Lieutenant Colonel Alan Machin Wilkinson (21 November 1891 – June 1972) was a British First World War
flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
credited with nineteen aerial victories. He was one of only about 25 pilots twice awarded the DSO during the war, five of whom were also holders of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
.
Early life and education
Wilkinson was born in
Eastbourne
Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the la ...
, Sussex, the son of a civil engineer. He was educated at
Repton School
Repton School is a 13–18 Mixed-sex education, co-educational, Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, Day school, day and boarding school in the English Public school (United Kingdom), public school tradition, in Repton, Derbyshire, ...
and
Oriel College, Oxford
Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, wh ...
, and briefly worked as a schoolmaster in
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
Hampshire Regiment
The Hampshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot and the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot. The regim ...
, on the outbreak on the war, and was promoted to lieutenant on 22 September 1914. Wilkinson then trained as a pilot, and was granted Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate No. 1398 after soloing a Maurice Farman biplane at the Military School at Farnborough on 4 July 1915. He was seconded to the
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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and appointed a flying officer on 8 September 1915.
Wilkinson was posted to No. 24 Squadron RFC, under the command of Major
Lanoe Hawker
Lanoe George Hawker, (30 December 1890 – 23 November 1916) was a British flying ace of the First World War. Having seven credited victories, he was the third pilot to receive the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry awar ...
, to fly the Airco DH.2 single-seat fighter, and was appointed a flight commander with the temporary rank of captain on 22 February 1916. He gained his first aerial victories early on 16 May 1916, driving down two enemy aircraft within half an hour. He accounted for two more on 17 June, and another the following day, to bring his score to five and making him an 'ace'. He drove down his sixth on 19 July, then another four between 21 and 31 August to bring his total to ten, making him the joint-highest scoring pilot in this aircraft along with Patrick Langan-Byrne. For at least some of the time Wilkinson had an additional Lewis gun fitted to his aircraft, DH.2 No.5966, known as "Wilkie's Bus", until ordered to remove it.
He was awarded the
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...
, which was
gazetted
A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.
In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...
on 20 October 1916. his citation read:
:Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) Alan Machin Wilkinson, Hampshire Regiment and Royal Flying Corps.
::"For conspicuous gallantry and skill. He has shown great dash in attacking enemy machines, and, up to the end of August, he had accounted for five. On one occasion while fighting a hostile machine he was attacked from behind, but out-manoeuvred the enemy and shot him down. Finally he got back, his machine much damaged by machine gun fire."
Wilkinson also received a "mention in despatches" from General Sir
Douglas Haig
Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, (; 19 June 1861 – 29 January 1928) was a senior Officer (armed forces), officer of the British Army. During the First World War, he commanded the British Expeditionar ...
, Commander-in-Chief of the British Armies in France, on 13 November 1916. He was posted back to England and served as an instructor at the
Central Flying School
The Central Flying School (CFS) is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 at the Upavon Aerodrome, it is the longest existing flying training school. The school was based at ...
from 2 December 1916 until 12 January 1917, and also found time to marry Miss Lina Shell at St. Barnabas Church,
Kensington
Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London.
The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...
, on 16 December 1916.
He then returned to France to serve in No. 48 Squadron RFC, flying the newly-introduced Bristol F.2a two-seater fighter. Despite heavy British losses during "
Bloody April
Bloody April was the (largely successful) British air support operation during the Battle of Arras in April 1917, during which particularly heavy casualties were suffered by the Royal Flying Corps at the hands of the German ''Luftstreitkräfte ...
" Wilkinson gained further victories, driving down a fighter on 5 April, and on 9 April 1917 claimed six aircraft, though he was credited with only four. Another victory followed on the 12th, then two on the 13th, and finally his nineteenth and last on 22 April.
This brought him a bar to his Distinguished Service Order which was gazetted on 25 May 1917. His citation read:
:Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) Alan Machin Wilkinson, DSO, Hampshire Regiment and Royal Flying Corps.
::"For great skill and gallantry. He came down to a low altitude and destroyed a hostile scout which was attacking one of our machines, the pilot of which had been wounded, thereby saving it. In one day he shot down and destroyed six hostile machines. He has destroyed eight hostile machines during the past ten days and has displayed exceptional skill and gallantry in leading offensive patrols."
On 10 May 1917 Wilkinson was appointed a squadron commander with the temporary rank of major, and on 31 May he was promoted to captain. He served as the
Officer Commanding
The officer commanding (OC), also known as the officer in command or officer in charge (OiC), is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit (smaller than battalion size), principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, ...
SPAD S.VII
The SPAD S.VII was the first of a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and r ...
, until the end of August when he was hospitalised with appendicitis. He received his second "mention in despatches" on 11 December 1917, but soon afterwards was diagnosed with "
neurasthenia
Neurasthenia (from the Ancient Greek νεῦρον ''neuron'' "nerve" and ἀσθενής ''asthenés'' "weak") is a term that was first used at least as early as 1829 for a mechanical weakness of the nerves and became a major diagnosis in North A ...
" (today considered to be a form of combat stress reaction). He was appointed an acting lieutenant-colonel on 15 April 1918, and commanded one of the RAF's Schools of Aerial Fighting.
Wilkinson was transferred to the RAF's unemployed list on 26 April 1919. He eventually relinquished his commission as a captain in the Hampshire Regiment on 30 September 1921.
List of aerial victories
Inter-war career
After the war Wilkinson worked in advertising, eventually becoming a director of the
London Press Exchange
The London Press Exchange was founded in 1892 by Frederick Higginbottom and Reginald J.Sykes, becoming a significant Government advertising agency during World War II. It merged with the Leo Burnett agency in 1969.
The agency also produced prom ...
in 1938.
World War II
Wilkinson resumed his military career when granted a commission as a
pilot officer
Pilot officer (Plt Off officially in the RAF; in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly P/O in all services, and still often used in the RAF) is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countri ...
on probation in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 28 February 1939. On 23 July he was confirmed in his appointment and promoted to flying officer. He received his third "mention in despatches" on 17 March 1941, by which time he was an acting
squadron leader
Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...
, and served as
Officer Commanding
The officer commanding (OC), also known as the officer in command or officer in charge (OiC), is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit (smaller than battalion size), principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, ...
RAF West Malling
Royal Air Force West Malling or RAF West Malling is a former Royal Air Force station located south of West Malling, Kent and west of Maidstone, Kent, England.
Originally used as a landing area during the First World War,RAF Martlesham Heath from June 1941 to November 1942. Wilkinson resigned his commission on 4 August 1944, and was permitted to retain the rank of wing commander.
Wilkinson died in
Maidstone
Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the c ...