Captain Clive Wilson Warman (30 May 1892 – 12 May 1919) 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 ...

credited with twelve aerial victories. He was the sole American winner of the British Distinguished Service Order.

Early life

Clive Wilson Warman was born on 30 May 1892 in

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

World War I

Warman was a

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...

before World War I. He enlisted in the

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricia's) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...

in Canada on 5 September 1914. They sailed for England in January 1915. Warman's duty with them took him through the

Second Battle of Ypres During the First World War, the Second Battle of Ypres was fought from for control of the tactically important high ground to the east and south of the Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium. The First Battle of Ypres had been fought the pre ...

, where he was wounded. After recovery, he was involved in suppressing the

Easter Rebellion The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...

in Ireland. He then transferred to the

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

in summer 1916. He was so skillful that when he finished pilot training, they temporarily retained him as an instructor. Not until June 1917 was he assigned to a combat squadron, No. 23, to fly a

Spad 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 ...

. He began his victory string on 6 July 1917. He became a

balloon buster Balloon busters were military pilots known for destroying enemy observation balloons. These pilots were noted for their fearlessness, as balloons were stationary targets able to receive heavy defenses, from the ground and the air. Seventy-seven fl ...

and an ace on 9 August 1917, when he destroyed a German

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 ...

. He scored double victories on 12 and 15 August. On 16 August, his guns jammed mid-fight with three Germans; in frustration, Warman fired his Very flares at his German opponents; he finally flung a wooden mallet at them. Despite his gun jams, he destroyed a German two-seater and a second observation balloon that day. Two days later, he scored his final win. His final tally was two observation balloons destroyed, two enemy planes driven down out of control, and eight destroyed; one of the latter was shared with

Conn Standish O'Grady Squadron Leader Standish Conn O'Grady''The London Gazette'' lists him as Conn Standish O'Grady from 1916 to 1919, then as Standish Conn O'Grady, his birth name, thereafter. In his personal life he was known as "Conn". (4 January 1888 – 7 May ...

. On 22 August 1917, Warman was forced down and wounded in combat. He was under medical care until mid-1918; subsequently, he was assigned to the War Ministry in London for the rest of the war.

Postwar

Postwar, he became a flight commander in the new No. 1 Canadian Squadron. He was injured in a crash on 8 May 1919, and died of his wounds on 12 May 1919.

Honors and awards

Distinguished Service Order (DSO) 2nd Lt. Clive Wilson Warman, M.C., Gen. List and R.F.C. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During two days, whilst operating under very difficult conditions in high wind and against strong hostile opposition, he destroyed three enemy machines and a balloon. He displayed the greatest dash and fearlessness in attacking an enemy aerodrome, and on one occasion, when separated from his patrol, and surrounded by 20 hostile machines, he fought his way through, although his machine gun was useless, by attacking them with his "Very" pistol; eventually regaining his own aerodrome with his machine much shot about. His wonderful coolness and courage have on all occasions been beyond praise. Military Cross (MC) T./2nd Lt. Clive Wilson Warman, Gen. List and R.F.C. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has on all occasions proved himself to be an exceptionally skilful and gallant pilot, having in the space of six weeks brought down six machines and destroyed a hostile balloon. He has also driven down at least five other enemy machines, displaying a consistent determination to attack at close range regardless of personal danger.Supplement to the London Gazette, 9 January 1918. Issue 30466, p. 650

References

Bibliography