Captain Clive Franklyn Collett (28 August 1886 – 23 December 1917) was a 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 ...

from New Zealand credited with 11 aerial victories. He was the first British or Commonwealth military pilot to use a parachute, in a test. While serving as a

test pilot A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testin ...

, he crashed to his death in a captured German fighter.

Early life

Collett was born in Blenheim, New Zealand on 28 August 1886. His father, Horace Edwin Collett, lived at Lambeth, London, England. His mother, Alice Marguerite Radford, the senior Collett's wife, resided in

Tauranga Tauranga () is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty region and the fifth most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of , or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century, colonised by ...

. After completing his education at Queen's College in Tauranga, Clive Collett chose a career in

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

First World War

Collett was in Britain when the First World War broke out. He joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1914. He earned his

Royal Aero Club The Royal Aero Club (RAeC) is the national co-ordinating body for air sport in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1901 as the Aero Club of Great Britain, being granted the title of the "Royal Aero Club" in 1910. History The Aero Club was foun ...

Pilot's Certificate number 1057 at a private flying school on 29 January 1915. He was transferred to

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on 17 February. Two months later, he was commissioned. On 25 May, he joined No. 11 Squadron RFC. On 6 July, he was hospitalized for an injury suffered in an aircraft mishap at Hendon. On 30 July, he was posted to No. 8 Squadron RFC at Netheravon,

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

. Collett pulled an on-base transfer to join No. 32 Squadron RFC on 1 March 1916; however, he was then posted to No. 18 Squadron RFC on 9 March 1916 as a Vickers FB.5 pilot. After a month's service, he was admitted to hospital on 18 April with a broken nose, and returned to Home Establishment in England via the merchant ship ''Delta''. On 13 June 1916, he was posted to the Royal Flying Corps' Experimental Station at

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, Suffolk as a test pilot. His duties there included undertaking the British military's first parachute jump from an aeroplane, a Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c, from a height of on 13 January 1917 using a parachute designed by

Everard Calthrop Everard Richard Calthrop (3 March 1857 – 30 March 1927) was a British railway engineer and inventor. Calthrop was a notable promoter and builder of narrow-gauge railways, especially of narrow gauge, and was especially prominent in India. His ...

. He successfully repeated the experiment several days later. On 24 July 1917, he joined No. 70 Squadron RFC, which had just upgraded to

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 ...

s. As a Captain, he was a Flight Commander. Three days later, he destroyed a German Albatros D.V over

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for his first victory. He would win six more victories in August. Collett was accounted an aggressive pilot by fellow ace James McCudden, who noted that Collett "...used to come back shot to ribbons nearly every time he went out." Collett himself noted in his combat reports an incident when he continued to fire on a crashed German plane. On 5 September 1917, Collett destroyed another Albatros D.V over Roulers. Four days later, he scored a victory in each of three separate dogfights spread over three-quarters of an hour. He was also wounded in the hand, most probably by Ludwig Hanstein of Jasta 35. Collett was removed from combat. While recuperating, he was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC ...

on 26 September 1917. A Bar followed shortly thereafter, on 18 October 1917. When recovered, Collett was assigned to No. 73 Squadron RFC as they prepared their Camels for combat. On 23 December 1917, Collett was test-flying a captured German Albatros over the Firth of Forth, which inexplicably dived into the sea. He was buried in grave K903 in Comely Bank Cemetery in Edinburgh.

Honors and awards

Text of citation for the Military Cross:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as a leader of offensive patrols during a period of three weeks. He has on numerous occasions attacked large formations of enemy aircraft single-handed, destroyed some, and driven others down out of control. He has led his formation with great skill, and has on several occasions extricated them from most difficult positions, and in every engagement his gallantry and dash have been most marked.

Text of citation for Bar to the Military Cross:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in leading offensive patrols against enemy aircraft. Within a period of three weeks he successfully engaged and destroyed five enemy machines (three of them in one day), attacking them from low altitudes with the greatest dash and determination. His brilliant example was a continual source of inspiration to the squadron in which he served.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Collett, Clive Franklyn 1886 births 1917 deaths New Zealand World War I flying aces New Zealand recipients of the Military Cross Royal Air Force personnel of World War I New Zealand military personnel of World War I Royal Air Force officers Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Scotland British military personnel killed in World War I Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1917