Frank Leaman Baylies

Frank Leaman Baylies was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on 23 September 1895, the son of grain merchant Charles S. Baylies and Lydia Terry Paige Baylies. Educated in New Bedford and at the Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, he later worked as a salesman in his father’s business. (AFS Archive)

In February 1916, while the United States was still neutral, Baylies volunteered for the American Field Service. Driving ambulances with Section One, he carried wounded soldiers from the fighting around Verdun and later served with Section Three in the Balkans and at Salonika. His courage while evacuating casualties under fire earned him the French Croix de Guerre. (AFS Archive)

A flight with a French aviator convinced Baylies to exchange ambulance work for aviation. Although reportedly rejected by the American air service because of defective eyesight, he enlisted in French aviation on 21 May 1917 and trained at Avord, Pau and Cazaux. After receiving his pilot’s brevet, he joined Escadrille SPA.73 in November 1917.

Baylies arrived as the squadron’s thirteenth pilot and was assigned aircraft number thirteen. Rather than worry about the supposedly unlucky number, he wrote home that he could not afford to be superstitious. In December he was transferred to Escadrille SPA.3, part of the celebrated Groupe de Combat 12, known as Les Cigognes—the Storks. The squadron had previously been home to such legendary French pilots as Georges Guynemer. (Wikipedia)

Flying the SPAD fighter, Baylies gained his first confirmed aerial victory on 19 February 1918. During the following three months, he accumulated twelve confirmed victories, including several shared successes with André Dubonnet, making him one of the leading American-born fighter pilots of the First World War. (Wikipedia)

On 28 March 1918, a bullet disabled his engine during combat. Baylies glided into no man’s land, climbed from his damaged aircraft and ran toward the French trenches while German soldiers pursued him. Before abandoning the aeroplane, he reportedly removed its watch and altimeter. French troops covered his escape and he reached their lines safely.

Baylies was also remembered for his competitive spirit. On 9 May, he and fellow American Edwin “Ted” Parsons wagered a bottle of champagne with the great French ace René Fonck that one of them would shoot down an enemy aircraft first. Baylies scored that morning, but Fonck later took off and destroyed six German aircraft during two extraordinary engagements, thereby winning the wager. (Wikipedia)

Baylies accepted a commission as a lieutenant in the United States Air Service in May 1918 but remained operationally attached to SPA.3. He reportedly declined an opportunity for higher rank and command because it would have removed him from his French comrades and active combat flying.

On 17 June 1918, Baylies led André Dubonnet and François Macari on patrol near Rollot. They saw four rotary-engined fighters above them and initially mistook them for British Sopwith Camels. As the Americans and Frenchmen climbed toward them, Baylies recognized the aircraft as German Fokker Dr.I triplanes belonging to Jasta 19.

He immediately attempted to break away, but three of the triplanes attacked. Baylies manoeuvred behind one German fighter, only to be struck from the rear by the fourth aircraft, which had remained above the battle as protective cover. His SPAD fell in flames between Rollot and Arvillers. He was twenty-two years old. German pilots Wilhelm Leusch and Rudolf Rienau have both been associated with the action, with Rienau most commonly credited with Baylies’ destruction. (HistoryNet)

On 6 July, a German aircraft crossed the French lines and dropped a message reporting that Baylies had been killed and buried with full military honours. His remains were transferred in 1927 to the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial at Marnes-la-Coquette outside Paris, where he rests among other American volunteers who flew for France. (HistoryNet)

France honoured Baylies with appointment as a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur, the Médaille militaire and the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918. On 6 April 2008, representatives of the French government formally presented examples of these decorations to a relative bearing his name in New Bedford.

Frank Baylies completed only about six months of operational flying, yet achieved twelve confirmed victories. His service carried him from the ambulances at Verdun to the cockpit of a SPAD above the Western Front. Offered safer and more prestigious duties, he instead remained with the French squadron beside which he had fought—continuing to fly until his death.