Author Topic: Last living WW1 fighter pilot dies. (Read 902 times)

Pongo · « **on:** January 07, 2003, 12:39:27 PM »

Canadian guy flew with the Naval Air Corps and died at the age of 106 on Friday.
And then there were none.

gofaster · « **Reply #1 on:** January 07, 2003, 12:43:49 PM »

I've been reading a book called "Fighter Aces" that re-printed the memoirs of some of The Great War's fighter pilots and it boggles my mind how those guys could go up in wood and fabric airplanes loaded with easily-punctured gas tanks, no armour, and no parachute.

Eagler · « **Reply #2 on:** January 07, 2003, 12:49:39 PM »

sad

and most of us will out live the last WW2 pilot as well

Ripsnort · « **Reply #3 on:** January 07, 2003, 12:54:42 PM »

~~Hey, my Grandfather was a World War 1 pilot, he died at age 94 in 1991..anyone interested in his photo? I have two I can scan at home, one with his officers uniform on and one with flight gear.~~

vorticon · « **Reply #4 on:** January 07, 2003, 01:08:59 PM »

to bad...

devious · « **Reply #5 on:** January 07, 2003, 01:19:16 PM »

sigh...

Hristo · « **Reply #6 on:** January 07, 2003, 02:25:55 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Ripsnort

~~Hey, my Grandfather was a World War 1 pilot, he died at age 94 in 1991..anyone interested in his photo? I have two I can scan at home, one with his officers uniform on and one with flight gear.~~

~~Please do ! What did he fly ? Where ? when ? Any stories ?~~

Ripsnort · « **Reply #7 on:** January 07, 2003, 03:03:00 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Hristo
Please do ! What did he fly ? Where ? when ? Any stories ?

Unfortunately, no stories. I do remember him speaking of the "Jenny" fondly...I know 0 about WW1 aircraft.

I don't believe he saw any action though. He was listed as a "Airman" or something of that sort...maybe you can tell by his uniforms..will post them later.

midnight Target · « **Reply #8 on:** January 07, 2003, 03:24:10 PM »

My grandfather was also a WW1 vet. Truck driver. He was one of the few soldiers who actually had a "chauffer's license" (got it in 1910).

My Mother was a history teacher, and had the WW1 vets group come speak at her classes every year. I received one of my prized possesions from that group, a picture book titled "Colliers Pictorial Review of the European War". It was published in 1915. If I can get to a scanner I'll share some of the pics.

Sadly I don't think any of them are left from that group.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #9 on:** January 07, 2003, 05:26:38 PM »

Here's Gramps at Kelly Field, Texas as a Cadet, then in 1916 as I presume an officer. Air Corp.

William D. Dover 1898-1991.

Hajo · « **Reply #10 on:** January 07, 2003, 06:30:22 PM »

Rip neat pictures!

After WWI My Grandfather F. Weimer and his friend "Shorty" Nigh, bought a surplus JN4. LOL My Dad has the pictures. Remember my Grandfather telling me he and Shorty learned to fly the day they bought the JN4 . Took a half hour lesson to learn controls. Navigation was "easy" follow the rail road tracks or any major highways LOL. Since this was 1919 1920 era who needed a license? If you had the money to get a "Jenny" you could fly one! My Grandmother finally forced my Grandfather to,(as she said) sell the dam thing before you break your fool neck or I'm leaving! My grandfather said almost 50 years later..."I shoulda kept the Jenny." LOLOL

Hajo

Mogi · « **Reply #11 on:** January 07, 2003, 06:38:15 PM »

From today's City section of the Ottawa Citizen, with a Daily Telegraph byline:

Chanter · « **Reply #12 on:** January 07, 2003, 08:31:27 PM »

Here's a pic of the print by Robert Taylor.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #13 on:** January 08, 2003, 07:24:53 AM »

Very cool Hajo! LOL!
Mogi, thks for posting that, good article.
Chanter, it was very rare for a WW1 pilot to have a parachute, no?

Dowding (Work) · « **Reply #14 on:** January 08, 2003, 08:00:26 AM »

That's not a pilot Ripsnort, that's an observer who was in the ballon that just got shot down (the burning thing in the background).

Observers in balloons were deemed to be very valuable, more so than pilots who were ten a penny. Even with the horrific casualty rates (the life expectancy of an RFC recruit in April 1917 was 3 weeks!

), they had no problems with recruitment. Man for man, the war in the air was as bloody as anything on the ground - which is saying alot considering the British Army had 20,000 men killed in one day during the Somme offensive of 1916.

Parachutes were also said to diminish a man's fighting spirit.

Did you know that WW1 planes were regularrly going above 16 thousand feet, without oxygen in open cockpits, by 1918?

I'd reccommend Derek Robinson's Trilogy of RFC based WW1 books 'War Story', 'Hornet's Sting' and 'Goshawk Squadron' (in chronological order).