Life History

Other facts

Notes

• Owen Lieberg was born on 21 July 1896 in Fulham, London.
  
  His parents were Frederich Henrich Julius Lawrence Lieberg and Isabella Wilson, who married in the September qtr 1885 in St Saviour, London. Frederick (he later anglicised his names) was a photographer who was born in 1861 in Flensburg, which was then part of Denmark. In 1864 Flensburg became part of Germany, but Owen still noted his father's nationality as Danish - in that era it was probably not acceptable to be part German. Isabella was born in 1859 in Pimlico, Middlesex.
  
  Owen was the second youngest of six children, four boys and two girls. His father died in the September qtr of 1901 at the age of only 40, when his last child was barely one year old.
  
  At the age of 17, in March 1913, Owen travelled alone to New York on the SS Mauritania. His occupation was then noted as a labourer.
  
  On July 20 1915 he joined the 21st Regiment of the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force in Ontario, Canada. He claimed to be an Electrician, born on July 21 1894, so he had put his age up by two years to virtually 21, probably to avoid parental permission regulations.  His mother was given as his next-of-kin, living in Surrey, England.
  
  Owen was then assigned to the Canadian Railway Troops (CRT) and sent to Europe, based at Purfleet in Essex. Owen was a Sapper and his service number was 401209.
  
  On June 11 1917, Owen applied to join an Officer Cadet Unit with a view to becoming a pilot in the Canadian Flying Corps, or the Royal Flying Corps. He gave his permanent address as Chicago, Illinois, USA and his date of birth as 20 July 1893 - he has gained yet another year. In his application he stated he was married - he had married Madge Coggins in the March qtr of 1917.
  
  In support of his application he listed his schools as Horsham Grammar School in Sussex, and Christ's Hospital School, Horsham.  He claimed that he was an Electrical Engineer in civilian life, having done a two-year course in Electrical Engineering at Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago. His work experience was two years as assistant Engineer at Heywood Electrical Co. in Chicago, and 2u years as Electrical Inspector for Chicago Board of Underwriters. He also claimed a considerable knowledge of aeronautics.
  
  The tertiary education claims are rather amazing considering the fact that Owen had been in the US for only two years and four months before he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF).
  
  The headmaster of Horsham Grammar School certified to Owen's good character for the last four years (which was rather strange since Owen had been in the US since 1913), and Owen's application was successful. Owen was transferred out of the CRT and allocated to the Egyptian Expeditionary Force at Abu-Soubir (?) as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps.
  
  Unfortunately his plan to become a pilot was less than successful - by 5 March 1918 he was on his way back to England. After some 9 hours in training aircraft (Maurice Farman and Avro), his Squadron Commander reported that he "feels nervous in the air - I do not consider he will ever make a pilot. Shows no aptitude in any way for aviation - very unbalanced. " He no longer wished to fly - it was recommended that he be transferred to the Infantry.
  
  The following is the brief author biography from one of Owen's books "The First Air Race" published in the USA.
  
  "Owen S. Lieberg, a pilot in the First World War, was an early aviation enthusiast and wrote many articles and books on aviation that have been published in England."
  
  As usual the truth has been somewhat stretched, and I have as yet been unable to find any evidence of books published in England.
  
  My next information has Owen and Madge travelling to New York in April 1926, where they lived until they both returned to England in January 1931. Madge made at least three sea voyages back to England in the years between 1926 and 1931.
  
  Owen became an Associate Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) in 1936, whilst living in London, and a Full Member as Major Owen Stanley Lieberg (Royal Engineers) in 1943.
  
  I am not sure of the requirements for membership of the IEE, but maybe a two-year course at a Chicago college would not be sufficient. Perhaps Owen went back to the UK to continue his studies. In one of his book biographies it is stated that he "was graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of Technology with a degree in electrical engineering", but there is no clue which Polytechnic Institute that might have been.
  
  The same book biography states that "During World War II, Mr. Lieberg was with the British War Office, Royal Engineers, in charge of all design, planning, and installation of electrical and mechanical engineering for the British Army."
  
  Owen was certainly with the Royal Engineers as we have seen, but it is inconceivable that a Major would be in charge of all planning and installation for the British Army. Perhaps another typical exaggeration by US biography writers to impress the gullible, but this one tops the lot.
  
  In September 1946 Owen and Madge travelled back to the US on the SS Queen Mary, living at first in California then in New York. In April 1955, Owen was naturalised as a US citizen.
  
  Madge travelled back to England alone in 1956, then Owen travelled back to London in 1958, stating that he was staying indefinitely. From the addresses on his IEE member records, he did stay in London until 1973, after that date his address is given as "care of GH Buckle & Partners" in London. According to the US Social Security records Owen died in California in August 1973, however he remained a member of the IEE until 1982, so that contradiction will need to be further investigated.
  
  Between 1958 and 1974, Owen had five books published in the USA (listed below).  From his location, he must have written them while living in the UK.
  
  (From Library of Congress records)
  
  First air race; the international competition at Reims, 1909 Owen S. Lieberg. 1974
  High temperature water systems. 1963
  High temperature water systems. 1958
  Wonders of heat and light. Illustrated with photos, and with diagrs. by the author. 1966
  Wonders of magnets and magnetism, Illustrated with photos. and with diagrs. by the author. 1967
  Wonders of measurement . Illustrated with photos. and with diagrs. by the author. 1972
  Wonders of measurement  1976
• Owen Lieberg
• Owen Lieberg

Sources

• 1. UK Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960
  • Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2008.Original data - Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Inwards Passenger Lists. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA). Series BT26
• 2. Canadian Soldiers of World War I, 1914-1918
  • Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Images reproduced courtesy of Library and Archives Canada.Original data - Soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918). RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 4930 - 35. Library and Archive
• 3. 1930 United States Federal Census
  • Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626,
  • Year: 1930; Census Place: Brooklyn, Kings, New York; Roll: 1513; Page: 19B; Enumeration District: 77; Image: 96.0.
• 4. 1901 England Census
  • Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.Original data - Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives, 1901. Data imaged from the National Archives, London, England. The National Archi
  • Class: RG13; Piece: 67; Folio: 20; Page: 32.
• 5. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
  • Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Original data - Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls); Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Rec
  • Year: 1913; Arrival:  ;, ;; Microfilm serial: T715; Microfilm roll: T715_2038; Line: 16; List number: .
• 6. England & Wales, Death Index: 1984-2005
  • Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2007.Original data - General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office. © Crown copyright. Published by permission of the Cont
• 7. Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1956
  • Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.Original data - Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, RG 85. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. See Full Source Citations.Original data:
• 8. London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906
  • Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.Original data - Board of Guardian Records, 1834-1906 and Church of England Parish Registers, 1754-1906. London Metropolitan Archives, London.Images produced by permission of the City
• 9. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
  • Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Original data - Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls); Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Rec
  • Year: 1926; Arrival: , ; Microfilm serial: T715; Microfilm roll: T715_3827; Line: 10; List number: .
• 10. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
  • Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Original data - Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls); Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Rec
  • Year: 1955; Arrival: , ; Microfilm serial: T715; Microfilm roll: T715_8554; Line: 9; List number: .
• 11. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
  • Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Original data - Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls); Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Rec
  • Year: 1953; Arrival: , ; Microfilm serial: T715; Microfilm roll: T715_8310; Line: 14; List number: .
• 12. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
  • Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Original data - Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls); Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Rec
  • Year: 1956; Arrival: , ; Microfilm serial: t715; Microfilm roll: t715_8794; Line: 4; List number: .
• 13. Ancestry Family Trees
  • Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com.  Original data:  Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.
  • Ancestry Family Trees
• 14. England & Wales, Marriage Index: 1916-2005
  • Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2009.Original data - General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office. © Crown copyright. Published by permission of the Cont