Frank Linke-Crawford
Frank Linke-Crawford (born August 18, 1893 in Cracow , Galicia , † July 31, 1918 near Guia, Italy) was the fourth most successful fighter pilot of the Austro-Hungarian aviation troops in the First World War . His war fame earned him the nickname Falcon of Feltre .
Life
Linke-Crawford was born to Adalbert Linke, a major in the Austro-Hungarian Army , and Lucy Crawford, who was born in England. He first attended the lower secondary school in Meran and then the military secondary school in Mährisch Weißkirchen . From 1910 to 1913 he graduated from the Theresian Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt and was finally retired as a lieutenant in the kuk Dragoon Regiment 6 . At the beginning of the war he was with his regiment on the Russian front .
Due to recurring health problems, Linke-Crawford sought a transfer to the Austro-Hungarian aviation troops in December 1915 . The application was granted and he was assigned to the pilot school for observers in Wiener Neustadt. After six weeks of training he was assigned to the newly formed Fliegerkompanie 22 , where he flew reconnaissance and bombing missions as an observer. In September 1916 he did his flight training and was transferred to Fliegerkompanie 12 on the Isonzo Front. However, he only achieved his first aerial victory after his transfer to Fighter Pilot Company 41J under the command of Godwin von Brumowski in early August 1917.
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Linke-Crawford achieved his first aerial victory on August 21, 1917 and twelve more followed by the end of December 1917. During his time with the Flik 41J, he began to wear a red aviator's hat and to paint his aircraft with a red falcon on each side of the fuselage which led to its later nickname. At the end of December 1917 he was given command of the fighter pilot company 60J , which was initially stationed in Valsugana and later at Feltre .
When it was last used on July 31, 1918, Linke-Crawfords Aviatik DI had a technical defect on the wings; the fabric of the wing was damaged, the aircraft was difficult to maneuver and thus easy prey. Two Italian Hanriot HD.I fighter planes took advantage of this, which then shot down the only 24-year-old at the Guia faction belonging to the municipality of Valdobbiadene . The victory is attributed to Caporale Pilota Aldo Astolfi and represents his only aerial victory in the First World War.
His body was first buried near Marburg an der Drau . After the invasion of Yugoslavia in 1919, he was brought to Austria and buried in the Salzburg municipal cemetery.
Awards
- Knight's Cross of the Order of Leopold with war decoration and swords
- Order of the Iron Crown III. Class with war decorations and swords
- Austrian Military Merit Cross III. class
- Austrian gold medal for bravery
- Silver Military Merit Medal
- Bronze Military Merit Medal
- Karl-Troop Cross
literature
- Peter Broucek : Left-Crawford Frank. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 5, Publishing House of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1972, p. 227 f. (Direct links on p. 227 , p. 228 ).
- Christopher Chant, Austro-Hungarian Aces of WW 1, Osprey Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84176-376-7
Web links
- Biography on www.Flieger-Album.de , accessed on October 28, 2011
- Short biography (English)
- Short biography and list of the aerial victories of Frank Linke-Crawford (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Frank Linke-Crawford. Austrian State Archives, accessed on June 5, 2019 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Left Crawford, Frank |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Flying ace of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in World War I. |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 18, 1893 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Krakow |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 31, 1918 |
| Place of death | near Guia, Italy |