Franz Hemer

Hemer was originally a talented concert cellist. His long curly blonde hair sparked his nickname of "Locken".[2]

Hemer served with FA(A) 283 before he was posted to Jasta 6 on 10 September 1917. He scored his first victory on 27 October 1917, when he shot down an RE.8. He scored once more in 1917, on 12 November.[1] He was then assigned a Fokker Dr. 1. He had a wavery yellow line painted the length of the fuselage, symbolizing the wavy locks of hair that gave him the nickname "Locken".[3]

By the end of March 1918, he became an ace. He scored at least five more victories with the triplane before upgrading to a Fokker D.VII. He scored his last win on 8 August 1918. The following day, he was wounded in action when his Fokker D.VII was shot down during a dogfight with RAF DH.9s of No. 49 Squadron RAF supported by Sopwith Camels. While convalescing, he was commissioned a Leutnant. However, he apparently did not return to flight duty before the war's end.[2]

Later he became managing Director of König & Bruder in Leipzig, head office in Vienna, an old fur trading company.[4]

Franz Hemer died on 18 October 1982 in Frankfurt.[3]

• Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914 - 1918. Norman L. R. Franks, et al. Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.

'Richthofen's Circus': Jagdgeschwader. Bloomsbury USA. 2004. ISBN 978-1-84176-726-0.