Norman Prince

Norman Prince1887-1916

Norman Prince was born August 31, 1887 inBeverly, Massachusetts to Frederick H. Prince.Prince attended the "Groton School", and then later graduated from Harvard College, cum laude in 1908 and Harvard Law School in 1911.Prince became the 55th american to be licenced by the Aero Club of America under the Alias 'George Manor' to hide that he was trained by his own father. Prince was awarded the French Legion of Honor, Medaille Militare and the Croix de Guerre in his lifetime.

{Early Life & Career}

{Lafayette Escadrille}

{Death}

The Lafayette Escadrille was an escadrille of the French Air Service during World War I maned by American volunteer fighter pilots.Norman Prince was one of the leading founders of Lafayette Escadrille along with Bill Thaw, Elliott C. Cowdin, Frazier Curtis, and Greeley S. Curtis, Jr.Norman was given full credit for persuading the French Government to create a volunteer American air unit fighting for France and for bringing the French and Americans together to form the flying corps.

On October 12, 1916 Prince escorted a bombing raid in Oberndorf, Germany during which he shot down an enemy plane. On his way back to the base his landing wheels hit a telegraph cable near the air base and his plane flipped and crash landed.Prince was severely injured and died three days later on October 15, 1916. He was promoted to sous lieutenant on his death bead and awarded the Legion of Honor.

The founding memebers of Lafayette Escadrille

Fighter plane belonging to the Lafayette Escadrille

Portrait of Norman Prince

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