Biography of the famous dancer written by his wife Irene. The couple were Broadway dancers and actors who reached the peak of their popularity in Irvin Berlin's first Broadway show, Watch Your Step (1914), in which they refined and popularised the Foxtrot. In 1915, Vernon, born in England, determined to fight in the war and leaving the touring company of Watch Your Step, began flight school in the U.S. He received his pilot's certificate in early 1916 and sailed for England to enlist as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps. Flying over the Western Front, he completed 300 combat missions, shot down two aircraft, and in 1917 was awarded the Croix de Guerre. He was posted to Canada to train new pilots, promoted to captain, and then transferred with his unit to the U.S. as a training pilot. On 15 February 1918, over Benbrook Field near Fort Worth, Texas, Vernon took emergency action shortly after takeoff to avoid collision with another aircraft. His plane stalled, and he was unable to recover control before the plane hit the ground. He died soon after the crash, aged 30. Irene continued to perform solo in Broadway, vaudeville and motion picture productions over the next decade when she retired from the stage and screen. In 19369, her life with Vernon was dramatized in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers.-Print ed.
