Ivan Smirnov (aviator), Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Ivan Smirnov (aviator)

Russian flying ace

Date of Birth: 12-Feb-1895

Place of Birth: Vladimir, Vladimir Oblast, Russia

Date of Death: 28-Oct-1956

Profession: fighter pilot

Nationality: Kingdom of the Netherlands

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Ivan Vasilyevich Smirnov, or Iwan Smirnoff (Russian: ???´? ????´?????? ??????´?; 30 January 1895 – 28 October 1956), was a Russian World War I flying ace and naturalized Dutch aviator who pioneered the Europe to South East Asia routes.
He was born to a poor peasant family, but through courage and good fortune managed to become an officer in the Imperial Russian Air Service.
After surviving extremely dangerous infantry combat, he trained as a pilot, and was subsequently credited with 11 aerial victories during World War I.
When the October Revolution ended his participation in the war, he deserted and became an itinerant pilot.
He would serve short spells in the Royal Air Force, the Volunteer Army of Anton Denikin, Handley Page and SNETA.
The Russian emigrant subsequently piloted for KLM for the next 25 years, pioneering air routes to the Dutch East Indies in the process.
In December 1941, Smirnov returned to military flying during the frenzied air evacuation of Dutch nationals.
After the Dutch East Indies were overrun by the Japanese, he joined the U.S.
Air Transport Command.
Despite official attempts to ground the aged and oft wounded pilot, he served through war's end.
He then returned to KLM.
After the inevitable grounding (after 30,000+ flying hours), he continued with the company as its chief advisor.