Some History
Dick Grace authored the Squadron of Death in 1929 to recount his experiences and those of his fellow pilot in the dangerous world of stunting. The squadron consisted of pilots whose stunts proved fatal. Grace’s stunts included wrestling alligators, leaping into fire nets from tall buildings, and jumping over caldrons of molten metal while racing through a steel mill. He crashed over thirty planes intentionally and lived to spend the money. Many were not so lucky and joined his Squadron of Death. RKO movie studios produced The Lost Squadron, a spin-off of Grace’s book which capitalized on the needless deaths of stunt pilots. Grace scripted the superb aviation sequences and also flew in the film as an uncredited flier.
Women Pilots Adopt the Name
A handful of Akron women pilots adopted the name, Squadron of Death, when they formed a flying club in March 1932. Rebecca Maksel in an article for the Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine stated, “The group of young women, who all must have shared a daredevil streak to take to the skies in the first place, went full out.” The women’s squadron would prove to be much more restrained in the air than Grace or his fellow stunters, however.
To officially use the name, squadron leader Frankie Renner wrote to Grace for his permission and a request to make him an honorary member and sponsor. Lacking a response from Grace by June, the aviatrices chose to be known as the S.O.D. Fliers. It seems in a possible effort to link with the stunt group 13 Black Cats, the squadron eventually possessed 13 members who flew on the second Friday of each month and always on Friday the 13th. Their goal as a club was to fly together and advance feminine interest in aviation.
Based at Akron’s municipal airport, the women wore white uniforms with the S.O.D. insignia, silver skull and crossbones bearing the club’s initials, placed over their hearts. A monkey served as a pet and a black crow named Soddie was chosen as their mascot. President Renner was given the task of capturing the mascot. Interviewed by the Akron Beacon, she stated, “There’s no jinx we’re afraid of.” The members chose the crow out of a list of suggestions – chickens, crabs, pheasants, dogs, cats, and goats. Members included Renner, Babe Smith, Lorena Clark, Lydia Griggs, Hazel Schippel, Rubye Berau, Isabelle Chapell, Julia Ann Feiling, Mary Winstanley, Henrietta Faux, Marion Coddington, Helen Noaland, and Jessie Budrick.
Squadron Activities
The S.O.D. flyers participated in the 1932 Cleveland National Air Races and performed at a variety of local aviation events. This involved formation flying and simple aerobatics. Four members made parachute jumps at the June dedication of the Guggenheim Lighter-than-Air Research Facility. One was Babe Smith flown by Rubye Berau, partners in parachuting and piloting. At the time, they were the only women’s team of this type. Smith claimed the women’s jump record at 17,654 feet in 1930 and the record for delayed opening of her chute with over 200 jumps. This more than qualified her to become a member of the Caterpillar Club. In 1931, Frankie Renner tried for an altitude record in her Waco biplane. She claimed to have reached 33,000 feet. The barograph read 24,990 feet.
The S.O.D pilots continued their meetings held at members’ homes until the beginning of 1933. Newspaper articles featuring them disappeared at that time. According to Jessie Budrick Kilburn’s granddaughter, the girls continued to keep in contact with each other through the years. The bonds they formed in the 1930s could not be broken. The following is a poem written by member Julia Feiling.
A Poem
Ho ’tis the Squadron of Death you see; Riders of the wind are we; Clouds like castle turrets high Are our playgrounds of the sky. Happy landings, S.O.D. May they always three points be; May the eagles’ path be ours; To while away our leisure hours; With loop the loops and tailspins gay, Happy landings forever and aye.Contact, a roar, and a whirling of props, Then we’re off and then we’re upSwiftly where the eagles fly, Where the cloud banks drift and lie.
References
Akron Beacon Journal 24 May 1932, p. 16; 14 May 1932, p. 15; 18 June 1932, p. 16; 26 March 1932, p. 13; 16 June 1932, p. 14; 23 March 1932, p. 18; 14 Feb 1933 p, 17; 18 3 May 1977. Maksel, Rebecca. “The Squadron of Death -that performed in high heels – the forgotten aviation career of Rubye Berau.” Air & Space Magazine. 25 Feb 2014.