Griff Murphey
02-05-2018, 07:06
100 years ago this February, Vernon Castle died at Carruthers Field here in Fort Worth. He was a decorated combat vet with two aerial victories in France and was a Croix de Guerre awardee. Castle was an internationally famous dancer and silent movie star before WW-1. A native of Norfolk, England, he had lived in the United States for many years. His most famous dance step that he and his wife Irene introduced was "The Castle Walk."
He was assigned as an instructor with the Imperial RFC in Canada. At Desoronto he had a crash which killed his student. After that he made a practice of putting his student in the rear 'SAFE' seat, while he rode in front, where a crash often resulted in the occupant being crushed by the engine, fuel tank, and collapsing upper wing. In the fall of 1917, he was one of 7,000 British, Canadian, and American volunteer members of the IRFC deployed to Fort Worth, Texas, where the Royal Flying Corps had built three training fields to escape the Canadian winter and kick start the US air training effort. On Feb. 15, 1918, he was instructing Cadet R. Peters of the US Army Air Service when he was killed avoiding a midair collision with another Jenny trainer.
On his arrival in Fort Worth he became the toast of the town and he and his pet monkey Jeff (who flew with him and survived the fatal crash uninjured) were termed the "most dynamic duo" in town by the local paper. Both he and the monkey were known for beating the drums at River Crest Country Club.
In 1939 Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers made a movie of his life, which was premiered in Fort Worth, Texas. Oddly, the movie leaves out his flying career entirely except for a vague reference to his fatal crash.
The Friends of the Royal Flying Corps Cemetery, the Fort Worth Museum of Aviation, and the Tarrant County Archives will hold an informal memorial service on Thursday, Feb. 15th, at 0800 with a prayer and toast to him at 0815, his time of death. The location will be the RFC Cemetery which is within Greenwood Memorial Park, located at White Settlement Road and University Blvd. All are welcome to attend and there is no cost.
He was assigned as an instructor with the Imperial RFC in Canada. At Desoronto he had a crash which killed his student. After that he made a practice of putting his student in the rear 'SAFE' seat, while he rode in front, where a crash often resulted in the occupant being crushed by the engine, fuel tank, and collapsing upper wing. In the fall of 1917, he was one of 7,000 British, Canadian, and American volunteer members of the IRFC deployed to Fort Worth, Texas, where the Royal Flying Corps had built three training fields to escape the Canadian winter and kick start the US air training effort. On Feb. 15, 1918, he was instructing Cadet R. Peters of the US Army Air Service when he was killed avoiding a midair collision with another Jenny trainer.
On his arrival in Fort Worth he became the toast of the town and he and his pet monkey Jeff (who flew with him and survived the fatal crash uninjured) were termed the "most dynamic duo" in town by the local paper. Both he and the monkey were known for beating the drums at River Crest Country Club.
In 1939 Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers made a movie of his life, which was premiered in Fort Worth, Texas. Oddly, the movie leaves out his flying career entirely except for a vague reference to his fatal crash.
The Friends of the Royal Flying Corps Cemetery, the Fort Worth Museum of Aviation, and the Tarrant County Archives will hold an informal memorial service on Thursday, Feb. 15th, at 0800 with a prayer and toast to him at 0815, his time of death. The location will be the RFC Cemetery which is within Greenwood Memorial Park, located at White Settlement Road and University Blvd. All are welcome to attend and there is no cost.