TORREY H. WEBB 1893-

LT. TORREY WEBB

Lieutenant Torrey Webb had completed his aviation training at Ellington Field which brought him to Major Fleet's attention, and he also had a good record. He had enlisted in the Air Service after graduating from Columbia and was headed for a career as a mining engineer---but he went into oil instead and in the years following the war, he eventually becames a vice president of the Texas Oil Company from which he retired a few years ago.      To quote from Reuben Fleet's 1966 speech before the Air Mail Pioneers: "I left Lieutenant Webb in charge at Belmont Park and the Curtiss plant, with Lieutenant Miller and Bonsal helping, and in reserve, and instructed Webb to get the other four aerial mail airplanes ready, and fly one from Belmont Park with the aerial mail at eleven the next morning to Bustleton Field, which the Philadelphia Postmaster had selected for Philadelphia. Edgerton at Bustleton Field would relieve Lieutenant Webb there and fly on to Washington, while Lieutenant Culver would relay the aerial mail at Busttleton Park in New York." From Edith Dodd Culver's THE DAY THE AIRMAIL BEGAN

 

First Consignment at Ellington Field, Houston, Texas Standing: Walter Lees, Harvey, Torrey Webb, Robertson, Smythe, Snow, Al Johnson Seated: Roger Jannus, Beatjer, Machel, Logan T. McMenemy

 

TORREY H. WEBB To Paul (Paul Culver) from Torrey H. Webb Aug 1st 1918 Webb flew the first Air Mail from New York to Philadelphia, May 15, 1918 From THE DAY THE AIR-MAIL BEGAN by Edith Dodd Culver

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "Torrey Webb", using the Google search engine, (10-31-05), you will find about 267 links.

 

The Airmail Takes Wing      This page on KO Ecklund's Aerofiles website offers a very nice summary of the early days of the airmail service. You will find a number of references to Torrey Webb in the article, some direct quotations, some descriptions of his participation in those initial attempts to carry the mail by air. You can access the page by clicking on the title above.

 

WEBB      This page on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum website offers a short biography of Torrey, recounting his adventures as one of the first pilots in the establishment of the Air Mail Service in 1918. You can access his story by clicking on the title above.      You can see a very nice photograph of the wrecked plane which is described in the story by clicking on: Wreck      If time permits, I think you will enjoy the many other features of the website.

 

First Day Cover      This page offers a nice photo of the 25 cent Biplane "First Day Cover" which bears the painting of Torrey by Chris Calle. There is a brief description of the cover which is for sale by Fleetwood. You can access the page by clicking on the title above.

 

RECOMMENDED READING

TALESPINS A Story of Early Aviation Days by Edith Dodd Culver

THE DAY THE AIRMAIL BEGAN by Edith Dodd Culver

 

 

I have not been able to find the date of his death.   Editor's Note: If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper

 

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