The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-05-20
MAJOR LUFBERY IS
KILLED IN ALRIGHT
NOTED AMERICAN ACE DIES
WHEN INJURED MACHINE
FALLS TO EARTH.
z HUN PLANES DROPPED
Captain Charles ]. Biddle, of the
Lafayette Air Squadron. Given
Up for Lost, Is Found Wounded
and Now Is In Hospital.
(By The Associated Press


With the American Army in
France, Sunday, May l9.-Major
Raoul Lufbery, OF the American
flying corps has been killed in an
aerial battle. He will be buried to-
morrow with full military honors,
in which both American and
French troops will participate.
Major Lufbery's home was at
Wallingford, Conn.
The German machine which
brought Lufbery down, and which
was armed with two machine guns
with an operator for each piece,
apparently escaped.
Lufbery's only wound aside from
those received when he crashed to
earth, was bullet hole through
one thumb. Apparently the same
bullet punctured one of the gaso-
line tanks of his machine.
The German machine was under
heavy anti-aircraft fire several times
both before and after the air fight
and one explosion of shell upset
the enemy plane, but it managed
10 straighten out again.
Major Raoul Lufbery had beer
attached to the American aviation
corps less than four months, but be-
fore that time he had made a bril-
liant record as a member of the
Lafayette escadrille with the French
army and was generally accounted
the leader of the American aces.
Only recently he brought down his
18th enemy machine, which so far
as is known was the number stand
ing to his credit when he was killed,
and which is by far the largest
credited to any American aviator,
either with the American or the
French army.
Lufbery's father was native
born American, but his mother was
Frenchwoman and Lufbery him
self was born in France 81 years
ago.
For the greater part of his life
he was traveller, taking up occu-
pations in various parts of the
world where his fancy led him. He
served at one time for Is months
with the American army i'll the
Philippines and was successfully
occupied at times in Algeria,
Egypt, Turkey and in various parts
OF Europe.
Major Lufbery joined the French
1O1h and IN
began 20 develop marked skill as
an airman with the famous Latay-
ette escadrille. By November of
that year he had shot down six ma
chimes and had been cited for
bravery, and early last year he won
the Cross of the Legion of Honor.
Later he was presented with the
gold medal of the Aero Club or
France, the British military medal
the war medal of the Aero Club of
America and several times had
been cited in French army orders,
once as IAN incompatible pilot
He had several narrow escapes
from death.
When the American air service
began to assume active shape IN
France Lufbery was commissioned
a major in the American army and
late in January of the present year
was indicted into the United States
service with that rank.
With the American Army in
France, Sunday, May l9.-Two hos
tile airplanes have been brought
down by American aviators, says
an official announcement issued at
American headquarters this eve
ming.
The statement, timed at p. m,
follows:
aside from activity OF the air
forces on both sides the day was
quiet at all points occupied by our
trops. Our aviators brought down
two hostile machines"
Paris, Saturday, May lS-Captain
Charles J. Biddle, OF Andalusia, Pa,
chief OF a patrol of the Lafayette
squadron. who recently was report
ed lost after a fight with the Ger
mans, was found today by French
scouts in no mans land with bull
let through one leg. His machine
was wrecked. He is now in hos
pital
Paris, May 19-(Sunday)-Among
the citations printed today is that
of the late Edmond c. o. Genet. a
corporal in the Lafayette escadrille.
who was killed near Ham in April,
1917.
Aviator Genet was a descendant
of the noted Citizen Genet. a
French minister to the United
States, and of George Clinton, a
governor of New York. He was
the first American to die in the war
carrying an American flag. His
home was in Ossing. y. y.
FOURTEEN RESIDENTS OF