[Frederick Libby oral history interview]

Details

IntervieweeLibby, FrederickInterviewerValencia, Eugene A.Datecirca 1962-03LanguageEnglishDescriptionIn 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 one, he describes his childhood in Colorado and the Midwest and discusses his family’s profession as cowboys and horse breakers.

In part two, he describes his adventures as a young adult in the American West, Mexico, and Canada. Topics discussed include his financial wins and losses, a story about being “rolled” (robbed) in a bar, and his enlistment in the Canadian Army.

In part three, he discusses his time as an observer with No. 23 Squadron and No. 11 Squadron in France. Topics discussed include his experiences with the RFC after transferring from a motor transport unit, his early combat missions and encounters, and his first aerial victories.

In part four, he discusses his time as an observer and pilot with various squadrons in France. Topics discussed include his thoughts on German and British pilots, military life in France and England, and mission logistics for squadrons.

In part five, he discusses his time as an observer in France and his pilot training in England. Topics discussed include missions and difficulties during the Somme Offensive, his receipt of the Military Cross at Buckingham Palace, and his pilot training at Wantage Hall and RAF Waddington.

In part six, he discusses his pilot training in England and his time with No. 43 Squadron in France. Topics discussed include his experiences with Sopwith aircraft, memorable flights and combat missions in France, and his memories of fellow pilots and servicemen.

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.

In part eight, he discusses his final weeks with the Royal Flying Corps and his transfer to the United States Army Air Service. Topics discussed include stories from his time in England and Ireland, his brief experiences with a night-flying squadron and a Bristol Fighter squadron, his return to the United States, and his thoughts on various aircraft.Biographical NoteFrederick 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.

Audio