Frederick Libby

Frederick Libby (15 July 1891 - 9 January 1970) was the first American ace of World War I, and of all time, achieved while serving as an observer in the Royal Flying Corps.^[1][2]

Early life and service

Frederick Libby was born on 15 July 1891 in Sterling, Colorado.^[3] His mother died of tuberculosis when he was four years old, leaving him to be raised by his widower father, an older brother, and a live-in housekeeper. He attended local schools for his formal education, and began learning to ride at the age of six. One of his youthful feats was roping a pronghorn antelope at the age of ten.^[4][5]

In the autumn of 1903, he moved to Sabetha, Kansas to temporarily live with his older sister Minnie.^[6] By 1904, Libby's father and elder brother had re-established themselves as horse brokers in Minco, Indian Territory; one of their clients was Buffalo Bill. Frederick Libby rejoined them in 1904.^[7] He then lived with his aunt in Marshfield, Massachusetts during the school year to attend high school during his fifteenth and sixteenth years.^[8] In 1910, Frederick Libby moved to Phoenix, Arizona because of his father's false concern that his son might have tuberculosis. The younger Libby first worked for wages as a cowboy while there.^[9] He then became an itinerant cowboy and mustanger.^[10]

Libby was in Calgary, Canada when the war began. He claimed to have joined the Canadian Army on 2 September 1914,^[11] although his enlistment papers are dated 5 January 1915 and signed in Toronto. He gave his occupation as chauffeur upon enlistment. His enlistment papers describe him as being 5' 8 1/2" tall, with a medium complexion, brown hair, and gray eyes. He was assigned to motor transport duty in the Canadian Expeditionary Force's supply column.^[12] When the Americans in Canadian service were notified that they could be discharged to avoid loss of their citizenship, Libby stayed on.^[13]

Libby shipped out of Halifax, Nova Scotia for England on HMCS Metagama in April 1915. Upon arrival, his unit staged a short-lived mutiny because they had not been paid. After being paid, they were equipped with brand new trucks–a melange of Locomobiles, Packards, Pierce Arrows, Peerlesses, Leylands, and British Daimlers. They took their new trucks to Rouen, France to begin their assignment supporting the Canadian 2nd Division.^[14]

After serving in this motor transport unit through the winter of 1915–1916, he volunteered to join the Royal Flying Corps, becoming an observer in a F.E.2b in 23 Squadron.^[5][15][16]

Success as an aerial warrior

No. 23 Squadron RFC

Frederick Libby volunteered for service with the Royal Flying Corps on a thirty-day probationary period; he said it was to get in out of the constant rain. If he proved satisfactory as an aerial observer, he would be commissioned a second lieutenant; if unsatisfactory, he would return to his old unit without prejudice. According to Libby, when he reported to 23 Squadron, he received his machine gun training in the morning, and went on flight status that afternoon.^[17] He scored his first victory on his very first combat mission, which coincidentally was his birthday, 15 July 1916, flying with Lieutenant E. D. Hicks.^[1][15]

No. 11 Squadron RFC

In August 1916, Libby was commissioned and transferred to 11 Squadron. Upon arrival there, the first pilots he met were Albert Ball, John Quested, and Ernest Foot.^[18] Libby presumed upon his new rank to suggest fabricating a buttstock for the Lewis machine guns used by observers. He believed that a weapon so modified would be more accurate for one-handed fire than an unstocked one for two-handed use. The hand freed up by the buttstock could be used to hang onto the airplane, adding both stability for more accurate fire, as well as greater safety for the observer. His commanding officer promptly appointed Libby as squadron Gunnery Officer to carry out his experiment with the buttstock, which proved so successful it was widely adopted.^[19]

Libby claimed a string of five victories while teamed with Captain (later Major) Stephen Price; one of the victories was shared with Lionel Rees. He became an ace on 25 August 1916, and by 20 October 1916 he was a double ace as an observer on FE.2s.^[1][15]

On 15 September 1916, Libby was an eyewitness to the first use of tanks in battle while he was on observation duty over the battlefield. Two days later, in one of the great defeats of World War I aerial warfare, Oswald Boelcke and his wingmen shot down 11 Squadron's C Flight in its entirety, along with two escorting Airco DH.2 fighters. Libby's B Flight was thrown into the resulting breach in the aerial campaign, but suffered no losses.^[20]

On 28 October 1916, Libby was posted to Home Establishment for pilot's training. He was granted leave until 1 January 1917.^[21] His leave was interrupted for only one duty; on 13 December 1916, he and Captain Price were granted the Military Cross by King George V in Buckingham Palace.^[22]

No. 43 Squadron RFC; No. 25 Squadron RFC

After completing pilot training on 5 March 1917,^[23] Libby was posted to No. 43 Squadron on 7 March, piloting Sopwith 1½ Strutter two-seater reconnaissance planes. After scoring two victories, he was reassigned to No. 25 Squadron as a D.H.4 bomber pilot in August 1917, where he scored twice more.^[1][24] During this assignment, on 28 May 1917, he began flying the American flag as command streamers during his sorties.^[25]

Upon promotion to Flight Commander, Libby transferred to 25 Squadron, which shared its airfield with 43 Squadron. He was assigned B Flight and given a new Airco DH.4 to fly. Although he considered this craft the best airplane type he had ever flown, he was nearly killed by accident flying it. It had controls accessible to the observer, and while he was engaged in a dogfight, a Lewis ammunition drum jammed the rudder, slewing it into a constant righthand turn. Once the problem was remedied, Libby returned to base. His complaint led to the rear seat rudder bar being covered by plywood.^[26]

Libby would serve with 25 Squadron until he left the RFC. By the time he transferred to U. S. service, his combat tally–as both observer and pilots–consisted of 2 enemy planes destroyed (including 1 shared), and 12 driven down out of control (including 4 shared).^[27]

Transfer to American service

On 15 September 1917 Libby transferred to the United States Army Air Service, on the request of General Billy Mitchell. He returned to the United States and reclaimed his citizenship. He participated in the Liberty Loan drive by auctioning off his flight streamers, before joining the 22nd Aero Squadron at Hicks Airfield in Texas. Libby was seriously ill by this time and was found to be permanently disabled by spondylitis and medically unfit for further military service. Libby never flew a combat mission for the United States Air Service.^[28][29]

Post World War I life

Frederick Libby lived a partial cripple for the rest of his life.^[30] Despite his disabilities, and a doctor's prediction he would die before age 40, Libby went into the oil prospecting business, founding Eastern Oil Company and consulting for Union Oil and Richfield. He was also the founder of Western Air Express. In the process, he made millions of dollars; he also went broke. Eventually, he wrote his memoirs, Horses Don't Fly, which was published after his death in Los Angeles on 9 January 1970.^[31]

Memorable quote

His description of an observer's duties included this classic passage about manning the rear gun on a Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2. Keep in mind that the observer position was in the open front of the plane with the pilot behind him, and a reversed rotary engine/propeller drivetrain was situated behind both of them shoving all and sundry through the air.^[32]

The mounting consists of a hollow steel rod, into which a solid steel rod is fitted to work up and down with the machine gun on top. To operate this you simply pull the gun up as high as possible, where it locks into the fitting, then you step out of the nacelle and stand with a foot on each side. From this position, you have nothing to worry about except being blown out of the ship or being tossed out if the pilot makes a wrong move. This gun, I know, I am not going to like very much.^[32][33]

Libby's aerial victories

Sources of information

References

• Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920 Christopher F. Shores, Norman L. R. Franks, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1990. ISBN 0948817194, 9780948817199.
• American Aces of World War 1. Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1841763756, 9781841763750.
• Horses Don't Fly. Frederick Libby. Arcade Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1559705264, 9781559705264.
• Pusher Aces of World War 1. Jon Guttman, Harry Dempsey. Osprey Pub Co, 2009. ISBN 1846034175, 9781846034176.