Squadron Leader Charles John Wharton Darwin DSO

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

(12 December 1894 – 26 December 1941) was a

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

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 five aerial victories.

Biography

Darwin was the son of Col. Charles Waring Darwin CB DL JP (1855–1928) of

Elston Hall Elston Hall, formerly the Hotel Van Curler, is located on Washington Street in the city of Schenectady, New York, United States. It is a tall brick building constructed in 1925 in the Classical Revival architectural style. Its construction was pa ...

, Nottinghamshire (a second cousin once removed of the famous naturalist

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...

) and his wife Mary Dorothea (née Wharton), the only daughter of the Rt Hon.

John Lloyd Wharton John Lloyd Wharton (18 April 1837 – 11 July 1912) was a Barrister and a Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Durham then MP for Ripon. Early life Wharton was born at Aberford in the West Riding of Yorkshire ...

MP. He was educated at

Winchester School Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of t ...

and the

RMC Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC), founded in 1801 and established in 1802 at Great Marlow and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England, but moved in October 1812 to Sandhurst, Berkshire, was a British Army military academy for training infantry ...

. Darwin served in France with the 2nd Battalion of the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

from 1914 to 1916. He then transferred to the

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

. His first assignment, to 27 Squadron, saw him flying a

Martinsyde G.100 The Martinsyde G.100 "Elephant" and the G.102 were United Kingdom, British fighter bomber aircraft of the First World War built by Martinsyde. The type gained the name "Elephant" from its relatively large size and lack of manoeuvrability. The G. ...

. He then returned to England to instruct at the Central Flying School,

Upavon Upavon is a rural village and civil parish in the county of Wiltshire, England. As its name suggests, it is on the upper portion of the River Avon which runs from north to south through the village. It is on the north edge of Salisbury Plain ...

, in 1917. When 87 Squadron was founded at Upavon in April 1918, Darwin led the effort. He accompanied the squadron into combat in France as a captain. When Major

Joseph Callaghan Joseph Cruess Callaghan, (4 March 1893 – 2 July 1918) was an Irish flying ace of the First World War, credited with five aerial victories. Early life and background Joseph Cruess Callaghan was the eldest of six children of Joseph Patrick Call ...

was killed in action on 2 July 1918, Darwin succeeded to command. Flying

Sopwith Dolphin The Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin was a British fighter aircraft manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It was used by the Royal Flying Corps and its successor, the Royal Air Force, during the World War I, First World War. The Dolphin entered se ...

no. C4158, Darwin destroyed four enemy planes and drove down a fifth one out of control between 31 May and 26 September 1918. In 1918 he married Sybil Renee Rose, daughter of Charles Marston Rose and granddaughter of the late

Sir Philip Rose, 1st Baronet Sir Philip Rose, 1st Baronet (12 April 1816 – 17 April 1883) was the son of William Rose, an Assistant Surgeon in the British Indian Army and Charlotte Rose (born Baly). He was admitted as a solicitor in 1836 at the age of 20 and for many ...

. They had a son and two daughters: * Christopher William Wharton Darwin (1918–1942), RAF officer killed in the Second World War * Vivien Mary Darwin (1919–2014), married 1938,

Claude Richard Henry Kindersley Claude Richard Henry Kindersley (11 December 1911 – 31 March 1993) was a British soldier. Kindersley was the son of Lt-Col Archibald Ogilvie Lyttelton Kindersley CMG, and his wife Edith Mary Kindersley (née Craven). He was educated at Well ...

DSO MC * Susan Anne Darwin (1923–?), married 1942 (div. 1948) Maj. Gilbert Ian Thwaites. Post war, he remained in the Royal Air Force at the Central Flying School and at

RAF Cranwell Royal Air Force Cranwell or more simply RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England, close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. Among other functions, it is home to the Royal Air Force College (RAFC), which trai ...

until his retirement in 1928. He then worked for the

Bristol Aeroplane Company The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aircraft engines. Notable a ...

as their London manager. From 1936 he became manager of

Saunders-Roe Saunders-Roe Limited, also known as Saro, was a British aero- and marine-engineering company based at Columbine Works, East Cowes, Isle of Wight. History The name was adopted in 1929 after Alliott Verdon Roe (see Avro) and John Lord took a co ...

. He rejoined the RAF as a

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 ...

, but died unexpectedly on 26 December 1941. He was cremated at

Golders Green Crematorium Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000 (the equivalent of £135,987 in 2021), ...

.CWGC Casualty record
Charles John Wharton Darwin.

Honours and awards citations

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 ...

(DSO) Capt. (A./Major) Charles John Wharton Darwin. (FRANCE) This officer has proved himself, an exceptionally skilful and gallant patrol leader, conspicuous for utter fearlessness and disregard of danger. On a recent occasion, in company with one other machine, he attacked a formation of fourteen Fokker biplanes, one of which was shot down and crashed. He has accounted for three hostile aircraft. Supplement to the London Gazette, 8 February 1919 (31170/2031)

References

*''Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920.'' Christopher F. Shores, Norman L. R. Franks, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1990. , . {{DEFAULTSORT:Darwin, Charles 1894 births 1941 deaths Royal Air Force personnel of World War I Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Military personnel from County Durham British Army personnel of World War I Coldstream Guards officers Royal Flying Corps officers Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst People educated at Winchester College Royal Air Force squadron leaders