File:New England aviators 1914-1918; their portraits and their records (1919) (14595419448).jpg

Identifier: NewEnglandaviatVol1Tick (find matches)
Title: New England aviators 1914-1918; their portraits and their records
Year: 1919 (1910s)
Authors: Ticknor, Caroline, 1866-1937, ed
Subjects: Biography Aeronautics World War, 1914-1918
Publisher: Boston, New York, Houghton Mifflin Company
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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FRAZIER CURTIS
Escadrille Americaine (Lafayette), Second Groupe d 'Aviation
Son of Greely Stevenson and Harriet (Appleton) Curtis; was born in Boston, July 18, 1876. He attended Mrs. Shaw's, and J. P. Hopkinson's private schools, and graduated {cum laude) from Harvard College in the class of 1898 (A.M. '99). He played on his class football team and on the Harvard second eleven. He was married June 16, 1909, to Gladys Margaret Roper. In Sept., 1914, Curtis sailed for England, where he tried to enlist in the Air Service. Being rejected on account of his age and nationality, he returned to the U.S. hoping to take back to Europe a Burgess-Dunne seaplane, which might be of assistance in his next application. At Marblehead he met Norman Prince and discussed with him the idea of creating an American Escadrille in the French Army. Returning to England he tried again unsuccessfully to enter the British service. In Feb. he went to Paris, and with Prince organized the American Escadrille, later called the Lafayette.
Curtis trained with the Escadrille at Pau, and later at the Camp d'Avord, until disabled by two accidents; his machine catching fire at about 2000 feet, followed five days later by an axle breaking in two places on landing. After a week in the hospital he was given 45 days sick-leave. At the end of his furlough he applied to be transferred from a bombing-machine, on which he had been hurt, to a fighting-machine. In answer to this request the French War Office gave him an honorable discharge as unfit for further flying, on Aug. 8, 1915. After four months rest in England, he returned to the U.S. and in March, 1916, organized the Harvard Flying Corps, but his health again broke down and he had to give up his work and go to California to recuperate. It is believed that Curtis was the first American pilot to go over to Europe to offer his services to the Allied Air Force, having sailed from Boston on the ARABIC, Sept. 2, 1914. Frazier Curtiss father, Greely S. Curtis, organized and commanded the 1st Mass. Cavalry in the Civil War. His grandfather served aboard the U.S.S. Chesapeake and U.S.S. Constitution in the War of 1812, and his great-grandfather was one of the Boston Tea Party. (p. 26 )
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The following letter of appreciation was sent to Curtis by his French Commander: "Mon cher Curtis: Vos deux lettres, ainsi que votre resiliation dengagement me sont arrivees, et jai fait part de cette derniere au ministere. Nous avons bien regrettes que votre etat de sante ne vous permette pas de continuer votre entrainement et vous empeche ainsi de devenir le hardi pilote que vous promettiez detre, dapres vos excellents et rapides progres a lecole d'aviation d'Avord. Sans ce malencontreux accident, au cours de vos epreuves du Brevet Militaire, vous auriez en 48 heures, termine ce B.M. Vous auriez ainsi complete une brilliante escadrille avec vos camarades venus en meme quevous et qui se sont egalement fait remarquer pour leurs qualites de sang-froid et denergie. Soyez certain, mon cher Curtis, que nous garderons le meilleur souvenirde vous et de vos charmants camarades, et croyez bien, je vous prie, alassurance de mes meilleurs sentiments. Signed: Hussigny (p. 28)
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