BRIGADIER GENERAL DONALD F. FRITCH

Donald F. Fritch was born in Attleboro, Mass., on Sept. 10, 1900. He attended Northfield University, Vt., and served as a private in the S.A.T.C. from Oct. 18, 1918, to Dec. 15, 1918. On Nov. 1, 1921, he was commissioned a second lieutenant of Field Artillery in the Regular Army.

He first served four years at Fort Bragg, N.C., as Platoon Commander and Assistant Executive and Battery Officer of the 17th Field Artillery, and in March 1925 became a student at the Air Service Primary Flying School, Brooks Field, Texas. Upon completion of his studies at Brooks Field, he proceeded to Kelly Field, Texas, to become a student at the Air Service Advanced Flying School. In April 1926 he was assigned to Mitchel Field, N.Y., where he served as Assistant Engineer and Supply Officer as well as Officer in Charge of the Visiting Ship Hangar, 61st Service Squadron.

In July 1927 he returned to Brooks Field where he was enrolled for further study at the Air Corps Primary Flying School, and upon completion of the course remained there as an instructor until January 1929 when he was assigned to France Field, Canal Zone, as Squadron Officer of the 24th Pursuit Squadron.

In December 1930 he became Assistant Deputy Supply and Engineer Officer at San Antonio Air Depot, Texas. After four years of duty there he was assigned, in October 1934, to General Headquarters Air Force, Langley Field, Va., as Engineer and Armament Officer of the 8th Pursuit Group, later serving in the same capacity with the 35th Pursuit Group. In July 1936 he became a student at the Air Corps Tactical School, and after studying there for a year proceeded to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., to enroll in Command and General Staff School, graduating in June 1938. In July 1938 he was assigned to duty in the Office of the Chief of Air Corps, Washington, D.C., where he performed various duties during the next three years, these duties being Navy Liaison Officer of the Engineering Section; Air Corps Liaison Officer with the Bureau of Aeronautics; Assistant to the Chief of the Engineer Section; Assistant to the Chief of the Field Service Section; and Assistant Executive of the Materiel Division.

In July 1941 he became Assistant Executive and Assistant Chief of Staff, Materiel Command, at Headquarters Army Air Forces in Washington, D.C., and served in that capacity exactly two years. He was placed on detached service as a student at the Naval War College, R.I., after which he became a student at the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics at Orlando, Fla. He was later assigned to Army Group and Operations Division, War Department General Staff, Washington, D.C., and in January 1944 went overseas for duty in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, later becoming Chief of Staff, Headquarters Army Air Forces Command. Early in 1945 he was announced as serving in that capacity in Italy.

He is rated a command pilot, combat observer and aircraft observer.

PROMOTIONS
First lieutenant, Nov. 1, 1921. He was discharged as a first lieutenant and reappointed a second lieutenant on Dec. 15, 1922. He was promoted to first lieutenant on Jan. 30, 1927, and was transferred to the Air Corps on April 15, 1927. He was promoted to captain (temporary), April 20, 1935; captain (permanent), Aug. 1, 1935; major (temporary), March 1, 1940; major (permanent), July 1, 1940; lieutenant colonel (temporary), July 23, 1941; colonel (temporary), Jan. 6, 1943; brigadier general (temporary), Jan. 19, 1945.

(Current as of July 24, 1945)