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| Click Here For Full Artist Print Indexes | Aviation History Archive |
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Aviation Art Prints  Pilot Signatures World War Two Signatures United States H  Hall, Leonard |
[UP] - Haberman, Roger - Haeuser, Karl - Halkyard, James - Hall, Leonard - Hallow, Ed - Hammond, George - Hanson, Robert - Hardy, George - Hardy, Willis - Harper, Edwin - Harrington, Jay - Harris, Bill - Harwell, Sid - Hasek, Ivan - Havelaar, Marion - Hawkins, Ray - Hayes, Thomas - Headrick, Richard - Hedrick, Roger - Heier, William - Hempy, Harry - Herron, Lewis - Higgins, Malcolm - Hill, James - Hill, Tex - Hink, Harry - Hite, Robert - Holloman, William - Holmes, Besby - Holstrom, Everett - Hoover, Travis - Horton, Edwin - Hudson, Elbert - Huglin, Henry - Hurlbut, Frank |
Col Leonard R Hall USAF | Col Leonard R Hall USAF Born and raised on the Kings Ranch in Texas, Leonard Hall, the first airborne radar observer in the USAA-F and co-founder of the Night Fighter School, earned an engineering degree from Texas A&M before joining Shell 011 Company as a seismologist. Holding a reserve officers commission, Hall was called up in 1941. Early in 1942, Hall (at that time a Captain) and Lt. Col. Don Brummel, a reserve officer and commercial airline pilot, were selected to organize and train night fighter crews for the United States Army Air Force. Hall was a dual rated officer, having completed both Pilot Training and Combat Observer schools. Brummel and Hall were sent to Orlando, Florida to establish a Night Fighter School. There first reaction to their new assignment was .. 'What's a night fighter?' They were soon to find out. Shortly thereafter the two young officers were sent off to England to learn everything they could from the RAF. The British had developed a fairly crude airborne radar system called 'Trigger,' and was attaining limited success in intercepting German night bombers. The RAF was awfully busy at the time, and Hall and Brummel had to largely train themselves. They were given access to several radar-equipped aircraft including a Bristol Beaufighter, a Havoc (A-20) and a Mosquito. Learning an entirely new combat technique was an exciting, but at times life threatening, experience. Most military pilots at that time were not very experienced at either night or instrument flying. As one of the RAF night flyers, Bill Gunston stated in his book Night Fighters... 'All flying is uplifting and exciting. Flying to fight other flyers is more exciting still, but flying and fighting at night reaches the pinnacle of human experience that are touched but rarely.' Returning to Orlando, Hall and Brummel had radar equipment installed on some A-20s, re-christening them P-70s. As the school began to receive instrument-rated pilots and radar officer recruits, Hall flew as both an instructor pilot and radar officer instructor. All the night fighters were volunteers. C.C. Smith, who would become an ace flying the P-61, was one of Hall's first students. The converted A-20 was eventually replaced by the Northrup P-61 Black Widow. Hall and Brummel performed some of the early evaluation of this aircraft. Later, both were asked to volunteer for service in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS.) Following the War Hall served as Project Officer for experimental aircraft, Technical Air Attache to Great Britain, and was involved in the flight test and acceptance on the B-58 supersonic bomber. After his retirement from the Air Force, Hall joined NASA, where he served under Werner von Braun during the Apollo Program. His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, three Air Medals, two Purple Hearts, the Legion of Merit, and a Presidential Citation. He currently resides in Southern California with his wife LaVern. |
| Col Leonard R Hall USAF - Signed Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings |
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