The back of the left photograph states:
“Arctic Air Patrol Flyers, Received April 5, 1930, Shirley Chestnut
Back row: Strauble, Rudy, Sullen, Royce, Wolf, Elliot, & Crawford
Front row: Harrington, Jacobs, Sardens, Bolen, Underhill & Wurtsmith”
The photo to the left was in the collection of Barbara Chesnut Keithley (pictured in the photo on the right). She was born in 1914 and as a young girl, was very interested in aircraft and collected by correspondence the photos of pilots and aircraft.
Page 1. 18 Army Planes Leave Duluth on Grand Forks Hop. “Arctic Patrol” Scheduled to Reach Minot Before Nightfall. Grand Forks, N. D., – (AP) – Eighteen army planes reached Grand Forks at 12:07 p. m. today after a two-hour flight from Duluth, Minn. The pilots were making preparations to hop off within a short time for Minot, the overnight control point. Duluth – (AP) – Delayed by one frozen motor, the 18 army snow birds on the winter test flight to the Pacific coast, finally took the air at 9:35 a. m. today on the second day’s journey to Grand Forks, N. D., the noon day stopping point. Major Ralph Royce, flight commander, was the first to take the air. He circled above the bay as the other planes, in flights of three, took the air and joined the formation. Four other planes which failed to arrive yesterday, had not arrived before today’s take-off. Seen minutes from the time Major Royce took off, all of the 18 planes were in the air. They circled over the United States naval reserve station on St. Louis bay for about five minutes and then headed directly west for Grand Forks. Major Royce said he expected the
Page 9. planes to arrive at Grand Forks about noon. They will leave there for Minot after an hour’s stop. Major Royce said the trip from Grand Forks to Minot would take about two hours, bringing the planes to Minot about three o’clock. The planes will stay in Minot tonight, the squadron leaving on Sunday for Great Falls, Mont., a distance of 700 miles, with Spokane, Wash., the western end of the journey, the objective Monday. Two days are to be spent at Spokane, with plans calling for a take-off from that city Thursday on the return trip, which will be made over a slightly more southerly route. The return trip will take four days, Major Royce said. Warmer Much Warmer. The weather here this morning was warmer than yesterday afternoon when the planes arrived, the temperature being about 15 above. A light snowfall early this morning did not handicap the “Arctic patrol” in getting off. The two transport planes, which last night were at Munising, Mich., were reported to have left there this morning and are expected in Duluth about 12:30 p. m. Major Royce left instructions to have the planes leave for Grand Forks immediately after they have taken on a supply of gasoline. (The Winona Republican-Herald, Saturday Evening, January 11, 1930, Volume 29, Number 276)