[Frederick Libby oral history interview (Part 7 of 8)]


AFAA interview with Frederick Libby, Reel 7 of 8
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Title

[Frederick Libby oral history interview (Part 7 of 8)]

Description

In this eight-part oral history, fighter ace Frederick Libby is interviewed about his life and his military service with the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. In part seven, he discusses his time as a pilot with No. 43 Squadron and No. 25 Squadron in France. Topics discussed include an emergency landing near the front lines in a Sopwith aircraft and a harrowing combat mission in a De Havilland D.H.4.

The interview is conducted by fellow fighter ace Eugene A. Valencia.

Date

1962-03 circa

Coverage

Extent

1 sound reel (16 min., 3 sec.) : analog ; 1/4 in

Language

Rights

Bibliographic Citation

The American Fighter Aces Association Oral Interviews/The Museum of Flight

Identifier

2002-02-13_AV_117_01
2002-02-13_AV_117_01_transcription

Interviewee

Interviewer

Biographical Text

Frederick Libby was born in the early 1890s in Sterling, Colorado. He worked as an itinerant cowboy during his youth and joined the Canadian Army shortly after the outbreak of World War I. Deployed to France in 1915, Libby initially served with a motor transport unit, then volunteered for the Royal Flying Corps. He served as an observer with No. 23 Squadron and No. 11 Squadron, then as a pilot with No. 43 Squadron and No. 25 Squadron. Scoring a number of aerial victories during his RFC career, he became the first American fighter ace. Libby transferred to the United States Army Air Service in 1917 and was medically discharged soon after for spondylitis. As a civilian, he went on to embark on a number of business ventures, including founding the Eastern Oil Company and Western Air Express. Libby passed away in 1970.

Note

This recording is presented in its original, unedited form. Please note that some interviews in this collection may contain adult language, racial slurs, and/or graphic descriptions of wartime violence.