Captain Conway MacAllister Gray Farrell was a Canadian flying ace during World War I. He was credited with seven aerial victories. Post World War I, he would become a well-known

bush pilot Bush flying refers to aircraft operations carried out in the bush. Bush flying involves operations in rough terrain where there are often no prepared landing strips or runways, frequently necessitating that bush planes be equipped with abnormally ...

in Canada during the 1930s; he was one of Canada's first

air mail Airmail (or air mail) is a mail transport service branded and sold on the basis of at least one leg of its journey being by air. Airmail items typically arrive more quickly than surface mail, and usually cost more to send. Airmail may be the ...

pilots. He would leave this pioneering aviation behind him to return to service during World War II, rising to

group captain Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force, where it originated, as well as the air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank i ...

. Post World War II, he would join Canadian Pacific Air Lines, becoming first Manager of Repairs for them, Manager of Operations for the Orient.

Personal life

Conway MacAllister Gray Farrell was born on 22 May 1898 in Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada. From 1906-1916, he was schooled in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. After his service during World War I, he married and fathered a daughter. He died on 31 March 1988 in Ganges, British Columbia, Canada.

World War I

Farrell joined the

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

during World War I; he was commissioned on 13 October 1917, and confirmed as a

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 ...

on 29 October 1917. On 11 February 1918, he was far enough along in pilot's training that he entered gunnery school at

RAF Turnberry RAF Turnberry was an airfield in Scotland used by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the First World War, and again by the RAF in the Second World War. Between the two wars, the site reverted to its pre-1914 use ...

. He was posted to combat duty as a

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 fighter pilot with 24 Squadron on 11 March 1918. On 23 March at 1815 hours, he scored his first aerial victory, joining

Andrew Cowper Andrew King Cowper, (16 November 1898 – 25 June 1980) was an Australian fighter pilot and flying ace of the First World War. Born in Bingara, New South Wales, he was educated in the United Kingdom at Eastbourne College. Joining the Royal Fl ...

and another pilot in destroying a Rumpler reconnaissance plane over Nesle, France. At 1730 hours on 4 April, he would team with Ronald Mark to capture a Rumpler. The evening of 16 May 1918 would see him triumph over a German fighter, as he drove down an

Albatros D.V The Albatros D.V is a fighter aircraft built by the Albatros Flugzeugwerke and used by the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Air Service) during World War I. The D.V was the final development of the Albatros D.I family and the last Albatro ...

out of control over Foucaucourt, France at 1915 hours. Then, at 0730 hours on 26 July 1918, he would cooperate with

Horace Barton Captain Horace Dale Barton (22 November 1891 – 25 May 1975) was a World War I flying ace credited with 19 aerial victories. He originally spent 1914–1916 with the army in German Southwest and East Africa. He then joined the Royal Flying Corp ...

and three other pilots to capture a DFW two-seater at Royaucourt, France for Farrell's fourth victory. August 1918 would be a hectic month for Farrell. At 0900 hours on the 4th, he and Barton would destroy a DFW over Suzanne, France; at 1005 hours, Farrell drove another DFW down out of control over

Fricourt Fricourt () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Fricourt is situated on the D147 and D64 junction, some northeast of Amiens. History Fricourt is about a kilometre from Mametz. It was close to ...

. On 8 August, Farrell flew noteworthy trench strafing and reconnaissance missions; his citation for a Distinguished Flying Cross specifically mentioned that he machine-gunned and bombed both enemy transport and soldiers, silenced a German machine gun, and attacked a supply dump, as well as rendering a valuable report on enemy dispositions. Although he would score one more victory, destroying a

Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII qu ...

northeast of Le Quesnoy at 1400 hours on 10 August, the ground attack missions were the prime reasons he was awarded the DFC on 22 August 1918. Five days later, he was appointed a captain, with the promotion to take effect on 2 September. On 29 August 1918, Farrell was transferred to 56 Squadron as a flight commander. The DFC citation mentioned that Farrell had been shot down in a meeting engagement with 40 enemy planes after 10 August; no date was mentioned, but it obviously must have been well before 22 August 1918. Farrell served with 56 Squadron until he was injured on 6 October 1918. He was medically evacuated to England on 8 October. His Distinguished Flying Cross became official when it was gazetted on 2 November 1918.

Post World War I

Conway Farrell was discharged on 13 April 1919. He returned to Canada and majored in arts and medicine at University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. He was a

from 1920–1939, including being one of the first Canadian

pilots on the

Cranberry Portage Cranberry Portage is an unincorporated community recognized as a local urban district located in the Rural Municipality of Kelsey, Manitoba. It was an important part of the pre-European contact trade routes of the Cree and Assiniboine peoples. L ...

Kississing Lake Kississing Lake is a lake in western Manitoba, Canada, approximately northeast of Flin Flon. The Kississing River drains it northeast into Flatrock Lake on the Churchill River (Hudson Bay), Churchill River. The community of Sherridon is on its ea ...

route in 1920, and still active on the Moose Jaw- Edmonton route in 1930. He returned to military service, joining the Royal Canadian Air Force for World War II. On 4 October 1939 he was posted to No. 4 Squadron RCAF as squadron leader. He served at No. 1 Training Wing in Ontario, and Trenton, Ontario, as well in British Columbia at Bella Bella, and Sea Island. He was promoted to acting

in May 1943. Post WWII, he worked for Canadian Pacific Air Lines. In 1951 he became their manager of repairs. He became their manager of operations for the Orient, stationed in Tokyo, in 1954.

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. , .

Endnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farrell, Conway 1898 births 1988 deaths Canadian flying aces People from Smiths Falls