Kagher Neiber-Shieg


Kagher Neiber-Shieg was a Canadian-born German fighter ace.

Birth and early life

Neiber-Shieg was born to a German family in Ottawa, Ontario. His father worked in an industrial plant, while his mother lived at home. For three years, 1912–1915, he attended Lisgar Collegiate Institute, where he was abused because of his German parentage. He then conspired to escape to Germany.

Stowing away on transport and sneaking into Germany

In mid-November 1915, Neiber-Shieg sneaked aboard a transport ship carrying Canadian soldiers to the front in World War I. He posed as a deck hand, and upon arrival in England, pretended to be a physician's helper. He sneaked across No man's land and came upon German lines. He then joined the Imperial German Army Air Service.

Life in the Imperial German Flying Corps

Neiber-Shieg, upon graduation from the Air Academy was a successful pilot. He allegedly shot down 6 aircraft, destroyed 8 on the ground, and had 3 'probables'. However while returning to his base his plane was clipped by a bird. Though this did not damage the plane in any way, Neiber-Shieg immediately pulled his plane into a dive. As he was only at 30 feet Neiber-Shieg was instantly killed as his plane hit the ground. He is buried in Amiens, France.