Despite his disability, and the predictions that he would die early as a result of his condition, Libby lived into his late seventies, prospering as an oil prospector and businessman.
[2] His mother died of tuberculosis when he was four years old, leaving him to be raised by his widower father, an older brother, and a live-in housekeeper.
[5] By 1904, Libby's father and elder brother had re-established themselves as horse brokers in Minco, Indian Territory; one of their clients was Buffalo Bill.
[7] In 1910, Frederick Libby moved to Phoenix, Arizona because of his father's concern (which fortunately proved to be unfounded) that his son might have tuberculosis.
His enlistment papers describe him as being 5 ft 8+1⁄2 in (174 cm) tall, with a medium complexion, brown hair, and gray eyes.
After being paid, they were equipped with brand new trucks–a melange of Locomobiles, Packards, Pierce Arrows, Peerlesses, Leylands, and British Daimlers.
[13] After serving in this motor transport unit through the winter of 1915–1916, he volunteered to join the Royal Flying Corps, becoming an observer in an F.E.2b in 23 Squadron.
[16] A crack shot since his childhood, he scored his first victory on his very first combat mission, coincidentally his birthday, 15 July 1916, flying with Lieutenant E. D.
[18] In his memoirs, written many years after the event, Libby claims to have conceived a buttstock for the Lewis machine guns used by observers, that was then fabricated overnight by the gunnery sergeant of his unit and widely adopted as a standard fitting.
[20][21] Libby was one of a number of observers, especially those serving in the precarious perch that was the front cockpit of an F.E.2b, who preferred their Lewis guns with the original "rifle style" stock, braced against the shoulder.
This suited his "marksman-type" shooting style; it also freed up a hand that could be used to hang onto the aircraft, adding stability for more accurate fire, as well as greater safety for the observer.
[23] His description of an observer's duties included the following passage about manning the rear gun on an F.E.2): The observer position was in the open front of the plane with the pilot behind him, and a reversed in-line piston-engine/propeller drivetrain was situated behind both of them, shoving all and sundry through the air[24]The mounting consists of a hollow steel rod, into which a solid steel rod is fitted to work up and down with the machine gun on top.
[27] His leave was interrupted on 13 December 1916 when he and Captain Price were awarded the Military Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace.
The DH.4 had controls accessible to the observer, and while engaged in a dogfight, a Lewis gun ammunition drum jammed the rudder, slewing it into a constant right hand turn.
[30] On 15 September 1917, Libby transferred to the United States Army Air Service, at the request of General Billy Mitchell.
[33] Libby was suffering from chronic back pain by this time and was found to be permanently disabled by Ankylosing spondylitis[34] and medically unfit for further military service.