayton returned to being a farmer after the Great War, and died on 6 May, 1977 at the age of 83. This uniform grouping comes with 8 pages of documentation of his military service. It is an excellent example of the uniform worn by American pilots in the early days of the US Air Service.
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