ALKSNIS, KARLIS

• November 13, 1899 - Born in Riga
• 1919 - Called into the Red Army reserve
• 1919 - Called into the Latvian army. Took part in the battles against Bermont-Avalov
• October 14, 1919 - Distinguished himself in an encounter with the Germans (noted in his Lacplesa Order citation)
• 1921 - Decorated with the Lacplesis Order.
• January 15, 1922 - Transfers to the Aviation division
• April 10, 1925 - completed his first solo flight.
• May 23, 1925 - graduated from flight school
• 1926 - assigned as the sargeant in command of the new aviation regiment recruits at 'boot camp'. When not serving this duty, he is the Staff Sargeant for the Reconnaissance Squadron.
• March 1926 - while landing his aircraft made contact with a fuel bunker and flips over. He escaped with little or no injury and returned to duty the next day.
• April 23, 1926 - participates in the swearing-in ceremony of the graduates from basic training, aviation section. As the group's sargeant his role was to hold the Regimental colours as each graduate came forward to give his oath.
• 1930 - earned the rank of 'virsniekvietnieks'
• May 31, 1931 - Participates in the Aviation Festival at Riga/Spilve.
• Sept.9, 1934 - participates in the Aviation Festival at Riga/Spilve.
• February 11, 1937 - At the request of the military, Alksnis (with J.Abolins and F.Sprogis) were sent for training in preparation to being seconded to the civil aviation (Valsts Gaisa Satiksme Airline). These individuals were selected because they had an especially broad range of experience with different aircraft types.
• Sept 4, 1939 - test flew the first twin engined aircraft designed and built in Latvia (VEF JDA-10M) at Spilve.
• Summer 1943 - Called into the German Luftwaffe in the Latvian 12th night bomber Group, 1st Squadron. He was placed in charge of aircraft maintenance and test flying the repaired aircraft. When the Soviets drove the front towards their base in Kurzeme, he flew one of the Arado 66 aircraft to their assigned airfield in Germany.
• At end of war he remained in West Germany.
• October 4, 1946 - Died, in West Germany