Field Eugene Kindley
| Field Eugene Kindley | |
|---|---|
Capt. Field E. Kindley with his pup "Fokker," while stationed in France.
|
|
| Born |
13 March 1896 Prairie Grove, Arkansas |
| Died | 2 February 1920 (aged 23) San Antonio, Texas |
| Buried at | Hillcrest Cemetery, Gravette, Arkansas |
| Allegiance |
 United States United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
Kansas National Guard Royal Air Force (United Kingdom) Air Service, United States Army |
| Years of service | 1917 - 1920 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit |
Royal Air Force |
| Commands held |
141st Aero Squadron 94th Aero Squadron |
| Battles/wars |
 World War I
|
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) |
Royal Air Force
Air Service, United States Army
Captain Field Eugene Kindley (13 March 1896 – 2 February 1920) was an aviator and World War I flying ace credited with twelve confirmed aerial victories.
Field Eugene Kindley was born at Prairie Grove in northwestern Arkansas. Kindley's mother died when he was two years old and his father took a position in the Philippines, leaving Kindley to be raised by his grandmother in Bentonville, Arkansas until the age of seven. Kindley joined his father in Manila, where he lived until 1908, when he moved to Gravette, Arkansas to live with his uncle. After completing his education he moved to Coffeyville, Kansas where he became a partner in a motion picture theater.
During his stay in Coffeyville, Kindley enlisted in the Kansas Army National Guard. Kindley volunteered for a transfer into the aviation branch of the United States Army Signal Corps. He attended the School of Military Aeronautics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Kindley established himself as an unlucky and somewhat untalented flier, with a series of accidents, mechanical failures, and landing mishaps. He became part of the first group of American pilots to be transferred to England for combat training in 1917. In the spring of 1918, he completed training and commissioned as a first lieutenant in the United States Army Air Service.
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Wikipedia