from Jackrabbits to Jets History of North Island The first detachment arrived November 4, 1912. It consisted of Sargeant James Hartman, Signal Corps, in charge of eight enlisted men. About two weeks later, the Detachment Commander, Lieutenant H. Geiger, Signal Corps, arrived and took charge. Additional personnel arrived shortly thereafter. The Signal Corps unit cleared a runway and established a camp on the northeast end near where the Navy "Camp Trouble" had been located earlier in the year. The first two airplanes were received from College Park December 15, 1912. They were a Curtiss 60 horsepower and a 40 horsepower "Grasscutter" training plane The Wright machines remained at Augusta. By mid-1912, the Signal Corps ended its scattered efforts to create an air corps and assembled all equipment and personnel at North Island. This makred the beginning of the first permanent Army Aviation school from which grew Rockwell Field, named for Lieutenant Lewis C. Rockwell, 10th Infantry, who crashed and was killed September 28, 1912. |
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Photo from Albert M Rockwell, Jr., 1-12-05 |
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Photo from Albert M Rockwell, Jr., 1-12-05 |
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Photo from Albert M Rockwell, Jr., 1-12-05 |
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Photo from Albert M Rockwell, Jr., 1-12-05 |
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Rockwell Field received its first JN early in 1915. The "Jennie" was a sucessful trainer for many hears, used by both Navy and Army. Photo from Albert M Rockwell, Jr., Caption from "Jackrabbits to Jets |
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Photo from Albert M Rockwell, Jr., 1-12-05 |
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Rockwell Field San Diego, CA 11-23-1918 Library of Congress Collection Full Size |
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