The papers and photographs of Paul F. Hunter, Jr., a Madison resident who served as a pilot, first in the Royal Canadian Air Force (R.C.A.F.) and later in the United States Army Air Force, during World War II. Several letters of reference document his application to the R.C.A.F. in early 1941. Personal military records provide details about his service, including flight records, orders, passes, and time and sequence cards. Other R.C.A.F. materials include receipts showing how he spent money during his service, an official warning about acquiring and transmitting venereal diseases, and ephemeral souvenirs from Canadian and English establishments. Written requests to transfer into the United States Army Air Force and a separation record show how his Canadian service ended. Several letters from fellow R.C.A.F. pilots provide news of mutual acquaintances and describe the conditions at various bases while scattered correspondence from his father describe the activities of the local Rotary Club. Newspaper clippings include descriptions Hunter's service, his visit home ca. 1943, and several speaking engagements in the Madison area. Documents from the U.S. military show his desire to transfer from the R.C.A.F. two years before it happened. A permit from his local draft board to depart the United States in 1941 is a unique and interesting document since Hunter used the permit to enlist in the Canadian military. The majority of the materials provide details about his service such as pay records, certificates of appointment and service, military property clearance forms, and orders. Individual flight records and post-flying regulation questionnaires give a little detail about his role as a pilot toward the end of World War II. Hunter also collected samples of blank stationary used by military forces. The collection includes Royal Canadian Air Force stationary with matching envelope, tan stationary with humorous graphic of soldier boys and officer, and letterhead identified as the Officers' Club & Hostel (YMCA) out of Manchester, England. Also found are stationary forms from the Egyptian Postal Administration and blank V-mail forms. Photographs include shots of Hunter wearing both an R.C.A.F. uniform and a U.S. Air Force uniform in posed studio shots and candid pictures with family and friends.
