Field E. Kindley
Encyclopedia
Captain Field Eugene Kindley (March 13, 1896 – February 2, 1920) was an aviator
and World War I
flying ace credited with twelve confirmed aerial victories.
in northwestern Arkansas
. Kindley's mother died when he was 2 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 7. 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. The only high school in Coffeyville is named for him (Field Kindley Memorial High School). The school mascot is the Golden Tornado.
During his stay in Coffeyville, Kindley enlisted in the Kansas Army National Guard
. Kindley volunteered for a transfer into the aviation branch of the US Signal Corps. When his transfer was accepted he attended the School of Military Aeronautics at the University of Illinois
. Kindley established himself as an unlucky and somewhat untalented flier. He had a series of accidents and mechanical failures and was known to land at the wrong aerodrome. Despite this 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 his training and was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the American Air Service.
that he was ferrying into the White Cliffs of Dover
. Kindley was sent to hospital to recover from his wounds. After his release, Kindley was assigned to the Royal Air Force
's 65th Squadron and scored his first air-to-air kill on 26 June 1918 over Albert, France. The pilot of the Pfalz D.III
was Lt. Wilhelm Lehmann, commander of Jagdstaffel 5
.
In July 1918 the United States Army
formed the 148th Squadron and assigned Kindley to the unit. Kindley shot down a German Albatros D.V
near Ypres
and earned the unit its first kill. Kindley's victory soon led him to be appointed commanding officer of the 148th when the CO became ill, and he was promoted to Captain. While with the 148th he scored 11 confirmed kills.
His fourth kill, on 13 August 1918, came during a scrape with Jasta 11. The Fokker D.VII
Kindley shot down was likely that of Lothar von Richthofen
, brother of "The Red Baron," Manfred von Richthofen
. Lothar von Richthofen was wounded in that battle and never flew in combat again.
Kindley scored four more wins in early September, including one shared with Jesse Creech
. Then, during missions on 24 September and 27 September 1918, Kindley earned the Distinguished Service Cross
, Distinguished Service Cross
with Oak Leaf Cluster
and the British Distinguished Flying Cross
. On the 24th, he led a flight of Camels in a successful attack on seven Fokkers near Bourlon Wood, France. Three days later, Kindley earned the Oak Leaf Cluster to the DSC by dropping bombs on German infantry, destroying a German observation balloon, taking out a German machine gun nest, shooting down an enemy airplane, strafing German infantry, and scaring two Fokker biplanes away from fellow fliers even after his ammunition had been exhausted. (General Orders No. 7, W.D., 1919.)
Kindley died in a crash at Kelly Field near San Antonio, Texas
during a demonstration flight for General John J. Pershing
. A control cable snapped on the SE-5 biplane Kindley was flying which stalled and fell from an altitude of 100 feet. Kindley is buried at Hillcrest Cemetery in Gravette, Arkansas
.
, also known as Kindley Field, a World War II
airfield in Bermuda
, was named in his honor, as was Kindley Field in the Philippines, a small auxiliary airstrip on Corregidor
. The Kindley home has been acquired by the Gravette City Museum. Kindley's personal effects are on display at the Arkansas Air Museum in Fayetteville, Arkansas
. A Sopwith Camel
F.1 said to be Kindley's and claimed to be the only surviving Camel in the United States, was used during the filming of "The Blue Max" in 1968 and is currently on loan to the Aerospace Education Center in Little Rock, Arkansas
.
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
flying ace credited with twelve confirmed aerial victories.
Birth and Early Life
Field Eugene Kindley was born at Prairie GrovePrairie Grove, Arkansas
Prairie Grove is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,540 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located here is the Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park...
in northwestern Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. Kindley's mother died when he was 2 years old and his father took a position in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, leaving Kindley to be raised by his grandmother in Bentonville, Arkansas
Bentonville, Arkansas
Bentonville, Arkansas is a city in Northwest Bahamas, and county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, United States The population was 35,301 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area...
until the age of 7. Kindley joined his father in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, where he lived until 1908 when he moved to Gravette, Arkansas
Gravette, Arkansas
Gravette is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,325 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
to live with his uncle. After completing his education he moved to Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville is a city situated along the Verdigris River in the southeastern part of Montgomery County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,295...
where he became a partner in a motion picture theater. The only high school in Coffeyville is named for him (Field Kindley Memorial High School). The school mascot is the Golden Tornado.
During his stay in Coffeyville, Kindley enlisted in the Kansas Army National Guard
Kansas Army National Guard
The Kansas Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
. Kindley volunteered for a transfer into the aviation branch of the US Signal Corps. When his transfer was accepted he attended the School of Military Aeronautics at the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
. Kindley established himself as an unlucky and somewhat untalented flier. He had a series of accidents and mechanical failures and was known to land at the wrong aerodrome. Despite this he became part of the first group of American pilots to be transferred to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for combat training in 1917. In the spring of 1918 he completed his training and was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the American Air Service.
Air Combat
On his first flight he was assigned to move aircraft from England to the western front and crashed the Sopwith CamelSopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...
that he was ferrying into the White Cliffs of Dover
White cliffs of Dover
The White Cliffs of Dover are cliffs which form part of the British coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliffs are part of the North Downs formation. The cliff face, which reaches up to , owes its striking façade to its composition of chalk accentuated by streaks of black flint...
. Kindley was sent to hospital to recover from his wounds. After his release, Kindley was assigned to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
's 65th Squadron and scored his first air-to-air kill on 26 June 1918 over Albert, France. The pilot of the Pfalz D.III
Pfalz D.III
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962. ISBN 0-93385-271-1.* Grosz, Peter M. Pfalz D.IIIa . Berkhamsted, Herts, UK: Albatros Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-94841-425-1.* Guttman, Jon. Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1 ...
was Lt. Wilhelm Lehmann, commander of Jagdstaffel 5
Jagdstaffel 5
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 5, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 5, was founded on 21 August 1916, as one of the first fighter squadrons of the predecessor to the Luftwaffe, the Luftstreitkräfte.It was founded upon KEK Avillers, itself an early attempt to utilize fighter planes as winged weapons...
.
In July 1918 the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
formed the 148th Squadron and assigned Kindley to the unit. Kindley shot down a German Albatros D.V
Albatros D.V
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Bennett, Leon. Gunning for the Red Baron. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-58544-507-X....
near Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
and earned the unit its first kill. Kindley's victory soon led him to be appointed commanding officer of the 148th when the CO became ill, and he was promoted to Captain. While with the 148th he scored 11 confirmed kills.
His fourth kill, on 13 August 1918, came during a scrape with Jasta 11. The Fokker D.VII
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...
Kindley shot down was likely that of Lothar von Richthofen
Lothar von Richthofen
Lothar-Siegfried Freiherr von Richthofen was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 40 victories...
, brother of "The Red Baron," Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
. Lothar von Richthofen was wounded in that battle and never flew in combat again.
Kindley scored four more wins in early September, including one shared with Jesse Creech
Jesse Creech
Lieutenant Jesse Orin Creech was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He shot down the final victory of the war for his squadron....
. Then, during missions on 24 September and 27 September 1918, Kindley earned the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
, Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
with Oak Leaf Cluster
Oak leaf cluster
An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...
and the British Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
. On the 24th, he led a flight of Camels in a successful attack on seven Fokkers near Bourlon Wood, France. Three days later, Kindley earned the Oak Leaf Cluster to the DSC by dropping bombs on German infantry, destroying a German observation balloon, taking out a German machine gun nest, shooting down an enemy airplane, strafing German infantry, and scaring two Fokker biplanes away from fellow fliers even after his ammunition had been exhausted. (General Orders No. 7, W.D., 1919.)
| Capt. Field E. Kindley's Confirmed Kills | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 26 June 1918, 2035 hrs | Pfalz D.III Pfalz D.III |-See also:-Bibliography:* Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962. ISBN 0-93385-271-1.* Grosz, Peter M. Pfalz D.IIIa . Berkhamsted, Herts, UK: Albatros Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-94841-425-1.* Guttman, Jon. Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1 ... |
East of Albert, Somme Albert, Somme Albert is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It is located about halfway between Amiens and Bapaume.-History:Albert was founded as a Roman outpost called Encre, in about 54 BC... |
| 13 July 1918, 0857 hrs | Albatros D.V Albatros D.V |-See also:-Bibliography:*Bennett, Leon. Gunning for the Red Baron. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-58544-507-X.... |
Poperinghe |
| 3 August 1918, 0930 hrs | Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft... |
Southeast of Ostend Ostend Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast.... |
| 13 August 1918, 1352 hrs | Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft... |
North of Roye, Somme Roye, Somme Roye is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Roye is situated at the junction of the A1 autoroute and the N17 road, on the banks of the Avre, some southeast of Amiens.-Population:-History:... |
| 2 September 1918, 1150 hrs | Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft... |
South of Rumaucourt Rumaucourt Rumaucourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Population:-Places of interest:* The church of St.Amand, rebuilt, along with most of the village, after World War I.* The German World War I cemetery.... |
| 5 September 1918, 1720 hrs | Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft... |
Saint-Quentin, Aisne Saint-Quentin, Aisne Saint-Quentin is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. It has been identified as the Augusta Veromanduorum of antiquity. It is named after Saint Quentin, who is said to have been martyred here in the 3rd century.... Lake |
| 15 September 1918, 1050 hrs | Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft... |
Epinoy Épinoy Épinoy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated southeast of Arras at the junction of the N43 and D21 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:* Traces of an old castle.... |
| 17 September 1918, 1300 hrs | Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft... |
Epinoy Épinoy Épinoy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated southeast of Arras at the junction of the N43 and D21 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:* Traces of an old castle.... |
| 24 September 1918, 0728 hrs | Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft... |
West of Cambrai Cambrai Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included... |
| 26 September 1918, 1325 hrs | Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft... |
East of Bourlon Bourlon Bourlon is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village located 22 miles southeast of Arras on the D16 road, just yards from the A26 autoroute.-Population:... Wood |
| 27 September 1918, 0920 hrs | Halberstadt Halberstadt CL.IV -Bibliography:* Gerdessen, F. "Estonian Air Power 1918 - 1945". Air Enthusiast No 18, April - July 1982. Pages 61–76. ISSN 0143-5450.-External links:**... (Unspecified C-series) |
Noyelles-sous-Lens Noyelles-sous-Lens Noyelles-sous-Lens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Administration:Noyelles-sous-Lens belongs to the intercommunality of Lens-Liévin, which consists of 36 communes, with a total population of 250,000 inhabitants.-Twin towns:... /L'Escaut |
| 28 October 1918, 1205 hrs (shared with Lt. Jesse Creech) | Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft... |
Villers-Pol Villers-Pol -References:*... |
Postwar Military Life and Death
In 1919 Kindley was offered a contract by a New York-based motion picture company to reenact his war service. The company offered him $60 per day for two weeks which was an extremely high wage. Kindley refused the job because he thought it might interfere with his army career.Kindley died in a crash at Kelly Field near San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
during a demonstration flight for General John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
. A control cable snapped on the SE-5 biplane Kindley was flying which stalled and fell from an altitude of 100 feet. Kindley is buried at Hillcrest Cemetery in Gravette, Arkansas
Gravette, Arkansas
Gravette is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,325 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
.
Legacy
A city park in Gravette is named for Kindley, as is a high school in Coffeyville, Kansas. Kindley Air Force BaseKindley Air Force Base
Kindley Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base in Bermuda from 1948–1970, having been operated from 1943 to 1948 by the United States Army Air Force as Kindley Field.-World War II:...
, also known as Kindley Field, a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
airfield in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, was named in his honor, as was Kindley Field in the Philippines, a small auxiliary airstrip on Corregidor
Corregidor
Corregidor Island, locally called Isla ng Corregidor, is a lofty island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in southwestern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. Due to this location, Corregidor was fortified with several coastal artillery and ammunition magazines to defend the entrance of...
. The Kindley home has been acquired by the Gravette City Museum. Kindley's personal effects are on display at the Arkansas Air Museum in Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
. A Sopwith Camel
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...
F.1 said to be Kindley's and claimed to be the only surviving Camel in the United States, was used during the filming of "The Blue Max" in 1968 and is currently on loan to the Aerospace Education Center in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
.
See also
- List of accidents and incidents involving military aircraft (pre-1925)