1918Gloucester’s WWI aviator Eric Lingard flew the first plane to defend American shores from a German U-Boat attack.People and Communities, Government and Public Service, Military, Notable People

“Fusilage of bombing sea plane used by Lingard on German sub off Mass. coast. Only U.S. coast defense operated against Germans – war 1914-1918,” 1919. Courtesy of Cape Ann Museum Library & Archives, Photo 02150

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Eric Lingard died of pneumonia at the Chatham Naval Air Base in October of 1918 after his plane crashed into the cold waters of Cape Cod and he spent 27 hours in the ocean. Later, his sister Olga Lingard donated land in Annisquam for a WWI memorial for her brother and others who died during the war.

Courtesy of the Gloucester City Council Documents 1919 #196-7, 208 McAveeney, David. "Gloucester Man World War I Hero." The Annisquam Historical Society Journal. No. 7, Summer 2017. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e35e50ee72e4563b10feea7/t/5e7f919c15eff3354cba2ecb/1585418653638/2017-Summer-NL.pdf

1918Gloucester’s WWI aviator Eric Lingard flew the first plane to defend American shores from a German U-Boat attack.People and Communities, Government and Public Service, Military, Notable People

Other Events

The first woman to work as a pharmacist in Massachusetts was Nellie Bass of Gloucester.

Art collector and philanthropist, Isabella Stewart Gardner rented Dabsville member Caroline Sinkler's home on Eastern Point for the summer of 1918.

Alexander Gordon Lyle, an officer in the Navy from Gloucester, received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on the French front.

World War I ended.