FREDERICK J. GERSTNER 1891-1914

 

CIVILIAN INSTRUCTORS AT GERSTNER FIELD, 1918 WAR DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER Washington April 3, 1918 From: Chief Signal Officer of the Army. To: Commander Officer, Gerstner Field, Lake Charles, La. Subject: Travel Orders. In accordance with authority contained in letter of the Secretary of War, dated April 7, 1917, the following Civilian Flying Instructors will proceed from Gerstner Field, Lake Charles, La., to Brooks Field, San Antonio, Texas, for permanent station in connection with the Aviation Service of the Army: Victor Vernon W. H. Bleakly E. A. Johnson W. E. Lees B. M. Norton W. E. Johnson Robert Simon A. J. Croft Harry M. Jones A. L. Allan C. M. Pond   E. J. Wessen, Captain, Sig. R. C. A. S.   A TRUE COPY. G. E. Scott 2nd Lieut., Signal R.C.A.S. Letter to Walter, 1918 = Early Bird Member

GERSTNER FIELD, LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA, 1918 Selections from Walter E. Lees' Journal      It was decided to try some night flying. There were no runways and no runway lights, so a bunch of cars and trucks were lined up with head lights on and turned away from the plane. All instructors drew straws to see who would go up first. I drew the short straw. I got off the ground OK and flew around the field several times, everything OK. I glided into the field for landing and everything still seemed to be OK. When I estimated that I was about 25 feet from the ground, suddenly it was right there. By jerking the stick back quickly, I managed to land OK. Then I told Al Johnson, who was to go up next, what I had experienced. But even then, he did the same thing. There was a little pow wow and it was decided that the car lights were too far apart. So they were bunched closer, and the rest of the instructors did not have the trouble that Al and I had.

MRS. WALTER LEES REMEMBERS GERSTNER Interview with Loa Lees, 1983      Pops, (Walter), was sent to Gerstner Field to teach instructors to teach pilots. We lived on post and Al Johnson and his wife Loraine lived next door. She was about 18 years old and afraid of staying alone. They were quarantined for Spinal Meningitis and Pops drove an army car about 18 miles to get milk for everyone. They all had to be vaccinated, but as I was a nursing mother, I didn't have to be. We had terrible windstorms here. I saw planes lifted up and rolled down the field, some coming very close to our quarters.

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "Frederick Gerstner", using the Google search engine, (3-12-04), you will find about 11 links, only one of which refers specifically to Frederick Gerstner, the aviator.

 

GERSTNER FIELD      This page on the City of Lake Charles, Louisiana website offers a nice revue of the history of Gerstner Field, which was named for Lt. Frederick Gerstner. It includes several photographs, including one which may be Lt. Gerstner, although the identification is not certain. You can access the page by clicking on the title above.

 

Eighteenth Gov't Aviator to Perish, Knoxville Journal, Knoxville, Tennessee: December 22, 1914, Transcribed by Bob Davis - 3-10-04 Washington, Dec. 21. - Lieutenant Frederick J. Gerstner, killed today at Oceanside, was the eighteenth aviator to give his life in the interest of government aviation since Lieutenant Selfridge fell to his death at Fort Meyer, Va. in 1908, testing the first army aeroplane for the army. Fourteen army officers, two naval officers and two civilian instructors make up the toll.       Lieutenant Gerstner was only twenty-three years old. He was born in Michigan and was appointed to the military academy in 1909. On graduating in 1913 he was assigned to the Tenth calvary but recently he was assigned to the aviation school at San Diego, Cal. Signal corps headquarters here had not received a report on the accident tonight." "Drowned in the Pacific; Fate of Lieut. Gerstner, Observer in Army Scout Plane, Which Collapsed Between San Diego and Los Angeles" is the associated article. Bob Davis

 

Editor's Note: If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper

 

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