Ace Brothers

15 January 2002, 03:13 AM

Just wondered how many aces had brothers who were also aces. It would seem to be quite common (MvR + LvR, James and John McCudden).

Did many serve in the same unit or was their attempts to spilt them up as happened later in the British army?

Regulus · 15 January 2002, 06:16 AM

Lt. Harry and Lt. Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp both served in Jasta 36 and Jasta B.
Lt. Fritz and Hptm. Bruno Loerzer served both in KEK J and Jasta 26.

Billy_Bishop · 15 January 2002, 07:17 AM

There was at least one set of Ace Brothers-in-law. Billy Bishop (72) and Hank Burden(16). Both from Canada.

VBR,

Al Lowe

MikeW · 15 January 2002, 10:42 AM

Jim,

I think that only George Leonard Trapp of Naval 10 was an ace, and that there were three Trapp brothers in the air service, all of whom perished.

Incidentally, if we're talking Brothers-in-law, Ray Collishaw married Trapp's sister, but after George Leonard was killed. So they were "sort of" brothers-in-law.

Mike

Frank_Olynyk · 15 January 2002, 04:51 PM

Paul Thayer Iaccaci
August Thayer Iaccaci

Both Americans, pilots with 20 Squadron (RAF), with 17 victories each, flying the Bristol Fighter.

Frank.

15 January 2002, 10:16 PM

Thanks for the replies. I find it interesting that the RFC/RNAS/RAF allowed brothers to serve in the same units, when the army was doing its best to split them up.

frontflieger · 16 January 2002, 08:37 AM

Hi @ all, the following were not all aces, though the all were members of the Fliegertruppe:

don't forget the Boelcke-Brothers Oswald and Wilhelm who served in 1914/15 both (as one crew) in the FFA 13.

I never found him... but Franz Immelmann, Max' little brother, was an aviator, too (as he writes in the Immelmann-Book "Der Adler von Lille".

Will Gabriel's twin-brother was an aviator; the Bolle Brothers in Jasta Boelcke...

...I am not sure, but I think: there were lots of brothers in the German Air Force

One last one: Erwin (+27.11.1917) and Max Boehme (+21.04.1918 )