AMERICAN ACE J.M. SWAAB

Until Veteran’s Day – which is tomorrow – Balladeer’s Blog continues to salute neglected heroes from World War One.

J.M. SWAAB – Jacques Michael Swaab didn’t even take to the air with the 22nd Aero Squadron until August 27th of 1918 but before the war ended on November 11th he managed 10 confirmed kills and SEVEN more possible. At that rate Swaab could have challenged Eddie Rickenbacker’s total of 26 kills if he had started earlier in the war.  

On September 8th J.M. flew his Spad XIII in deadly combat, shooting down THREE German planes – including 2 Fokker D-VII’s. Before long he was an Ace and as an added bonus he shot down and killed Germany’s famed Ace Max Nather on October 23rd.

Lieutenant Swaab ended the war as the 22nd Aero Squadron’s deadliest pilot and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and TWO Silver Star Citations. After the war Jacques Michael Swaab served as a technical consultant on various Hollywood films about air combat.

Swaab passed away on July 7th, 1963.

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