Frank Tatum Wishart was born on 16 September 1896 in Maxton, North Carolina. He was the eldest of three children of Aurelius Thurston Wishart, a commercial salesman, and his wife, Margaret Chapman.

By the time Frank enlisted on 3 Dec 1917 he had moved to Smithville, Virginia with his mother (who had divorced from Franks’ father) and joined the 310th Aero Squadron of the US Air Service which was based at Camp Greene in North Carolina. The squadron left for Europe from New Jersey on board the SS Elpenor on 31 July 1918 and remained overseas until December of that year.

For a while immediately after the war, Frank lived with his mother in his maternal grandfather’s house but eventually moved out and became a farmer. On 29 September 1934, he married Nancy Batten in Petersburg and a daughter was born five years later.

Frank lived out the rest of his life in Smithfield and was a member of Benn’s United Methodist Church as well as the Smithfield Union Lodge No.18 and the Khedive Temple of Shrine in Norfolk. He died at home on 5 March 1980 and left behind his wife daughter and two sisters. He was buried south of the town in Old St. Luke’s Cemetery.

Are you related to, or think you have further details about Frank?

If so then I’d love to hear from you. Please click the link below or send an email to mail (at) wishart1418.org. Thank you.