File:Yankee Squadron in the Marshall News Messenger of Marshall, Texas on January 7, 1937.png

DescriptionYankee Squadron in the Marshall News Messenger of Marshall, Texas on January 7, 1937.png	English: Yankee Squadron in the Marshall News Messenger of Marshall, Texas on January 7, 1937
Date	7 January 1937
Source	Yankee Squadron in the Marshall News Messenger of Marshall, Texas on January 7, 1937
Author	Frederic Ives Lord  (1897–1967)    Alternative names Frederick Lord; Frederic Lord Description American aircraft pilot Date of birth/death 18 April 1897  21 July 1967  Location of birth/death Columbus Apple Valley Authority file : Q5497061 creator QS:P170,Q5497061
Permission (Reusing this file)	Copyright 1937 by United Press but not renewed

Soldier of Fortune Describes Harrowing Experiences as Flier For Loyalists In Spanish War For Loyalists In Spanish War. Editor's Note: Major Frederick Lord, war flier and soldier of fortune, found that flying with the Spanish loyalists involved fighting not only the enemy but his own officers. In the following exclusive dispatch he describes his experiences. By Major Frederick Lord (Noted American Aviator) (Copyright 1937 by United Press) I have looked down 12 Spanish rifle barrels, with my back to the wall, and counted my seconds to live. I have been within an ace of death at the point of a pistol held by own commander after I had brought down an antique plane safely when the wing snapped .. off. Once my plane was riddled by German machine-gun bullets from a sky full of crack, modern Heinkels. A motor-boat pilot, smuggling me into France, was shot dead at his steering wheel, off the rebel coast, and I was forced to return to Bilbao. And I spent 18, hours in the Port Bou jaiL But, somehow, here I am to tell my story of fighting for the loyalists in Spain. As head of a squadron of Americans, including Bert Acosta, Hal du Berrier, Eddie Schneider and Gordon Berry. I sailed from New York not very appropriately on Armistice Day and arrived on the Europa November 17. I took an Air France plane to Alicante and motored to Valencia. At first nobody knew what to do with me and my men. We were shunted from one airport to another for 10 days without flying. Finally, we got to Barcelona from where we flew across France to Santander. It seems that our pilots could fly over French territory si much as they liked. I reported for duty Dec. 2 at Bilbao where a suspicious and hostile commander immediately wanted to see whether I could fly. This seemed a little foolish for a flier who had been in the air since he fought with the white Russian army,, but I felt worse than that when I saw the 1925 Breguet in which I was supposed to fight It was an aged, two-seat bomber and we scarcely had gained altitude when a wing cracked. I didn't want to use my parachute as I thought I could save the plane. The commandant frantically motioned me upwards so we could jump, but I refused and on a second attempt was able to land with the engine running. The commandant, in a blind rage at being shown up, nearly tore off his tunic grabbing for his gun and before 1 knew what was haoDenlna it was in my ribs. He was screaming in : Spanish. He had backed me against n wall, with-murder-in his eye, still screaming, when a group or pilots whom I later learned didn't like him any better than I, came up, gun in hand. thought they were a firing squad, but when they appeared he put his gun back. Later one of the pilots told me: "It wouldn't hav h'rf! von. but if he had killed you we would have popped him on on the spot and he knew it" A few days later another venerable Breguet which I had to fly without maps or compass stalled with a full load of bombs. I was high enough to bring it back to land safely and this time, while I still was strapped in the seat, the commandant rushed up whipped out his revolver, and yelled: "Fly or I'll kill you. Fly or I'll kill you." The other pilots saved me again. This time they said they definitely were going to shoot the commander full of holes. But a real expedition took our minds off that for the time being. I had tu settled bomhlns. The airport at Victoria and a bombing parry iinauy was organized on Dec, 1 1. The Bilbao authorities thought the rebels bad a few old planes there. I wanted a .45 caliber pistol so I could shoot myself if brought down, but this was refused, and, at the har! of a nartv of civ Knmh. ers with seven Russian escorts I took off. I carried 20 bombs and the other five carried 17 altogether. Instead of old planes we found 25 beautiful new Heinkels and 10 Junkers. We let them have our load and wrecked 10 Heinkels. Then. In a few icmnrti thp others were in the air after us ana our Russians, who were crack pilots, had a real battle and finally shot down two more. On our side, the Heinkels brought down and killed an English pilot named Holland and two Spaniards. The rest of us cot a war safclv although twice the Russians got me uermans on the tali of my slow maenme in the nick of time. And when I did get to Bilbao safely my machine was full of holes. I would have done much better, incidentally, if the observer had had a compass and also if he hadn't been so sleepy he Was an observer in the day time and a band leader at night and aian t get much sleep. A few days later when we were sent to bomb the Mondragon ammunition dump the unsteadiness of my ancient Breguet actually saved Tny life. The enemy had his "archies" trained on us and they were marvelous shots. They got the range almost perfectly in three shots. I had turned in the cockpit and in so doing relaxed the control stick which I had to keep so far over that I was scraping my hand on the control board. The plane swerved and in that instant a perfect shot whistled right through the srxt whir 1 should have been had the control worked right We went on four other bombing excursions during the next few days and were warned not to bomb open to' ns under penalty of being shot I believe that the rebels were not so scrupulous. At last our planes were worn out and so were our nerves particularly after Eddie Schneider had broken his propeller, trying to land uphill on a one-way field, and had had to Dull his own automatic first to keep from being snoi oy ine commandant for damaging his plane. Finally Schneider and th ntK.r Americans left Bilbao and I quit 11FI. . . w a i a w nen i aid so we Russians asked mt to fly for them, but I had had enough. - The Russians had their own airdrome, their own units, a marvelous discipline and didn't mix with the Spaniards. They were so well organised and alert that they could be over Bilbao in leu than a minute after the alarm. They were swell fellows. I got to Barcelona all right and arranged for tickets and passes for myself and wife who Joined me at Bilbao but when we got to Port Bou we were thrown in Jail because we failed to have Catalan government stamps on our passes. While Jailed there that night there was a bombing raid, which was not so comfortable when you were locked in. And, curiously, alt th we had Diftftwi1 ih rniioh mar. bombed a few hour afterward "She can't keep a maid more than "W hen you're too hard to please. easygoing." causing the Spaniards to think we were spies. r France looked like heaven when we finally were released and allowed to cross the border. a a . Ana pasi experience has shown that Hollywood designs for homes, airplanes.

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