Earl Frederick Crabb

Name:

Country:

Canada

Rank:

Lieutenant

Service:

Royal Flying Corps
Royal Air Force

Units:

Victories:

Born:

27 March 1899

Place of Birth:

Delhi, Ontario, Canada

Died:

18 October 1986

Place of Death:

Tamarac, Florida, USA

Under the command of Arthur Coningham, Earl Frederick Crabb went to France with 92 Squadron in July 1918. Flying the S.E.5a, he and five other pilots in the squadron became aces. Of his six victories, Crabb brought down five Fokker D.VIIs. When the war ended, he took his discharge but continued to fly. During the roaring 20s he barnstormed and flew mail and newspapers from Boston and New York to Detroit. In the early 1930's, he was the first pilot hired by the Forest Service in Maine. During World War II, he returned to uniform, serving with the U.S. Army Air Corps as a Service Pilot and Air Inspector in Training Command. Major Crabb was discharged in August 1945 and returned to his civilian job in Maine. At age 65, he retired from his position as Chief Pilot with the Forest Service but continued to work as a commercial pilot until he was 72 years old. His son, Robert Crabb, recalls: "I spent many a happy hour as a teenager flying over the woods of Maine. When I was an Aviation Cadet in '44 he flew in several times to visit my base, usually a C47 or a B18."

Ace Still Flying At 70
Indiana Evening Gazette - Wednesday, October 8, 1969

Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

Lt. Earl Frederick Crabb. (FRANCE)
A scout pilot of high merit: he is fearless and skilful. On 27th October, having himself crashed an enemy machine, he went to the assistance of one of our own that was being attacked, and materially helped to shoot the enemy down. In addition to the foregoing, he has accounted for three other machines and has assisted in crashing a fourth.

Supplement to the London Gazette, 8 February 1919 (31170/2037)

Victories

	Date	Time	Unit	Aircraft	Opponent	Location
1	22 Jul 1918	1930	92	S.E.5a (C8896)	Fokker D.VII (DES)	S of Bailleul
2	07 Aug 1918	0815	92	S.E.5a (C8896)	Fokker D.VII (DESF)	SE of Steenwerck
3	14 Oct 1918	1630	92	S.E.5a (E5792)	Fokker D.VII (DES)	SE of Le Cateau
4	27 Oct 1918	0630	92	S.E.5a (E5792)	DFW C (DESF) ¹	Mormal Wood
5	27 Oct 1918	1030	92	S.E.5a (E5792)	Fokker D.VII (DES)	Maroilles
6	29 Oct 1918	1030	92	S.E.5a (E5792)	Fokker D.VII (DES)	E of Le Quesnoy

1	Shared with Capt W S Philcox, Lt Thomas Horry