Lieutenant Sigurdur Frank Fredrickson
PERSONAL INFORMATION
MILITARY INFORMATION
- Lieutenant (Air Force). 1918-01-16 to 1919-05-20
- Private (Army). 1917-09-08 to 1918-01-15
- Private (Army). 1917-05-15 to 1917-09-08
- Corporal (Army). 1916-10-19 to 1917-05-15
- Corporal (Army). 1916-02-22 to 1916-10-19
Images
RESEARCH INFORMATION
Discharged from the RAF in England on May 20, 1919. He returned to Canada, but there are no sailing details on file.
Frank Fredrickson enlisted in the 223rd Bn CEF in February 1916. He transferred to the RFC in 1917, trained in Egypt and was stationed as a flight instructor and test pilot at Gullane, Scotland in 1918. Fredrickson was a multi-talented fellow. An accomplished violinist and pianist, he distinguished himself after the war as a hockey player. With his Winnipeg Falcons teammates he won the first Olympic hockey gold medal in 1920. He led the Victoria Cougars to a Stanley Cup in 1925 -- the last non-NHL team to win the Cup. By 1926, playing in Detroit, he was the highest-paid NHLer at a lofty $6,000. After his playing days he was a successful coach, first at Princeton, where he counted Albert Einstein among his pals, and later at UBC. Fredrickson was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958.
Featured on the Historica Canada Heritage Minute about the Winnipeg Falcons, released in November 2014.
Source (jayelbee additions): LAC files and UK Archive file AIR-76-171-0-44
Minningarrit Islenzkra Hermanna, pg 135
Private Army Canadian Infantry 11th Reserve Battalion Reverted to permanent rank of Private on being taken on strength.
Private Army Canadian Infantry 1st Depot Battalion, Manitoba Regiment Dibgate Depot
He was posted to the Manitoba Regiment for administrative purposes while seconded to the Royal Flying Corps for flight training.
With his friends John Davidson and Konnie Johannesson, he was attached to the No 1 Cadet Wing, St Leonard's on Sea for flight training. On October 14 they were posted to the Royal Flying Corps Middle East Brigade and proceeded to Alexandria, Egypt, traveling from Southampton to France by sea; then train to Taranto, Italy and then aboard SS Aragon. They landed at Alexandria on November 04. Posted to the Base Depot at Aboukir.
On November 17 he was assigned to the School of Military Aviation, Heliopolis for flying instruction. On December 21 he was transferred to 21 C Squadron at Ismalia.
On January 15 he was commissioned into the RFC. His secondment ended and he was discharged from the CEF.
Transferred with rank to the 223rd Battalion. Played on the battalion hockey team in the Winnipeg Patriotic League over the Winter of 1916-17. Most of the players, the coach, manager and trainer were all former Falcons team mates.
The 223rd Battalion sailed aboard the SS Justicia from Halifax to Liverpool, May 03-14, 1917. Posted to Shorncliffe on arrival.
He was commissioned as a Lieutenant and posted to the RFC Base Depot in Egypt pending assignment. On May 27, while enroute by sea from Alexandria to England, his ship, the SS Leasowe Castle was torpedoed and sunk. On July 07 he was posted to 20th Training Group.
He was assigned to the 2nd Training Depot Station at Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland as a flying instructor. On September 01, 1918 he was stunt flying over a tea party hosted by a young lady when he stalled his aircraft, an SE5, and crashed. He suffered multiple cuts and bruises, but no serious injuries. He was not cleared to fly again for the month of September. After that, he was assigned as the base test pilot, doing acceptance flights for newly received aircraft. On October 19 he was posted to No 1 Flight Instructors' School as an instructor.
On January 09, 1919 he was posted to the RAF Repatriation Camp at Shorncliffe, pending discharge.