1LT Eiler Christian Sundorph

1st Lt E. C. Sundorph was one of the 30,000 Danish-Americans mobilized in the armed forces during the Second World War. An Air Corps Reserve officer since 1930, Sundorph was killed test flying a P-39D at Patterson Field, Ohio, in November 1941.

Eiler (originally Ejler) Christian Sundorph was born on 11 April 1893 at the estate of Rosenfeldt, to resident forest supervisor Niels Carl Christian Sundorph and Dorthea Christine Sundorph (née Kruhøffer).^[1]

He graduated as machinist in 1913 and travelled to England in 1914 for continued education as engineer.^[2] He trained as a technical engineer. He was interested in aviation and, on 4 July 1918, he received his flying certificate from Bournemouth Aviation Company, Ltd.^[3] The newly established Royal Air Force took over the aerodrome as RAF Winton on 1 April 1918.^[4] This may explain that Sundorph is later described as a former RAF pilot.^[5] There is no record available linking him directly to the Royal Air Force, however.

Sundorph emigrated to the United States in 1923. He arrived in New York on-board the SS Oscar II on 22 January 1923. His final destination was Ardmore, Pennsylvania.^[6] He was naturalised in the United States on 22 June 1928.^[7] He later settled as an engineer in Cleveland, Ohio.^[8]

Sundorph joined the US Army Air Corps Reserve in 1930. He received a direct commissioned as 1st Lieutenant.^[9]

Sundorph Aeronautical Corp.

In 1930, he established the Sundorph Aeronautical Corporation with his business partner Donald W. Patrick. The company specialized in airplane design and sales, but flying lessons became the most successful part of the business.^[10]

Sundorph became a member of the informal Caterpillar Club in 1930. Sundorph was flying as instructor for Stout Airlines giving a flying student, Jack Weis, a flying lessen, when the aircraft caught fire at a hight of 3,000 feet. Sundorph told Weis to parachute from the aircraft immediately and kept the aircraft steady until he had escaped from the aircraft. He then jumped to safety himself.^[11]

In 1937, Sundorph participated in the seventh Bendix Trophy Race covering a distance of 2,042 miles between Los Angeles and Cleveland. The race was part of a series of air races held in the years before the Second World War. Sundorph had purchased a Cessna Airmaster, which was purposely fitted as the Sundorph Special or A-1 racer (registered as R 2599). The aircraft was disassembled after the race.^[12]

Killed as Test Pilot

Sundorph was called into active duty in the engineering branch of the Air Corps at Patterson Field in August 1941. He was involved in testing the limits of the aircraft in use by the air corps.^[13] Sundorph was killed on 16 November 1941 as he took off on a test flight from Patterson Field. He was flying a Bell P-39D Airacobra (41–6881) and was levelling off the aircraft when an engine failure caused the aircraft to plunge to the ground.^[14]

Endnotes

[1] DNA: Parish register, Vordingborg sogn.

[2] Jespersen, C. (1941). Stamtavle over den bornholmske Familie Jespersen, p. 44.

[3] Ancestry: Great Britain, Royal Aero Club Aviators’ Certificates, 1910-1950.

[4] Dalton, H. (2014). Bournemouth Aviation Company Ltd., https://www.jp137.com/lts/BAC.pdf (accessed on 29 April 2023).

[5] Test Pilot Killed in Crash at Dayton, The Logan Daily News, 17 Nov 1941, p.1.

[6] Ancestry: New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957.

[7] Ancestry: Ohio, U.S., Naturalization Petition and Record Books, 1888-1946.

[8] Ancestry: U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995.

[9] Lieut Eiler Christian "Sunny" Sundorph, Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140632440/eiler-christian-sundorph (accessed on 30 April 2023).

[10] Lieut Eiler Christian "Sunny" Sundorph, Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140632440/eiler-christian-sundorph (accessed on 30 April 2023).

[11] 4 Flyers are Killed; Chute Saves 2 Lives, Dayton Daily News, 29 June 1930, p. 1 and 4.

[12] Smith, W. (2014). The Sundorph A-1 “Special”, Vintage Aircraft Association, https://eaavintage.org/december-mystery-plane-the-sundorph-a-1-special/ (accessed on 30 April 2023).

[13] Lieut Eiler Christian "Sunny" Sundorph, Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140632440/eiler-christian-sundorph (accessed on 30 April 2023).

[14] Plane Stalls, Crash Kills Pilot, Dayton Daily News, p. 1.