The papers of Paul F. Hunter are divided into 3 series: Royal Canadian Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force, and Photographs.
Royal Canadian Air Force (1940-1962) contains papers describing his service in the Canadian military from 1941 to 1944. The relative uniqueness of an American serving in the R.C.A.F. makes this series and its contents particularly interesting. 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. 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. The scattered letters from Hunter's father relate information from Madison, mostly about the local Rotary Club of which both he and Hunter were members. Newspaper clippings include descriptions Hunter's service, his visit home circa 1943, and several speaking engagements in the Madison area. An announcement and invitation document his marriage to Elizabeth Harb, a Madison resident, in Canada during his service. Other 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.
U.S. Army Air Force (1940-1958) consists largely of documents relating to Hunter's service in the U.S. military during World War II. Some papers show his desire to transfer from the Royal Canadian Air Force into the U.S. Air Force 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. There are some letters and promotional materials describing services offered to new veterans following the war. Other scattered materials relate to his post-war service with the Air Force Reserve, including a certificate for participating in the Ground Observer Corps in the 1950s.
Photographs (circa 1943) contains photographs of Hunter wearing both a Royal Canadian Air Force uniform and a United States Army Air Force uniform in posed studio shots and candid pictures with family and friends. There is also a photograph of a house, presumably the Hunter family residence in Madison.
