On Mon, Apr 29, 2019 at 3:45 PM Gaye Lyn wrote:
Dear Librarian,
By suggestion of the Government Documents Librarian at New Mexico State
Library, I am requesting your assistance. Since April 2015 I have been
researching an all-Veterans non-scheduled air line and cargo service
founded by my Dad, Saunie Gravely, in 1945. Focus of my inquiry today
deals with a contract between the company Veterans Air Express and UNRRA
for six, 1946 flights of war relief cargo (tons of poultry hatching eggs
& three dairy calves) to Prague (3), Warsaw(2) and Athens(1).
In particular, I am chasing documents and/or greater details about the
following:
Online research of the UNRRA archives netted this from the ARCHIVES AT
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY…Veterans Air Express named as a contractor.
Title VI; 6.4 (Executive Office Subject File) film # GC-14 (Agreements
and Contracts), alphabetically contains an entry for “Veteran Air
Express.”
Here’s the link:
www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eresources/archives/rbml/UNRRA/
By film, I assume it means microfilm. And I wonder if it is possible
for you to find the item and send me a PDF version…along with any
verbiage or details regarding Veterans Air Express.
Might your Archives contain the following referenced UN document and/or
can you suggest how I might locate it: Folder Commercial Firms –
Veterans Air Express – S-1301-0000-079
The last, but of greatest value, is information regarding the VAE crew
list and special permissions required to overfly Russian-occupied Poland
for the historic first non-military flight to Warsaw.
Through Ancestry .com, I have located crew manifests for five of the
six flights…the RETURN trips (none for the outbounds). Attached are
two Manifests for your inspection. ..the 2nd Warsaw and Prague flights.
MIA is the first Warsaw manifest. My research shows William C. Jakeman,
Captain, and Jack Z. Stettner, First Officer, crewed that 1st flight.
Neither Jakeman nor Stettner flew the 2nd Warsaw flight, which is
surprising and another reason the 1st Warsaw flight manifest is
extremely important to VAE history.
The over-flight authorization may help verify a story told in a video
created by John Noll, expected crew member. Fifty years after Noll took
the footage, he talks in detail about encountering two Russian “escort”
planes to assure that Veterans maintained their flight plan and the
approved 20-mile-wide “corridor” over Russian-occupied Poland. I am
seeking verification that John Noll was actually on the trip, the names
of the five or six other VAE crew members, plus the UN Representative
that accompanied the flight.
I have no idea the degree of difficulty researching this “ask” presents
to the Library. I will, however, greatly appreciate any assistance.
Kind regards,
Gaye Lyn
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On 4/30/2019 9:09 AM, Columbia Rare Book & Manuscript Library wrote:
Dear Gaye,
Thank you for your email.
Columbia University holds microfilmed copies of some UNRRA documents;
unfortunately due to our high volume of inquiries and limited staff we
cannot offer the dedicated research necessary to answer your inquiries.
The primary repository of the original UNRRA documents represented by
our microfilm copies is the United Nations Archives
<archives.un.org/content/homepage>; you may contact the staff of
the UN Archives for assistance.
Best wishes,
Tara Craig
Head of Public Services
Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Butler Library, 6th Floor
Columbia University
535 W. 114th St.
New York, NY 10027
Telephone: (212) 854-5590
Fax: (212) 854-1365
——————————————————————————–
From “Gaye Lyn”
To “Columbia Rare Book & Manuscript Library”
Date 4/30/2019 9:18:07 AM
Subject Re: Veterans Air Express UNRRA contract and Crew Manifest for
1st Warsaw flight May 1946
Tara, good morning,
Thank you very much for your response and the link to UN Archives. I
will pursue it vigorously!
Best wishes back to you,
Gaye Lyn
Current day Researcher
Saunie Gravely, Founder, 1945
Veterans Air Express & Veterans Air Line
w: VeteransAir.org