Posted in America, Aviation, Bravery, World War 1 on Tuesday, 10 July 2012

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This edited article about Edward Rickenbacker originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 745 published on 24 April 1976.



America’s greatest ace in the First World War was Edward “Eddie” Rickenbacker. The U.S.A. entered the war in 1917. Some Americans flew with the Allies earlier, but not Rickenbacker, which makes his 26 kills from mid-1918 onwards an amazing feat.

His first plane was a Nieuport 28 biplane painted grey and silver, and his very first victory came on 29th April, 1918. From that moment on, he proved to be one of the most deadly combat pilots in the skies over the Western Front.

After experience as a racing driver and as the owner and manager of the famous Indianapolis track, Rickenbacker had gone to France with General Pershing’s American expeditionary force. Rickenbacker joined the Air Service and, after his skill in the air had been proved, became Commanding Officer of the 94th Aero Pursuit Squadron.

Following his success in a Nieuport, Rickenbacker turned to a Spad. His greatest achievement in this came when he shot down 14 enemy aircraft in October of 1918. One of his victims was a German two-seater Rumpler C-IV.

On 11th November, 1918, the guns fell silent and flying became a peacetime occupation once again. Rickenbacker returned to the motor business. But he could not keep away from aircraft, making a miraculous recovery from injuries he received in an aircrash in 1941.

Soon after America entered the Second World War in 1942, he was in a Boeing B17 which crashed in the Pacific, and he and his crew were afloat for 24 days and nights on their rubber rafts before being rescued.

Unlike many adventurous men, Rickenbacker lived to a good age, dying in 1973 when 82 years old.