Daughter of Pan Am Africa Pilot lends support

Dear John:

My small contribution to your effort is made in my dad's memory.  While I couldn't do much, I did want to say "Thank You" for recognizing this early American effort and memorializing it on film. 

 

My father, William L. Hanks, joined Pan American Ferries on Feb 2, 1942, after ferrying planes with the ATA in England for a little over a year.  He went on to fly as an ATC pilot with PAA's African-Orient Division and their Latin American Division for the duration of the war and for a year or so after.  As many other young Americans, he found a way to begin serving the war effort before the United States officially joined the fight and he always spoke with great pride and fondness for the years he spent in that endeavor. 

Unfortunately, my father died in 1967 at the age of  47, we children were not taking notes and much information was lost or forgotten, particularly, the fascinating and "secret"  details of the inclusion of private American pilots during the early years of WWII.  I began my research on this period of his life about 3 months ago after finding his flight logs and other documents in a box in our attic, and have since spent many hours trying to hunt down information about the Clayton Knight Committee and Pan American's contribution to the war effort. 

 

I found your website on a web search using the term "PanAfrica" to search for a copy of Tom Culbert's and Andy Dawson's book  "PanAfrica: Across the Sahara in 1941 with Pan Am". 

 

I've attached a picture of my Dad and will be happy to send along copies of pages copies of his flight log during that time, if you're interested.  I believe I might have a few more pitures of Pan Am ATC pilots, but I'm not sure.  I'll look through what I have.

Again,  thank you for documenting the history of Pan American and the service of these brave pilots who have gone unrecognized for so many years.  The secret has remained for way too long!

 

If you have a contact list, I would most appreciate an email when the project is completed and available for viewing.

 

Best of luck!

 

Sherry H. Muller 

San Antonio, TX