The story of the League of World War One Aviation Historians begins at a meeting called in April 1985 in Dallas, Texas, by George Williams, one of the field's most active researchers.
George had been a member of the editorial staff of the Cross & Cockade Journal, WWI aviation's pioneer publication. Upset that Cross & Cockade was about to go out of existence, George and the group set out to keep the study of WWI aviation history alive in the United States. Out of that meeting an idea was born to not only continue 
publishing the best in First World War aviation history for those already interested in the period, but to spread the word to others and, in the process, elevate the study of 1914-1918 military aviation to the level of true academic pursuit. We began that effort with Over The Front.
Over The Front is a quarterly journal, 8.5 x 11 inches in size, on acid-free, archival paper, packed with the finest research you'll ever see, by the world's leading WWI aviation historians. From personal accounts of those involved in the war, preserved for their and our decendents, to squadron histories, to analytical papers, to technical information about the aircraft and aerial weapons used in the war (including vast amounts of color and markings information for the aircraft modeller), each 96-page issue of Over The Front is packed with anything and everything you would want to see about aerial conflict in its pioneer days. We have a cover gallery/index page with all of the past covers represented. You can examine each cover illustration or photograph by clicking on it.
The issue opens with author Michael O’Neal’s study of post-war casualties at the 3rd Air Instruction Center. Steve Ruffin visits France to view the memorials to fallen American airmen, and Thomas Wildenberg examines Spenser Grey’s role in the origins of strategic bombing. Finally, Robin D. Smith views Manfred von Richthofen’s connection to Ostrowo, Poland and a possible romantic relationship there. We conclude with Charles Walthall’s Tangible Links and Peter Kilduff’s Between the Bookends.
We regret that rising costs for everything, but especially for mailing expenses, mean we have had to raise our dues for 2024 and beyond. This is the first rate increase we have had since 2016; US rates will increase by $10/year ($2.50 an issue) for both Media Mail and First Class subscriptions. We can no longer offer "Fourth Class" rates to Canada (USPS hasn't offered that option for a long time; we've been unwittingly eating the cost); Canadians now need to use the First Class US/Canada option. Rates for all other countries will increase by $15/year ($3.75 an issue). You will still get the same 512 pages of our usual content over the course of a year, in the same high-quality journal you have been receiving.
If you've received any issue from Vol. 38, you have renewed for 2023. If the last issue you received was for a prior year, your subscription has lapsed. You can renew at the new rates for 2024, and get Volume 38 (2023) from the Shop.
Editor Michael O’Neal opens with author Michael O’Neal’s third article on American training casualties at Issoudun, covering the period from August 1918 to the war’s end. Tom Callen uses inscriptions in a German edition of a French philosophical book to look at the return from captivity of Heinz von Beaulieu-Marconnay and Gustav Bähren. Dr. Peter Fedders examines the battle of the Somme and the role air power (on both sides) played during the six months of the campaign. And finally Mike...
Volumes 21 through 30 are now being sold at a mere $40/volume, or $15/issue for the single issues. So now is the time to fill in some of the gaps in your collection. Some issues are sold out; there's a line through the cover illustration on those and the we are not offering the volume they would be in. Volumes 31-34 are $60 each, with individual issues $20 a copy. Where they are available, Volumes before Volume 21 are $20 each. Single issues are still $15 for issues in those volumes.
As President Dan Polglaze said in Between the Lines in Volume 35 No. 3, we (mostly he) have been delving through our back issues to create the first-ever complete Table of Contents for every issue of OTF published to date. In it you'll find titles, authors, volume, issue and page references, and major topics for each article. It's all in the form of an Excel spreadsheet so you can download your own copy and sort, search and modify it as much as you want. Can't wait to get started? Download a...
