Lieutenant Claude Melnot Wilson DFC (16 September 1898 – 14 October 1918) was a Canadian World War I

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 eight aerial victories.

Early life

Claude Melnot Wilson was the son of Margaret and Charles Hurst Wilson of

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada. However, he was a

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

habitué.Shores, et al, pp. 386—387.Findagrave.com websit

Retrieved 3 January 2018.

Military service

Wilson transferred from artillery to the

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

, and was assigned to

No. 29 Squadron RAF No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second UK, British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Oper ...

on 4 May 1918. Off to hospital on 15 May, he did not return to duty until 23 June. He scored his first one on 22 July 1918, flying a

Hannover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German States of Germany, state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germa ...

observation plane down out of control. In August, Wilson tallied six more victories, starting with an Albatros reconnaissance plane destroyed in cooperation with fellow aces Arthur Reed and

Henry Coyle Rath Lieutenant Henry Coyle Rath DFC was a Canadian World War I flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories. Early life Henry Coyle Rath was born on 12 November 1898 to Maggie and Thomas Rath. Henry Rath was born in Hastings, Ontario, Canada. He ...

on the 8th. His final victory came on 18 September 1918. He used 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 for all his victories. His victory roll included five enemy planes and an

observation balloon An observation balloon is a type of balloon that is employed as an aerial platform for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting. Use of observation balloons began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World War ...

destroyed, and two planes driven down out of control.

Death in action

Wilson was killed in action near Roulers on 14 October 1918, and interred in the New British Cemetery in

Dadizele Moorslede () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Dadizele, Slypskapelle and Moorslede proper. On 1 January 2006, Moorslede had a total population of 10,618. The total area is ...

, Belgium in Plot VI.F.26.

Honours and awards

Wilson was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). The citation reads:

Bold in attack, this officer never hesitates to join in an engagement with the enemy, regardless of their numerical superiority. On 18 August, with four other machines, he attacked a large hostile formation. Five enemy machines were destroyed, Lt. Wilson accounting for one. In all he has four machines and one balloon to his credit.

References

Bibliography

External links

Canadian Virtual War MemorialCanadian Great War ProjectPhotograph on TwitterCWGC tribute
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Claude Melnot 1898 births 1918 deaths Canadian World War I flying aces Canadian recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) British military personnel killed in World War I