"Recognised as one of the greatest of US World War aces with 12 victories, Major Lord holds the DFC and Bar, the Croix de Guerre, the Order of St. Anne, the Order of St. Stanislaus and the White Army Medal." Briefly, he: - left home at 16 and joined the state militia on the Mexican border, then - Joined the RFC, renouncing his US Citizenship to do so, and was credited with shooting down 12 German aircraft (although he later told people it was 22) and one balloon. In one engagement, he single-handedly attacked 20 German planes, shot down two and scattered the rest; - he then went north into Russia to lead a squadron fighting near Archangel in the Russian Civil War, at one stage "blasting the enemy with empty whisky bottles"; - he then "killed time" by fighting for the Government in the Mexican Revolution of 1921 and from then until 1932 he barnstormed in the US with a flying circus. - He then fought for the Chinese Government against the Japanese in Shanghai and Peiping; - 3 years later he was fighting for the Government in Honduras, - And in 1937, [of course], he fought in the Spanish Civil War against German and Italian air forces. He then operated a flying school for a few years, but found it "pretty dull" and tried to rejoin the RAF when WWII broke out, but they obviously felt that the ATA was a more sensible place for a 47-year-old pilot. d. 21 Jul 1967 (age 70): he was murdered in Apple Valley, CA. He was found in a desert cabin belonging to Norval Elma Austin, which "was a shambles, with broken bottles all over the floor, giving every indication of a struggle." The body was identified by his wife. She later said that Frederic was physically unable to do much work around the house, and had hired Norval to do yardwork and other heavy chores, but had fired him "several times". Norval was arrested 2 days later, and found guilty of second-degree murder in 1968. He died in 1982. |
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