The papers of Paul W. Chase are divided into three series: Correspondence, Papers and Photographs.
Correspondence (1917-1919) is the largest series in this collection. It consists entirely of the letters that Chase wrote to his parents (Frank and Estelle), fiancée (Bessie), and sister (Ruth), respectively. Most of the letters describe the non-martial, everyday life in the military: food, shelter, and recreational activities. Clearly cognizant of the Army censors, Chase avoided writing specifics about military operations. He does, however, document the activities of a World War I pilot. A September 1918 letter to Bessie described the mission in which his co-pilot shot down a German plane. A letter written in November 1918 gives an excellent description of how Chase and his squadron mates helped direct American artillery fire from the air. On November 13, 1918 he wrote his parents a letter describing the emotional Armistice celebrations in France. Overall, the letters give a sense of a young man who is proud to be serving his country but is still anxious to go home and reunite with his loved ones. Chase wrote in a letter to Bessie, “If I could get back home with a whole skin and the feeling that I had done my bit and best it would be one happy day for me.” In a June 1918 letter to Bessie, Chase explained that due to a lack of space he had to destroy all of the letters that his loved ones sent him, thus accounting for the lack of their responses in this collection.
Papers (1917-1969) consists almost entirely of Chase's war-related documents. His wartime diary is particularly valuable, as it describes the everyday experiences of a World War I pilot in Europe. The diary begins with the Chase's voyage across the Atlantic, it describes his training with the new Liberty engine, notes when his squadron mates were shot down, and describes the action that he did see against the Germans. A scrapbook in this series contains copies of aeronautical charts and diagrams from Chase's training and copy prints of German airplanes, as well as original photographs of the 8th Aero Squadron; Chase, his co-pilot and their plane; and some of the observation photos that they took over Germany. His pilot's book details his stateside training flights as well as his missions in Europe. The orders document Chase's transfers to various stateside bases and, finally, to Europe; the military identification materials include an A.E.F. ID card, a pilot's card, and an FBI Civil fingerprint card. Also included are his military records, which detail the specifics of his service, and many certificates that document achievements and promotions. Materials pertaining to Chase's sister, Ruth, can also be found in this series. Ruth served as a stateside nurse during World War II.
Photographs (1918-1919) include many wartime shots of Chase near his airplane. Also included are group shots of the 8th Aero Squadron, some scenic shots of wartime Europe, some shots of the 1919 Decoration Day parade in Evansville, Wisconsin, and some practice observation flight photos taken during Chase's stateside training. Some photos of Chase's sister Ruth, who served as a nurse at the UW Hospital during World War I, are also in this series.
