Lieutenant Commander Godfrey de Courcelles Chevalier, USN was a pioneering naval aviator of the United States Navy of World War I and the early 1920s.
Godfrey Chevalier
An Aeromarine 39B piloted by Chevalier is seen just before it touches down on the flight deck of USS Langley (CV-1) on 26 October 1922 – the first landing aboard an American aircraft carrier.
Godfrey de C. Chevalier
Early navy aviators; de C. Chevalier at lower right
John Henry Towers CBE was a highly decorated United States Navy four-star admiral and pioneer naval aviator. He made important contributions to the technical and organizational development of naval aviation from its beginnings, eventually serving as Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics (1939–1942). He commanded carrier task forces during World War II, and retired in December 1947. He and Marc Mitscher were the only early Naval Aviation pioneers to survive the hazards of early flight to remain with naval aviation throughout their careers. Towers spent his last years supporting aeronautical research and advising the aviation industry.
Towers circa 1946
Early Naval Aviators: Towers is seated second from left. Glenn Curtiss at controls. Theodore Ellyson at the nose wheel of the plane.
The NC-3, commanded by Towers, limps into the Azores after an attempt to cross the Atlantic
Officers of the Transatlantic Flight, Towers with walking cane, beside him are future admirals Patrick N. L. Bellinger and Albert C. Read.