Newspapers / The New Bern mirror. / Oct. 3, 1968, edition 1 / Page 1
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Nrto (Himnt0 Ci&rturg The N£W BERN PUBLItHID WIIKLV . *M thi hiart op north LfZlHiiseo VOLUME 11 NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1968 NUMBER 28 Years ago, when Mary and Fred H. Shipp, Jr., wereneiidt- bors of ours on Johnson street, her brother-in-law, William Carpenter Lambert, visited them. We remember him as a friendly individual who talked very little about himself. TTiat's why we can under stand how he hasn't been ac claimed until very recently as the “Forgotten Ace of World War I." This is the title of an article about him, written for The Airman (the official maga zine of the U.S. Air Force) by Royal D. Frey of the U.S. Air Force Museum. Born on August 18, 1894 in Ironton, Ohio, he becameinter- ested in aviation as a youth and was building glider models when the Wrighi broUiert made their first powered flight alKit- ty Hawk. In 1910, the article points out. a Wright Flyer flew into Iron- ton for a Fourth of July cele- ))ratlon, but when its pilot was ready to leave the frail engine refused to operate. During the two days it took to repair it, Lambert ran errands for the pilot and brought hi in hi .s meals. The younster was re warded with a five-mi mite flight before the plane left. In his late teens he moved to Buffalo, N. y., to work .as a chemist in the laboratory of the Lackawanna Steel Company. Glenn Curtiss opened a flying school in the area and Lambert started hanging around the air field. Curtiss pilots finally got used to Ills visits and, because of his intense interest in planes he was finally given a free ride. As early as 1915, Lambert de cided to get into World War I, and went to Canada to enlist in the artillery. Because of his background he was offered in stead a job as a chemist in a high - explosive ammunition plant. He accepted. When the British Royal Fly ing Corps established a train ing program in Canada he enter - ed. He got his overseas order.s in December 1917. Asamember of No. 24 Squadron he flew his first combat mission on April 1,1918. He scored hisfirstvic- tory six days later, downing a Fokker D. vn, one of several that attacked him when he be came separated from his squad ron. Lambert was credited with 19- 1/2 enemy airplanes and two en emy balloons for a total of 21- 1/2 victories. He forced another plane to land damaged, and shared in the destruction of three balloons on May 30,1918. Eddie Rickenbacker topped Lambert with 26 victories, but he is listed above “greats" of World War I like Luke, who scored 18 victories, and Luf- bery, who is credited with 17. He was presented the British Distingidshed Flying Cross. King George V planned to pin it on at Buckln^am Palace,but the publicity shy ace failed to show up. Later the Prince of Wales ^d it. During World War n he was called to active duty as a cap tain with the Army Air Forces. Not able to qualify for flying he was assigned as engineering of ficer at Rome Air Base in New York State. He concluded his service as a major and was re leased from active duty in Au- (Continued on Page 8) JUST LIKE HER—Some families hand down a physi cal resemblance for generations. To illustrate, we offer this Mirror portrait of Hillary Hamilton. Daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Hamilton, in, of Highland Park, she reminds us tremendously of her Great Grandmother Hamilton. Those who know Mrs. Guy Hamilton will share that opinion. More ^an anything else, it must be those dark and expressive eyes. At any rate, one doesn’t have to be a very good detective to track down her family tree. Of course, there are al ways exceptions to the rule. Hillary has a sister, just as pretty, who is a blonde. But for the moment, Hillary Is the young lady who fascinates us, and the more we study this photo, the more we see Mrs. Hamilton. —^Photo by Eunice Wray.
Oct. 3, 1968, edition 1
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