U.S. P-51 WWII PILOT POLO THOMAS TOMMY HITCHCOCK JR SIGNED TEXAS OIL LEASE 1923

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U.S. P-51 WWII PILOT POLO THOMAS TOMMY HITCHCOCK JR SIGNED TEXAS OIL LEASE 1923:
$2500.00

\"ASSIGNMENT OF OIL AND GAS LEASE,\" DATED FEBRUARY, 5TH 1923, CASS COUNTY TEXAS, SIGNED BY \"THOMAS HITCHCOCK JR.\" ~ ALTHOUGH I CAN NOT AUTHENTICATE THAT THIS IS THE SAME THOMAS HITCHCOCK JR, THERE ARE SIMPLY NO OTHER \"THOMAS HITCHCOCK JR.\'S,\" THAT I COULD FIND ANYWHERE ON THE WEB DURING THAT TIME, AND ADDING THE FACT THAT HITCHCOCK\'S SON \"WILLIAM\" WENT ON TO BE A TEXAS OIL MAN, DOES ADD TO THE POSSIBILITY. ~ THE DOCUMENT IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION, PLEASE SEE ALL PHOTO\'S. ~ ALL QUESTIONS, OR COMMENTS ARE VERY WELCOME. ~ THANKS!Tommy Hitchcock, Jr.Tommy Hitchcock, Jr., April 6, 1918BornFebruary 11, 1900
Aiken, South Carolina,United StatesDiedApril 18, deathMilitary test aircraft crashResting placeCambridge American Cemetery,
Cambridgeshire, EnglandEducationSt. Paul\'s School,Harvard University,Oxford UniversityKnownforLafayette Flying Corps
Polo(10-goal handicap)
P-51 MustangdevelopmentBoard memberofLehman BrothersSpouse(s)Margaret MellonChildrenLouise Eustis Hitchcock, Margaret Mellon Hitchcock, Thomas Hitchcock III, William Mellon HitchcockParentsThomas Hitchcock&
Louise Mary EustisOlympic medal recordMen\'sPoloSilver1924 ParisTeam competition

Thomas Hitchcock, Jr.(February 11, 1900 – April 18, 1944) was anAmericanpoloplayer who was killed in an air crash duringWorld War II. He was inducted into theMuseum of Polo and Hall of Fame.

Biography

Born inAiken,South Carolina, he learned thesportfrom his parents, Louise andThomas Hitchcock, Sr.. His father was aU.S. Racing Hall of Famehorse trainerwho had been a 10-goal player who helped found theMeadowbrook Polo ClubonLong Island,New Yorkand who captained the American team in the inaugural 1886International Polo Cup. Tommy Jr. played in his first tournament at age 13 and was part of the Meadowbrook Polo Club that won the 1916 U.S. national junior championship.

Hitchcock attendedSt. Paul\'s Schoolwhere he played football, hockey and was a member of the crew team. After being elected president of the Sixth Form, Hitchcock chose to leave school and join theLafayette Flying CorpsinFranceduringWorld War I. He was shot down and captured by theGermansbut escaped his captors by jumping out of thetrain. On foot, he hid in the woods during the daytime then walked more than one hundred miles for eight nights to the safety ofSwitzerland.[1]

After the war, Hitchcock returned to study atHarvard Universityas well as atOxford University. Playing polo, he led the U.S. team to victory in the 1921International Polo Cup. From 1922 to 1940, Hitchcock carried a 10-goal handicap, which is the highest ranking in polo, from theUnited States of AmericaPolo Association. Playing with notable stars such asPete Bostwick,Jock Whitney, andGerald Balding, he led four teams to U.S. National Open Championships in 1923, 1927, 1935 and 1936.

AuthorF. Scott Fitzgeraldmodeled two characters in his books on Tommy Hitchcock, Jr.: Tom Buchanan inThe Great Gatsby(1925) and the Tommy Barban character inTender Is the Night(1934).[2][3]

Hitchcock married Margaret Mellon, daughter ofWilliam Larimer Mellon, inNew York Cityon 15 December 1928. They had four children: daughters Louise Eustis Hitchcock, Margaret Mellon Hitchcock, andtwinsThomas Hitchcock III, and William Mellon Hitchcock.

As a friend of fellow polo player,Robert Lehman, in 1937 he become a partner in theLehman Brothersinvestment firm.[1]

Serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in theUnited States Army Air ForcesinWorld War II, Hitchcock was assigned as an assistant air attache to the US Embassy in London,England. In that capacity, he was instrumental in the development of theP-51 Mustangfighter plane, particularly in replacing the original Allison engine with the Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin. He was killed in a crash while piloting one such aircraft nearSalisbury,Wiltshire,Englandwhen he was unable to pull out of a dive while doing tests. His death was reported to his family by fellow St. Paul\'s alumJohn G. Winant, then serving asUnited States Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Legacy

Following its formation, in 1990 Tommy Hitchcock, Jr. was inducted posthumously into theMuseum of Polo and Hall of Fame.