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Gerald Birks
Lieutenant Gerald Alfred Birks (30 October 1894 – 26 May 1991) was a Canadian First World War fighter ace credited with twelve aerial victories while serving in the British Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force. Family background and education He was one of seven children (four sons and three daughters) born to William Massey Birks and Miriam (née Gifford). His father was a partner in the jewelers Henry Birks & Sons with his father and brothers. The Birks were descended from a farming family from Darfield, Yorkshire, who emigrated to Canada in 1832. Birks was educated at Montreal High School and Lower Canada College, and was studying architecture at McGill University when the war broke out. World War I Birks enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 31 August 1915, serving as a lieutenant in the 73rd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada), and was wounded in November 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. Birks joined RFC Canada on 8 March 1917, and trained as ...
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WikiProject Biography/Military
A WikiProject, or Wikiproject, is a Wikimedia movement affinity group for contributors with shared goals. WikiProjects are prevalent within the largest wiki, Wikipedia, and exist to varying degrees within sister projects such as Wiktionary, Wikiquote, Wikidata, and Wikisource. They also exist in different languages, and translation of articles is a form of their collaboration. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CBS News noted the role of Wikipedia's WikiProject Medicine in maintaining the accuracy of articles related to the disease. Another WikiProject that has drawn attention is WikiProject Women Scientists, which was profiled by '' Smithsonian'' for its efforts to improve coverage of women scientists which the profile noted had "helped increase the number of female scientists on Wikipedia from around 1,600 to over 5,000". On Wikipedia Some Wikipedia WikiProjects are substantial enough to engage in cooperative activities with outside organizations relevant to the field at issue. For ex ...
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Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have been undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to History of local government in Yorkshire, periodic reform. Throughout these changes, Yorkshire has continued to be recognised as a geographic territory and cultural region. The name is familiar and well understood across the United Kingdom and is in common use in the media and the Yorkshire Regiment, military, and also features in the titles of current areas of civil administration such as North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire. Within the borders of the historic county of Yorkshire are large stretches of countryside, including the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and Peak District nationa ...
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Pravisdomini
Pravisdomini is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pordenone in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about west of Trieste and about south of Pordenone. Pravisdomini borders the following municipalities: Annone Veneto, Azzano Decimo, Chions, Meduna di Livenza, Pasiano di Pordenone, Pramaggiore Pramaggiore is a town in the Metropolitan City of Venice, Veneto, Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, .... References Cities and towns in Friuli-Venezia Giulia {{FriuliVeneziaGiulia-geo-stub ...
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Rumpler
Rumpler-Luftfahrzeugbau GmbH, Rumpler-Werke, usually known simply as Rumpler was a German aircraft and automobile manufacturer founded in Berlin by Austrian engineer Edmund Rumpler in 1909 as Rumpler Luftfahrzeugbau.Gunston 1993, p.259 The firm originally manufactured copies of the Etrich Taube monoplane under the ''Rumpler Taube'' trademark, but turned to building reconnaissance biplanes of its own design through the course of the First World War, in addition to a smaller number of fighters and bombers.Kroschel & Stützer 1994, p.100 The company, from the beginning a limited liability concern ( GmbH), became a Aktiengesellschaft in the style of ''Rumpler-Werke AG'' on 21 September 1917 with a capitalization of 3,5 million Marks. In 1918, 3300 people worked for RumplerRumpler 1919, p.63 at the Berlin headquarter and a subsidiary in Augsburg, the ''Bayerische Rumpler-Werke AG''. As a consequence of the Treaty of Versailles Germany was not allowed to manufacture aircraft. Rump ...
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William George Barker
William George Barker, (3 November 1894 – 12 March 1930) was a Canadian First World War fighter ace and Victoria Cross recipient. He is the most decorated serviceman in the history of Canada. Early life Born on a family farm in Dauphin, Manitoba, "Will" Barker grew up on the frontier of the Great Plains, riding horses, shooting, and working as a youngster on his father's farm and sawmill. ''constable.ca''. Retrieved 28 September 2010."Major William George Barker."
''billybishop.net.'' Retrieved: 28 September 2010.
"Barker Family."
sitescapers.com. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
He was an exceptional shot, using a

Wingman
A wingman (or wingmate) is a pilot or UAV who supports another pilot in a potentially dangerous flying environment. ''Wingman'' was originally the plane flying beside and slightly behind the lead plane in an aircraft formation. According to the U.S. Air Force, The traditional military definition of a "Wingman" refers to the pattern in which fighter jets fly. There is always a lead aircraft and another which flies off the right wing of and behind the lead. This second pilot is called the "Wingman" because he or she primarily protects the lead by "watching his back." Description The wingman's role is to support aerial combat by making a flight both safer and more capable: amplifying situational awareness, increasing firepower, and allowing more dynamic tactics. Origins The concept of a wingman is nearly as old as fighter aviation. On 9 August 1915, Oswald Boelcke was already acting in the role when he shot down a French airplane pursuing Max Immelmann. Colonel Robert Smith pr ...
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Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the best known fighter aircraft of the Great War. The Camel was powered by a single rotary engine and was armed with twin synchronized Vickers machine guns. Though difficult to handle, it was highly manoeuvrable in the hands of an experienced pilot, a vital attribute in the relatively low-speed, low-altitude dogfights of the era. In total, Camel pilots have been credited with downing 1,294 enemy aircraft, more than any other Allied fighter of the conflict. Towards the end of the First World War, the type also saw use as a ground-attack aircraft, partly because the capabilities of fighter aircraft on both sides had advanced rapidly and left the Camel somewhat outclassed. The main variant of the Camel was designated as the F.1. Other variants ...
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CFB Borden
Canadian Forces Base Borden (also CFB Borden, French: Base des Forces canadiennes Borden or BFC Borden), formerly RCAF Station Borden, is a large Canadian Forces base located in Ontario. The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CFB Borden is home to the largest training wing in the Canadian Armed Forces. The base is run by Canadian Forces Support Training Group (CFSTG) and reports to the Canadian Defence Academy (CDA) in Kingston. History At the height of the First World War, the Borden Military Camp opened at a location on a glacial moraine west of Barrie in 1916 to train units for the Canadian Expeditionary Force. It was named for Sir Frederick William Borden, former Minister of Militia. In May 1916, the Barrie and Collingwood companies of the 157th Battalion (Simcoe Foresters), CEF (perpetuated today by The Grey and Simcoe Foresters), under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel D.H. MacLaren, began construction of the camp. Camp Borden was selected in 1917 for a ...
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Tyendinaga (Mohawk) Airport
Tyendinaga (Mohawk) Airport is a registered aerodrome that is open to the public and caters mainly to general aviation. The aerodrome is located in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, southwest of Tyendinaga, Ontario, Canada, north of the Bay of Quinte between Kingston and Belleville. History Originally known as Deseronto Airport, the field opened in 1917 as a training school for pilots during World War I. During World War II, it hosted the ''No. 1 Instrument Navigation School'' for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, providing advanced instrument-navigation training to air crews. During this time, the airport was also used as the primary relief landing field for the Central Flying School, based out of RCAF Station Trenton. The aerodrome is currently the site of the First Nations Technical Institute and the First Nations Flying School First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of ...
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RFC Canada
The Royal Flying Corps Canada (RFC Canada) was a training organization of the British Royal Flying Corps located in Canada during the First World War. It began operating in 1917. Background As the war progressed, Great Britain found that it needed more trained aircrew and more training facilities. Training was provided both by the ''Curtiss Aviation School'' at Long Branch near Toronto (land plane training) and Hanlan's Point on Toronto Island (for flying boat training), and in the United States. The British realized that thousands of Canadians and Americans had joined British flying operations and more wanted to join, so it made sense to open British air training stations in Canada. Canada also had space for such facilities. After much negotiation with the Canadian government, the RFC, commanded in Canada by Lieutenant-Colonel (later Brigadier-General) Cuthbert Hoare, began operating several training stations in southern Ontario. Stations were opened at Camp Borden (main ...
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Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry division. The division subsequently fought at Ypres on the Western Front, with a newly raised second division reinforcing the committed units to form the Canadian Corps. The CEF and corps was eventually expanded to four infantry divisions, which were all committed to the fighting in France and Belgium along the Western Front. A fifth division was partially raised in 1917, but was broken up in 1918 and used as reinforcements following heavy casualties. Personnel Recruitment The Canadian Expeditionary Force was mostly volunteers; a bill allowing conscription was passed in August, 1917, but not enforced until call-ups began in January 1918 (''see'' Conscription Crisis of 1917). In all, 24,132 conscripts had been sent to France to take part ...
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McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, 1801–1895.'' McGill-Queen's University Press, 1980. the university bears the name of James McGill, a Scottish merchant whose bequest in 1813 formed the university's precursor, University of McGill College (or simply, McGill College); the name was officially changed to McGill University in 1885. McGill's main campus is on the slope of Mount Royal in downtown Montreal in the borough of Ville-Marie, with a second campus situated in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, west of the main campus on Montreal Island. The university is one of two members of the Association of American Universities located outside the United States, alongside the University of Toronto, and is the only Canadian member of the Glob ...
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