Leutnant der Reserve Carlos Meyer Baldó (Karl Meyer)the only Latin American in the Red Baron's Flying Circus April 21, 1895 - November 27, 1933 |
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If you read the pilots list of JG1 you will find the name of
Karl Meyer. The true name of the man behind it however was Carlos Meyer
Baldó a Venezuelan citizen who was born in the harbour city of
Maracaibo on April 21, 1895 as the son of the German coffee trader Johannes
Meyer Gröve and the Venezuelan lady Amelia Baldó Jará, who's family owned
coffee plantations in the nearby Andean valleys of the Tachira State. Until june 1917 he performed excellently with this unit which
awarded him a special citation and the E.K.II (Iron Cross Second Class). In
July 14, 1917 Meyer got transferred to Jasta11. Three days later he got downed
by RFC Cap. Noel Webb (No.70 Sqn) over Gheluvelt near Ypern (Belgium) at
2055hrs. WIA, he emergency landed his Albatros. He soon recovered from a
slight wound. From then on he used to wear the Venezuelan flag near the German
one on his flying jacket. Two weeks later, on July 31 at 1300hrs he achieved
his first confirmed victory, shooting down an RE8 of the RFC, killing both
crew men: T.L Carlson and A.J. Longton. On August 14 he shot down a Sopwith
fighter. This victory however has not been confirmed. Nevertheless he
received the "Ehrenbecher" (Air Victory Cup) on the following day
and got decorated with the E.K.I (Iron Cross First
Class). Both decorations can be seen now at the Aeronautical Museum of
Venezuela in Maracay City. At the begining of December, Carlos Meyer Baldó transferred to Jasta 4, also a squadron of the Red Baron's Flying Circus. With Jasta 4 he achieved three more confirmed victories in the summer of 1918, flying his famous Fokker D.VII "the Drooling Boxer" (see photo below). On June 28 he downed Adj. René Montrion in his Spad XII at 0950hrs near Corcy. Montrion got KIA. On July 15, he chalked up yet another Spad at 1640hrs near N Fossoy. Three days later, Meyer shot down the Sopwith Camel of Lt. Floyd Morrison Showalter of the US Aero Squadron No.17 over Mareuil at 0930hrs. It is assumed that his final air victory was an English balloon that he shot down on the same afternoon but this victory had not been confirmed.
On September 19, 1918 he transferred to Jasta Schule II (flying school) as an instructor. With that unit he ended the war. In 1969, his brother Enrique Meyer told in an interview that Carlos helped to control the german riots of 1919 in Hamburg. Carlos returned to the family business at home but had no success. In November 25, 1925 he assisted at the Richtofen Memorial, which became his final social act in Germany. Carlos Meyer returned to Venezuela in spring of 1926 to start business with his cousin Lucio Baldó in Caracas where he lived near the German comunity of El Paraiso. In 1931 he talked with the promotor of the early Venezuelan Air Force, Florencio Goméz Nuńez (son of the Dictator Juan Vicente Goméz) to become a member of his flying corps. Goméz sent Meyer to the United States for retraining. Carlos returned to Venezuela in 1932. Acting as an advisor then, he performed small flights nevertheless. On November 27, 1933, he flew a Stearman biplane together with his mechanic Hector Arias. While performing an Immelman turn near Maracay , the upper wing broke, killing both of the crew in the ensuing crash. Carlos Meyer Baldó found his eternal rest at the Cementerio General del Sur in Caracas (photo below). On february 15, 1934 more than a hundred people visited his tomb for a memorial. Among the crowd had been returning family members from Germany, a Venezuelan Air Corp group, personal friends as well as a Luftwaffe delegation that pointed out how well he had served his two countries. Carlos Meyer Baldó is the only Latin American who flew with the Red Baron, Ernst Udet and other famous eagles.
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references: Article by Gaston Graf, webmaster of this site, based on information received through Clemente Balladares Castillo and Dario Silva |
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