Charles A. Hill served in the Spanish American War and World War I, where he was stationed in France. There he was a commandant of student flying officers and took part in raids until injured in a crash.

Charles Augustus Hill was born in New Jersey in 1881. An article within the collection, “Who’s Who in American Legion,” puts Hill’s birth in 1883, but the United States Department of Veteran Affairs places his birth in 1881. This source, coupled with his entry date into the army in 1899 have made 1881 the most official birthdate. Hill enlisted as a private in Troop M, Third cavalry during the Spanish-American War and served until 1902 when he was honorably discharged.

After the outbreak of World War I, Hill reenlisted and was transferred to the air service and was stationed in Issoudun, France. In France he was a commandant of student flying officers in the Third Aviation center and at this time he was also promoted to captain. Shortly thereafter Hill was injured in a plane crash and it was determined that he could not continue with his post in the air service. Hill was transferred to the office of the provost marshall general of the American Expeditionary Forces and then later to the Department of Criminal Investigation. Hill returned to United States in 1919 and was honorably discharged in October of 1920. 

This collection is contained in one archive box 15x2.5x10.5 in. containing 6 folders. Items in this collection, all but four from 1918 and 1919, include military orders and promotions, documents on Hill’s disability and retirement, sheet music, newspaper clippings, identification cards, and a dog tag from World War I. Additionally, there are photographs, with copies on paper, postcards, and original photocopies.  

For more about this collection, see the Descriptive Finding Guide.

See images from the collection on Flickr.