Hot Springs in Garland County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
Captain Field Kindley
WWI Ace Aviator
| | Hot Springs Arkansas Walk of Fame | |
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 2024
1. Captain Field Kindley Marker
Enlisted in 1917 to be a WWI pilot in Europe, at a time when planes were new and dangerous First assigned to the RAF in England in 1918 Became an Ace pilot with 12 confirmed kills, 3rd most Awarded British / US Distinguished Service & Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster Commander of the 148th, 17th, and 94th Aero Squadrons Known for tenacity in air and attacks on ground
Pea Ridge, Arkansas Inducted 2023
Erected by Hot Springs Arkansas Walk of Fame.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Patriots & Patriotism • War, World I. In addition, it is included in the Distinguished Service Cross/Navy Cross/Air Force Cross Recipients, and the Valor in Aerial Operations series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1918.
Location. 34° 30.642′ N, 93° 3.233′ W. Marker is in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in Garland County. It is at the intersection of Central Avenue (State Highway 7) and Spring Street, on the right when traveling north on Central Avenue. The marker is embedded in the sidewalk on the west side of the Hot Springs City Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 629 Central Avenue, Hot Springs National Park AR 71901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Arkansas’ Ouachita Mountains. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Field Eugene Kindley (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: Captain Field Eugene Kindley (13 March 1896 2 February 1920) was born at Pea Ridge, Arkansas. Kindley enlisted in the Kansas Army National Guard then volunteered for a transfer into the aviation branch of the United States Army Signal Corps. He attended the School of Military Aeronautics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.(Submitted on January 22, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Kindley became part of the first group of American pilots to be transferred to England for combat training in 1917. In the spring of 1918, he completed training and commissioned as a first lieutenant in the United States Army Air Service. On his first flight, he was assigned to ferry a Sopwith Camel from England to the western front but crashed on the White Cliffs of Dover. Kindley was sent to hospital to recover. After his release, Kindley wasassigned to the Royal Air Force's No. 65 Squadron, and scored his first aerial victory on 26 June 1918 over Albert, France shooting down the Pfalz D.III of Lt. Wilhelm Lehmann, commander of Jagdstaffel.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 20242. Captain Field Kindley MarkerLooking west across Central Avenue from the Hot Springs City Visitor Center; it is the rightmost of five markers in this photo.
In July 1918, the United States Army formed the 148th Aero Squadron and assigned Kindley to the unit. Kindley shot down a German Albatros D.V near Ypres and earned the unit its first kill. During missions in late September 1918, Kindley earned the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster and the British Distinguished Flying Cross. He was the appointed commanding officer of the 148th and promoted to captain. While with the 148th he scored 11 confirmed kills.
A city park in Gravette, Arkansas is named for Kindley, as is the high school in Coffeyville, Kansas. Kindley Air Force Base, also known as Kindley Field, a World War II airfield in Bermuda, was named in his honor, as was Kindley Field in the Philippines. Kindley's personal effects are on display at the Arkansas Air Museum in Fayetteville, Arkansas. A Sopwith Camel F.1 said to be Kindley's and claimed to be the only surviving Camel in the United States, was used during the filming of The Blue Max, released in 1966, and had been on loan to the Aerospace Education Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Arkansas Aviation Historical Society inducted Kindley into the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame in 1982.
2. Field Eugene Kindley (Military Times Hall of Valor).
Excerpt: Field Kindley attended the School of Military Aeronautics at the University of Illinois before going to England for advanced training at Oxford. After service with the RAF he rejoined the US Air Service and became a DOUBLE ACE with 12 victories. After the war Lieutenant Kindley assumed command of a squadron at Kelly Field in Texas. He was killed in February 1920 when a control cable broke and his airplane crashed.(Submitted on January 22, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 195 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 22, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
