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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0565.PDF
JUNE 7, 1917. Casualties. Second Lieutenant RICHARD G. R. ALLEN, West Yorkshire Regiment, attached R.F.C., reported missing on November 16th, 1916, is now reported as killed on that day while fighting an enemy machine in the air. He was the only son of the late Mr. Richard Allen, of Cavan, who became Clerk of the Crown and Peace for County Leitrim, and died last year, and of Mrs. Allen, now of Burgess Hill, Sussex. Captain DONALD ALASTAIR LESLIE DAVIDSON, M.C., R.F.C. (reported killed in action on April 30th), was the elder son of the late Colonel Leslie Davidson, C.B., R.A., who died on active service in France in 1915, and of Lady Theodora Davidson, sister of the present Earl of Albemarle, Captain Davidson was bom in 1891, and was educated at Wellington College, and was Page of Honour to King Edward VII, 1902 to 1907. He joined the R.F.C. as a flying officer in May, 1915, on his recovery from a very long illness. He went on active service in October, 1915, first to Egypt and then to Mesopotamia. There he was badly wounded in a fight, while dropping food over the beleaguered town of Kut. He was awarded the Military Cross for " conspicuous determination and gallantry " on that occasion, and wa? invalided home on account of the severity of his several wounds, He returned to .active service in France in the spring of this year, was reported " missing " on April 30th, and is now notified killed while fighting, single-handed, a two-seater Hun machine. The King and Queen have expressed their " sympathy and sorrow ior the dear boy who had already rendered such gallant service," and Queen Alexandra for " her dear Page of Honour." : Second Lieutenant HENRY COPE EVANS, D.S.O., R.F.C., reported missing on September 3rd, 1916, in an air fight, and now officially presumed to have lost his life, was the only son of the late W. H. Evans and of Mrs. Evans, of West Point, Camberley. Born in 1879, he was educated at Mr. Fendall's, Woodcote House, Windlesham, and Haileybury. Having gone out to Ontario to learn fruit farming, he enlisted in the Canadian Artillery, and served for a year in South -Africa. On returning to Canada he took up ranching near Macleod, Alberta, and he also held a Government appoint- ment as Range Rider. A keen sportsman and fine horseman, he was well known as a polo player, and was one of the early pioneers of the game in Western Canada. The day after war was declared he joined the Alberta Dragoons as a trooper, reaching England with the 1st Canadian Contingent in November, 1914. He saw much service in France from February to September, 1915, When he was given a com- mission and attached to the R.F.C. Joining his squadron at the front, he was at once engaged in the fighting from September 25th as an observer. In 1916 he trained in Eng- land for his pilot's certificate, returning to the front in June, where he did good service, bringing down several enemy machines. He was awarded the D.S.O. in August, and was also mentioned in despatches. Lieutenant LEONARD A. FULLER, R.F.C., killed on May 17th, aged 25, was the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Fuller, Croydon. He was educated at the Whitgift Grammar School and the Imperial College of Science and Royal School of Mines. When war was declared he joined the London University O.T.C., and received a commission in the Durham Light Infantry, transferring later to the R.F.C. * Sergeant-Pilot (a rank equivalent to that of British Flight Lieutenant) RONALD WOOD HOSKIER, an American pilot, Mlled in France on April 23rd in an action against three enemy aeroplanes, abandoned his studies at Harvard University, U.S.A., to join the other American flyers already at the front. After eight months in the schools, he joined the Lafayette squadrilla last December, and rendered valuable services during his five "months at the front. His " citation " reads :— " Veritable ame d'elite pour sa bravoure et son esprit de sacrifice, est tombe le 23 avril apres une heroique defense dans un combat contretrois appareils ennemis." Hoskier was the second American airman to fall after the entry of the United States into the war. Captain HORACE CLIFFORD LOMER, R.N.D., attached R.F.C., who has been killed in action, was the only son of Mr. Horace Arthur Lomer, of " Invermark," Elmbourne Road, London, S.W., and a grandson of the late Alderman Walter A. Lomer, J.P., of Woolston, and was 27 years of age. He Was educated at Dulwich College, joined the R.N.D. in November, 1914. obtaining his commission in January, 1915, and his Captaincy in January, 1916. He transferred to the R.F.C. in August, 1916. receiving his wings in December last, and left for France in January, 1917. Major ERIC OGILVIE MCMURTRY, Canadian Infantry, who was killed while on patrol work for the R.F.C. on April 28th, was the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. S. A. McMurtry, of Montreal. He was born in Canada in 1894, and graduated from the Royal Military College, Kingston, in June, 1914. At the outberak of war he took a commission in the Canadian infantry, and in 1915 he came overseas with a battalion, and served with them at the front with the rank of major. Early in January, 1917, he was transferred to the R.F.C., and went to the front again on April 18th, but 10 days later his machine was brought down. Major McMurtry leaves a widow, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.-F. N. Southam, of Montreal, and two brothers of his are at the front, both with the artillery. Second Lieutenant F. O'SULLIVAN, N. Staffs Regt., attached R.F.C., who lost his life, at the age of 20, in an aerial fight on April 23rd, was the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. James O'Sullivan, of High Bank, Burton-on-Trent. He enlisted in the Motor Machine Gun Service early in 1915, and got his commission in November of that year. As an observer he obtained his " wing " in less than two months. His eldest brother fell in 1915. Second Lieutenant HUGH CECIL PATTERSON was killed on April 30th in a collision in the air when returning from patrol. He was the only son of the late Thomas Main Patterson, of Littlebourne House, near Canterbury, and was educated at Warden House, Deal, and at Marlborough. He joined the U.P.S. Brigade in October, 1914, and he went out to France in November, 1915, but returned in March of "the following year. He was in the Cadet Corps till July, when he obtained a commission in the Bedfordshire Regiment, and was attached to the R.F.C. in November. He remained in England for training till April 18th, and was killed 12 days afterwards. Second Lieutenant H. TENNANT, Dragoon Guards, attd. R.F.C., who was on May 30th reported killed in France, was the eldest son of the Rt. Hon. H. J. Tennant, M.P., late Under-Secretary for War, and Mrs. Tennant, the director of Women's National Service. At the age of 19 the young officer had already made a reputation as a skilful pilot and instructor. He left for France a few weeks ago. It is just a year since Lieutenant Tennant met with a serious flying accident in Kent, his companion. Captain Grime-Jones, being killed. It was Mr. Tennant who, earlier in the year, replying to criticisms of the flying service in the House of Commons, said that some of them who had great responsi- bilities and who realised the dangers inherent to warfare in the air and to the conditions in the Flying Corps had sent their own sons into the Flying Corps. Lieutenant CYRIL ALFRED TRUSCOTT, R.N.V.R., who died on April 23rd of wounds received that day, aged 33, was the youngest son of the late James Freeman Truscott and of Mrs. R. Rugeley Bury, of 60, Avenue Road, N.W. He was educated at Clifton College, Tours, and Hanover, and Was a director of the firm of publishers and printers bearing his name. He joined the Royal Marines in Septem- ber, 1914, and went to Belgium. On the day of its capture by the Germans he drove the last motor-car into Ostend containing pilots, who were instrumental in saving many ships in the harbour there. In February, 1915, he joined the R.N.V.R., and after training was in Gallipoli until the 565
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