d7

This is a photo of American fighter ace William P. Erwin in the cockpit of a Fokker D.VII, apparently captured/turned-over to the United States after the Armistice of 1918. Bill Erwin would perish while participating in the search for aviators lost during the 1927 Dole Air Race. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Portwood_Erwin Here is another photo of Erwin in the SDASM's Paul A. Smith Collection: www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/8560887758/

The five Fokker D.VIIs used by the Victory Loan Flying Circus, Mid-West Flight were taken from a cohort of factory-new machines that the German government turned over to American forces at Koblenz, Germany on January 1, 1919, in accordance with the armistice of November 1918. This photo of Capt. Erwin was taken at the Jackson, Mississippi air show on April 11, 1919. During his flight that afternoon, he made a forced landing on account of motor trouble. He landed in the only cleared field available, but due to a ditch in the center of the field, he broke his propeller. This was the only damage to the plane and Erwin was uninjured. Afterwards, they requested new Fokker propellers from the Curtiss Airplane Co. in Buffalo, NY. (Reference source: their War Diary and Library of Congress)

Fokker D.VII

This Ellington Field photo of this Fokker D.VII was used by Victory Loan Flying Circus, Mid-West Flight Advance Agent, 1st Lieut. Donovan R. Phillips, when he visited the cities one week in advance. For example, it appeared on page 1 of the Milwaukee Evening Sentinel on April 18, 1919, so that they would have a photo layout to go along with a brief description of the air show that same afternoon in Milwaukee. Perhaps even by intent, the way it was photographed, you can't see the identifying serial number to identify this ship. According to the 1919 inventory, Ellington Field had five Mercedes motors on hand. These were 36865, 43537, 45018, 45149, and 45328. These would be the motors that came with their five Fokkers. We know that Fokker D.VII 8517 had 43537, and Fokker D.VII 8589 had 45328. So, the other three Fokkers had the other three motors, but which, we know not. They also had five Fokkers "repairing": 8503, 8517, 8525, 8538, and 8589.

This Fokker D.VII is shown after the end of the war during the occupation period. This aircraft has been "defanged" and the top of the cockpit area where the guns were mounted covered over and a large windscreen added. It wears the insignia of the 9th Aero Squadron which was a US bomber squadron that flew Breguet 14B2 aircraft during the war. There is another photo of this aircraft from the front right quarter with someone in the cockpit ready to take off.