Lieutenant George Willard Furlow (1893–1959) was a
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
credited with five aerial victories.
Furlow was posted to the 103rd Aero Squadron on 25 July 1918 as a
Spad XIII
The SPAD S.XIII is a French biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War, developed by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) from the earlier and highly successful SPAD S.VII.
During early 1917, the French designer Louis Béc ...
pilot. On 11 August, he shared his first win over a German
Albatros two-seater with
Edgar Tobin. Over a month later, on 13 September, he shared a double triumph over
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII qui ...
s with
Charles R. d'Olive. He shot down another D.VII four days later, and finished out his victory string on 27 October 1918, when he teamed with
Thomas Cassady
Captain Thomas Gantz Cassady (1896-1972) was an American fighter pilot who served in two World Wars, and was successful in business during peacetime.
World War I
Cassady graduated from Chicago University and went to France in the Ambulance Corps ...
and another pilot to destroy a
Halberstadt
Halberstadt ( Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the capital of Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town center that was greatly destroyed by Allied bombi ...
reconnaissance machine.
Citations of honors and awards
Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...
(DSC)
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to George Willard Furlow, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near
Charey, France, September 13, 1918. Lieutenant Furlow, while leading a patrol of three monoplace planes at an altitude of 400 meters, met and attacked an enemy patrol of seven monoplace planes. Despite numerical superiority, he destroyed two of the enemy's planes and with the aid of his companions forced the others to withdraw.
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) Oak Leaf Cluster
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to George Willard Furlow, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action in the region of
Vernéville, France, September 17, 1918. Lieutenant Furlow, while on a patrol with two companions, met and attacked an enemy formation of eight planes. In the course of the combat which ensued, Lieutenant Furlow's plane was severely damaged by the enemy's fire. Despite the damage, he continued the attack until he had destroyed one hostile aircraft, and with his patrol forced the remainder of the enemy to retire.
[(General Orders No. 20, W.D., 1919) as quoted at http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/usa/furlow.php Retrieved on 29 June 2010.]
Victory list
Date/time/unit/aircraft flown/aircraft downed/location
----
*- 11 Aug 1918, 1005 103rd SPAD XIII Albatros C.I
Flirey
Flirey () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.
Birthplace of Rin Tin Tin
Following advances made by American forces during the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, Corporal Lee Duncan, an aerial gunner of the U.S. Army A ...
*- 13 Sep 1918, 1700 103rd SPAD XIII
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII qui ...
Charey
*- 13 Sep 1918, 1700 103rd SPAD XIII Fokker D.VII Charey
*- 17 Sep 1918, 1620 103rd SPAD XIII Fokker D.VII
Vernéville
*- 27 Oct 1918, 1500 103rd SPAD XIII Halberstadt C
Cumières-le-Mort-Homme
Cumières-le-Mort-Homme is a ghost commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
Since the end of the Battle of Verdun in 1916, it has been unoccupied (official population: 0), as have Bezonvaux, Beaumont-en-Verdunois, H ...
See also
*
List of American Aero Squadrons
This is a partial list of original Air Service, United States Army "Aero Squadrons" before and during World War I. Units formed after 1 January 1919, are not listed.
Aero Squadrons were the designation of the first United States Army aviatio ...
*
List of World War I flying aces
The following are lists of World War I flying aces. Historically, a flying ace was defined as a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The term was first used by French newspapers, describ ...
*
List of World War I flying aces from the United States
The following is a list of flying aces from the United States of America who served in World War I
Overview
Even before the United States entry into World War I in April 1917, many Americans volunteered to serve in the armed forces of Great Bri ...
References
Bibliography
* ''American Aces of World War I.'' Norman Franks, Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2001. , .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Furlow, George W.
1893 births
1959 deaths
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
American World War I flying aces