Quick Facts
Biography
Leutnant Franz Hemer was a World War I flying ace credited with 18 aerial victories.
He was originally a talented concert cellist. His long curly blonde hair sparked his nickname of "Locken".
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. He was then assigned a Fokker Dr. 1. 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 DVII was shot down during a dogfight with RAF D.H.9s of 49 Squadron and Sopwith Camels. While convalescing, he was commissioned a leutnant. However, he apparently did not return to flight duty before the war's end.
Later he became managing Director of König & Bruder in Leipzig, head office in Vienna, an old fur trading company.