Welcome to An Earlybird's Scrapbook. I'd like to take you through an adventure that begins with one of the first military air squadrons ever, the Lafayette Escadrille of France, and let you meet many of the famous flying aces of World War I. View the perils of canvas biplanes and lighter than aircraft. See the advent of seaplanes for battle. Witness the first flights of military aircraft from ships and similar daring experiments, and learn how such feats were achieved.

This adventure is made possible through the scrapbooks of my Grandfather, Willis B. Haviland, who was one of the first military pilots ever, who was one of the first people ever to fly an airplane from a ship, and who ended his career building the naval rearmament station at Whidbey Island, WA where he died in military service. It is my quest to preserve these ancient photographs while they are still legible, and share them with all who may be interested.

You may recognize some of the photos that appear in this site as appearing in accounts of the squadron in books, magazines and on other historic web sites. Well, folks, here are all the original photos from the Haviland scrapbooks in one place!

This web site is dedicated to the Earlybirds, those pioneers of the skies who were very much akin in spirit to the fabled knights of King Arthur's round table, and to all men and women who boldly take their flying machines into harm's way to protect the values of freedom and liberty throughout the world. God bless you all.

Willis Haviland Lamm

Start your adventure and view the scrapbook

Lafayette
Escadrille 		Porto
Corsini 		Airplanes
Off Ships 		Stateside
Action 		The Roma
Catastrophe 		Earlybird
Artifacts
All materials on this site © 2005, 2006, Willis Lamm. All rights reserved. Materials may be copied and used for non-commercial purposes. Please credit the W.B. Haviland Scrapbooks. Please Email with questions, corrections, missing names or other comments.

Important notes about this web site:

This web site is currently a work in progress that involves the study of literally hundreds of images and other artifacts. My first objective was to scan and post the scrapbook pages. My second objective was to make detailed high resolution scans of each image and overlay a clearer image over each less distinct original. My third objective is, with help of people more knowlegeable than I, to correctly identify people, aircraft and other elements of interest that were not included in the original scrapbook notations.

Currently I am part way through this second objective. It is reasonable to assume that there may be an occasional description that needs correcting. I also believe that two or three Guantanamo Bay images got placed in the Porto Corsini scrapbook. These situations are being researched and are being corrected when verified. If any knowlegeable viewer discovers an error that should be reviewed for correction, please don't hesitate to email me.

Thanks!

(If your browser trips over the "web robot proof" email links, then please address your message to willis@kbrhorse.net.)