15th Army Air Forces; WWII
15th Army Air Forces; WWII

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Colonel Yantis Hunter Taylor

14 OCTOBER 1944

BIOGRAPHY OF COLONEL Y. H. TAYLOR, A-9

  1. Full name: Yantis Hunter Taylor.
  2. Born near Bartlett, Texas, July 20, 1890.
  3. a. Graduate of Peacock Military College, San Antonio, Texas, 1910.b. Graduated Air Corps Tactical School in June, 1927.c. Graduated Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, June, 1928.
  4. a. Enlisted as a Flying Cadet at Post Field, Oklahoma, in January, 1919. Called to active duty and attended ground school at the University of Texas in May, 1919. Completed flying training at Kelly Field, Texas, in March, 1919, with rank rating, and returned to civil life as a Reserve Officer.b. Entered the Advanced Flying School as a Reserve Officer on March 15, 1926, and graduated from a Pursuit Course in September, 1926.
  5. Served with the Third Attack Group as a Flying Cadet at Kelly Field and Ft. Crockett, Texas, 12 Jan. '26 to 7 Sept. '26.
  6. Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the Regular Army 8 Sept. '26.
  7. Chronological order of service after being commissioned:a. Kelly Field, Texas, Flying Instructor, Pursuit Section, 8 Sept. '26 to 1 Sept. '30.b. Philippine Islands, Airdrome Pursuit Squadron, Post and Squadron Operations Officer, 10 Dec. '30 to 12 Jan. '34.c. Promoted to First Lieutenant 1 Sept. '32.d. Selfridge Field, Michigan, Post and Group Operations Officer, 12 Jan. '34 to 10 Aug. '36.e. Promoted to a Captain (Temp.) 20 Apr. '35.

   f. Promoted to a Captain 30 June '35.

   g. Air Corps Testing School, Maxwell Field, Alabama, Student, 10 Aug. '35 to 15 Aug. '37.

   h. Command and General Staff School, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, Student, 15 Aug. '37 to 20 June '38.

   i. Lambert Field, St. Louis, Missouri, Instructor 110th Observation Squadron, Missouri National Guard, 20 June '38 to 5 Dec. '40.

   j. Barksdale Field, Shreveport, La., Director of Flying, Advanced Flying School (Single Engine), 5 Dec. '40 to 5 May '41.

   k. Promoted to Major (Temp.) 30 Dec. '40.

   l. Craig Field, Selma, Alabama, Director of Training, Air Corps Advanced Flying School (Single Engine), 5 May '41 to 12 July '41.

   m. Spence Field, Moultrie, Georgia, Commanding Officer, 12 July '41.

   n. Promoted to Lt. Colonel (Temp.) 25 Jan. '42.

   o. Promoted to Colonel 1 May '42.

   p. Overseas to Africa 25 May '43.

   q. Chief of Staff, 47th Bomb Wing, May to Nov. '43.

   r. Deputy Chief of Staff, XVth Air Force, Nov. to Dec. '43.

   s. Chief of Staff, XVth Air Force, Dec. '43 to April '44.

   t. Deputy Commanding Officer, 306th Fighter Wing, 11 Apr. to 3 Sept. '44.

   u. Commanding Officer, 306th Fighter Wing, 3 Sept. '44.

  1. Ratings: Combat Observer, Command Pilot.
  2. Total flying time: More than 7,000 hours.
  3. Outstanding flights:a. On May 22, 1930, flew a Curtiss P-1 pursuit airplane over the route Kelly Field – El Paso – Ft. Sill – Ft. Crockett – Galveston – Laredo – Kelly Field, for a total distance of 2,060 miles in one day. Total flying time for the day: 16 hours, 10 minutes.b. On July 2, 1930, flew a Curtiss P-1 pursuit airplane from Laredo, Texas, to Portland, Maine, a distance of 2,050 miles in one day. Total flying time: 15 hours. Five stops were made en route.c. In February, 1935, as a member of the First Pursuit Group, participated in a winter test flight which lasted 27 days and covered the northwest section of the country along the Canadian border. The purpose of the flight was to test skills, fuels, clothing, engines, and other equipment. Flying operations were conducted in the field every day weather conditions would permit. More than half of the operations were without the assistance of mechanics, because the larger airplanes used to transport the men often had difficulty in operating in the snow-covered fields, and could not keep up with the pursuit planes in moving along the route from place to place. All types of weather conditions were encountered, with temperatures at times 27 degrees below zero.d. Has participated in innumerable demonstrations of acrobatic flying, both as an individual and as part of a formation, at air shows, air races, military demonstrations, and other similar occasions using military pursuit type airplanes.e. He took an active part as a pilot in the filming of the picture “Wings”, which was made at Kelly Field during the winter 1926-1927.f. With more than 26 years of flying experience, he has never been involved in a serious airplane accident and has never seriously damaged an airplane up to the present time.
  4. Miscellaneous:a. During the period 1912-1923, immediately following the World War, he was engaged in civilian flying which included passenger flights and acrobatic flying.b. In 1923 and 1924 he was a member of the Texas Ranger Force. Served with Company B, with headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, for approximately one year, and was then transferred to Company D located in the Big Bend country with headquarters at Presidio, Texas. At that time, all Rangers in that section of the country were still using horses and pack mules for transportation. It was the last outpost of the old Texas Rangers, and was soon to be taken over by other police agencies equipped with modern transportation.

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15th Air Force personnel records and roster in World War II.

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