Robert D. Knapp papers, 1919-1980

Robert Duane Knapp, Jr. (December 26, 1897 - April 25, 1994) was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force and an aviation pioneer. He was born in Moreland, Georgia, but grew up in Auburn, Alabama. In 1917, Knapp was accepted as an aviation cadet in the Air Service, Signal Corps. During World War I he served as a private first class from October 2, 1917, until March 9, 1918 when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Between August 1918 and April 1923 he was transferred to the 92nd Aero Squadron (bombardment unit) in Sussex, England; the Panama Canal Zone for service with the 7th Aero Squadron at France Field; U.S.-Mexican aerial patrol with the 96th Aero Squadron in El Paso, Texas; and finally Fort Bliss, Texas, where he became recreation and intelligence officer with the 12th Observation Squadron. In 1923, he was transferred to Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama for aerial mapping missions; while there, he flew the first air mail route between Montgomery and New Orleans, Louisiana.

After four years at Maxwell, Knapp was assigned to Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas, where he was a flying instructor at the flight school. Having been promoted to commandant of the Air Corps Primary Flying School at nearby Brooks Field in 1929, he was appointed commanding officer of the 44th Observation Squadron in the Panama Canal Zone in 1931. He later commanded the 7th Observation Squadron, also in Panama, before returning to Kelly Field in 1934 as Director of Flying Training. In 1938, he attended Air Corps Tactical School and was an instructor for the 154th Observation Squadron of the Arkansas National Guard. He became the executive officer of the 1st Bomber Command at Langley Field near Hampton, Virginia in 1940. During World War II, Knapp took command of the 321st Bombardment Group. The 321st was assigned to North Africa, flying raids against Axis forces in B-25 Mitchell bombers. In 1944, he was promoted to brigadier general and given command of the 57th Bomb Wing, a position he held for the remainder of the war. After the war, Knapp became chief of the US Air Force Mission to Argentina. He retired from the Air Force in 1953, and returned home to Auburn, Alabama. Robert D. Knapp died in Alabama on April 25, 1994.