Julius Buckler
Encyclopedia
Julius Buckler was a German
First World War
fighter ace
credited with 36 victories during the war. He shot down 29 enemy airplanes and 7 balloons; two other victories went unconfirmed. He was one of only four German fighter aces to win Germany's highest decorations for valor for both enlisted man and officer.
but left in October, 1912 to join the Infantry Life Regiment 117. After suffering a bad wound on the Western Front in September, 1914, he applied for a transfer to the German Army Air Service
(Luftstreitkräfte) the following month while on recuperation leave.
He trained in FEA 6 (Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung 6), and by the summer of 1915 was flying artillery direction missions over Verdun
as an Observer in FA(A) 209 before training as a pilot. In November 1916 he transferred to Jasta 17 as a founding member. Just after he joined Jagdstaffel 17, they re-equipped with the Albatros D.II
.
before shooting it down.
On 17 July he scored victory number 11 although he was wounded again and did not score again until 9 August. On 11 August he downed a British RE 8, and was wounded yet again the next day. Victory 14 was on 29 September, possibly because the wound kept him out of action.
On 18 November he was commissioned as a Leutnant. He was wounded for the fourth time on 30 November 1917, wounded in both his arms and chest. His subsequent crash then completely broke both arms. He lay under his smashed aircraft for hours before counter-attacking German infantry overran the wreckage and rescued him. On 4 December 1917, while he was recovering from his wounds, he was awarded the Pour le Mérite
. The injuries kept him out of action for months and he would not score again until 16 April 1918.
After recovering, he rejoined Jasta 17. At this time had two airplanes dedicated for his personal use. He dubbed them Mops and Lilly.
He flew "Mops" and "Lilly" to score 3 more victories before he was severely wounded yet again on 6 May 1918, this time in the left ankle. His next victory came 5 months later on 5 October. He scored twice more in the final days of the war, and had his second unconfirmed triumph on 8 November.
He survived World War II and died in Bonn, West Germany, on 23 May 1960.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
First World War
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...
fighter ace
Fighter Ace
Fighter Ace was a massively multiplayer online computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots...
credited with 36 victories during the war. He shot down 29 enemy airplanes and 7 balloons; two other victories went unconfirmed. He was one of only four German fighter aces to win Germany's highest decorations for valor for both enlisted man and officer.
Early life and service
Buckler's father was a roofer, and Buckler followed him into the family trade. At 15 years of age, Buckler had an interest in architecture and worked for Anthony FokkerAnthony Fokker
Anton Herman Gerard "Anthony" Fokker was a Dutch aviation pioneer and an aircraft manufacturer. He is most famous for the fighter aircraft he produced in Germany during the First World War such as the Eindecker monoplanes, the Fokker Triplane the and the Fokker D.VII, but after the collapse of...
but left in October, 1912 to join the Infantry Life Regiment 117. After suffering a bad wound on the Western Front in September, 1914, he applied for a transfer to the German Army Air Service
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
(Luftstreitkräfte) the following month while on recuperation leave.
He trained in FEA 6 (Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung 6), and by the summer of 1915 was flying artillery direction missions over Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
as an Observer in FA(A) 209 before training as a pilot. In November 1916 he transferred to Jasta 17 as a founding member. Just after he joined Jagdstaffel 17, they re-equipped with the Albatros D.II
Albatros D.II
|-See also:...
.
Aerial victories and wounds
He scored his initial victory on 17 December 1916, making numerous passes at a French Caudron over BrasBras, Var
Bras is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France....
before shooting it down.
On 17 July he scored victory number 11 although he was wounded again and did not score again until 9 August. On 11 August he downed a British RE 8, and was wounded yet again the next day. Victory 14 was on 29 September, possibly because the wound kept him out of action.
On 18 November he was commissioned as a Leutnant. He was wounded for the fourth time on 30 November 1917, wounded in both his arms and chest. His subsequent crash then completely broke both arms. He lay under his smashed aircraft for hours before counter-attacking German infantry overran the wreckage and rescued him. On 4 December 1917, while he was recovering from his wounds, he was awarded the Pour le Mérite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
. The injuries kept him out of action for months and he would not score again until 16 April 1918.
After recovering, he rejoined Jasta 17. At this time had two airplanes dedicated for his personal use. He dubbed them Mops and Lilly.
He flew "Mops" and "Lilly" to score 3 more victories before he was severely wounded yet again on 6 May 1918, this time in the left ankle. His next victory came 5 months later on 5 October. He scored twice more in the final days of the war, and had his second unconfirmed triumph on 8 November.
Postwar
In 1939, Buckler wrote his memoirs, entitled "Malaula! Der Kampfruf meiner Staffel (Malaula! The Battle Cry of my Squadron)".He survived World War II and died in Bonn, West Germany, on 23 May 1960.