Captain Alexander Beck (3 November 1899 – 4 January 1989) was an Anglo-Argentine aviator during World War I. He was an underage enlistee who went on to become a flying ace credited with 11 official aerial victories.

Early life

Beck's parents had emigrated to Argentina from Cumbria. He was anxious enough to serve in British uniform that he lied his way into the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

while still underage. As he was born on 3 November 1899, his graduation from pilot training in July 1917 saw him pitched into battle four months before his "legal" 18th birthday.Franks (2007), p.20.

World War I

On 21 June 1917 temporary

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

A. Beck was appointed a Flying Officer in the

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. His seniority of rank was then back-dated to 1 June 1916. He then flew 13 combat patrols with 60 Squadron before his parents apprised the RFC of his true age. Once it was known he was younger than 18 years old, he was withdrawn from both combat duty and France. He returned to 60 Squadron in March 1918, and scored his first win in August; flying a

Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5 The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the fast ...

a, he destroyed a German Fokker D.VII fighter plane on the 8th. He followed this up by destroying a Hannover reconnaissance plane over Riencourt in the early morning of 14 August, and an Albatros over Guemappe in mid-morning. On 31 August, he shared in the destruction of an

LVG Luftverkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H. (L.V.G. or LVG) was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Berlin- Johannisthal, which began constructing aircraft in 1912, building Farman-type aircraft. The company constructed many reconnaissance and light bombe ...

two-seater recon plane over Inchy.Shores, et al, p. 70. On 28 September 1918, he destroyed another LVG two-seater over

Cambrai Cambrai (, ; pcd, Kimbré; nl, Kamerijk), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department and in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, regio ...

to become an ace. Then, in October 1918, he scored five more times: a Fokker D.VII out of control over Esnes on the 3rd; an LVG captured at Bohain-en-Vermandois on the 9th; a Halberstadt recon plane captured on the 22nd at

Orvillers-Sorel Orvillers-Sorel is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. See also *Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department of France. The communes cooperate in the following intercom ...

; a share in an LVG destroyed over Le Quesnoy on the 26th; another Fokker D.VII out of control over Mormal on the 29th. On 1 November, he helped shoot down a Fokker D.VII over Mormal Woods for his and his squadron's final victory.

Distinguished Flying Cross

He won a Distinguished Flying Cross, gazetted 3 December 1918. The accompanying award citation read: :Lieutenant (Acting-Captain) Alexander Beck. :A bold and skilful leader, who has himself shot down four enemy aeroplanes. His personal courage and able leadership have had a marked influence in maintaining the efficiency of the squadron.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * * Shores, Christopher, et al. (1990). ''Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces, 1915-1920''. Fortress Publications. {{DEFAULTSORT:Beck, Alexander 1899 births Year of death missing British World War I flying aces Royal Flying Corps officers Royal Air Force personnel of World War I English emigrants to Argentina Argentine aviators Argentina in World War I