Born in1891 he gained his pilot’s certificate in August 1914 and served as a reconnaissance pilot (with his brother Wilhelm as observer) during the early months of the war.
While serving on Hauptmann Kastner’s Feldfliegerabteilung 62 he was fortunate to be selected to fly the new Fokker E.I monoplane fighting scout and, after initial instruction by Kastner, set about training promising young pilots in the skills of air combat, invariably by personal trial error and example, displaying natural gifts of patience and thoroughness. His hand-picked band of pilots, flying the new Albatros D.I and D.II scouts, became the scourge of the Western Front in 1916-7, and Boelcke himself despatched 40 allied aircraft.
He was killed in combat following a collision with a colleague on 28 October 1916 when his aircraft broke up before he could land.
All Aero 