[1] He was one of four German fighter aces to win Germany's highest decorations for valor for both enlisted man and officer.

At 15 years of age, Buckler had an interest in architecture and worked for Anthony Fokker[2] but left in 1913 to join the Infantry Life Regiment 117.

After suffering a bad wound on the Western Front in September 1914, he applied for a transfer to the German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte)[1] He trained in Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung 6, and by the summer of 1915 was flying artillery direction missions over Verdun as an aerial observer in Flieger-Abteilung (Artillerie) 209 before training as a pilot.

Meeting the leading ace of the war evoked Buckler's intense desire to become a fighter pilot.

[1] He lay under his smashed aircraft for hours before counter-attacking German infantry overran the wreckage and rescued him.

The Battle Cry of my Squadron)"[7] He survived World War II and died on 23 May 1960, in either Berlin[2] or Bonn.