rd ▁claim . ▁This ▁same ▁day ▁he ▁was ▁commission ed ▁as ▁a ▁le ut nant . ▁He ▁brought ▁down ▁and ▁killed ▁Canadian ▁ace ▁L t . ▁Edward ▁C . ▁E aton ▁of ▁No . ▁ 6 5 ▁Squadron ▁on ▁ 2 6 ▁June ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁About ▁this ▁time , ▁he ▁switched ▁to ▁a ▁yellow ▁F ok ker ▁D . V II . ▁ ▁With ▁ 2 9 ▁vict ories ▁to ▁his ▁credit , ▁Le ut nant ▁Rum ey ▁received ▁the ▁cov et ed ▁Pour ▁le ▁M ér ite ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁This ▁made ▁him ▁one ▁of ▁only ▁five ▁pil ots ▁to ▁have ▁received ▁both ▁this ▁award ▁and ▁the ▁Golden ▁Military ▁Mer it ▁Cross . ▁He ▁went ▁sc or eless ▁in ▁August ▁but ▁in ▁September , ▁shot ▁down ▁ 1 6 ▁aircraft , ▁a ▁figure ▁only ▁sur pass ed ▁by ▁Franz ▁Bü ch ner . ▁ ▁Kil led ▁in ▁action ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁conflic ting ▁accounts ▁of ▁Fritz ▁Rum ey ' s ▁death . ▁ ▁One ▁theory ▁was ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁killed ▁after ▁a ▁mid - air ▁collision ▁with ▁the ▁SE 5 a ▁of ▁Captain ▁G . ▁E . ▁B . ▁Law son ▁( No . ▁ 3 2 ▁Squadron , ▁who ▁surv ived ). ▁With ▁the ▁top ▁wing ▁of ▁his ▁F ok ker ▁D . V II ▁sm ashed ▁to ▁pieces ▁( his ▁plane ▁thus ▁driven ▁out ▁of ▁control ), ▁he ▁ba iled ▁out . ▁The ▁spin ▁that ▁his ▁aer op lane ▁was ▁in