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 als ...

David Mary Tidmarsh (28 January 1892 – 27 November 1944) was an Irish-born

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 ...

of the Royal Flying Corps during the

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 ...

, credited with seven aerial victories.

Personal life

Tidmarsh was born on Circular Road, Limerick, to David Tidmarsh, a merchant originally from Kilkenny, and Elizabeth (Lillie) Murray, who was from Tipperary. A brother of his, John Moriarty Tidmarsh, of the No. 24 Squadron RFC, was accidentally killed in a flying accident at

Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...

on 3 September 1918.

World War I

Tidmarsh was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 4th Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment (

Special Reserve The Special Reserve was established on 1 April 1908 with the function of maintaining a reservoir of manpower for the British Army and training replacement drafts in times of war. Its formation was part of the military reforms implemented by Ri ...

) on 23 April 1915. He was soon transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, beginning his flight training at Shoreham on 27 August 1915, and received Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate No. 1833 after soloing a Maurice Farman biplane at the Military School, Ruislip on 7 October. On 13 January 1916 he was appointed a flying officer in the RFC. Posted to No. 24 Squadron, he was piloting an Airco DH.2 on 2 April 1916 when he scored his—and his squadron's—first victory, destroying a German Albatros two-seater and killing its crew of Karl Oscar Breibisch-Guthmann and Paul Wein. On 21 April, a dud anti-aircraft shell blew through the

nacelle A nacelle ( ) is a "streamlined body, sized according to what it contains", such as an engine, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. When attached by a pylon entirely outside the airframe, it is sometimes called a pod, in which case it is attached ...

of his plane without harming him. On 25 April, Tidmarsh was flying Airco DH.2 No. 5965, escorting a mission of Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2s, when he dived on an approaching Fokker Eindekker fighter. It fled. He pursued. The German had a 500-yard lead on Tidmarsh, who was not close enough to fire, when the Fokker lost its wings at an altitude of 1,000 feet. A German report would later blame flying wires severed by bullets for breaking up the aircraft. However, Tidmarsh received credit for the victory, his second. He would score once more while with No. 24 Squadron, when he set a two-seater on fire on 20 May 1916, killing Franz Patzig and Georg Loenholdt. Tidmarsh 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 31 May 1916. The citation read: :2nd Lt. David Mary Tidmarsh, 4th Bn., R. Ir. R. (Spec. Res.) and R.F.C. ::"For conspicuous gallantry and skill when attacking hostile aircraft on several occasions, notably on one occasion when he dived at an enemy machine and drove it down wrecked to the ground." Tidmarsh then went on leave to England, followed by duties as an instructor there. He was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

on 1 July 1916, and appointed a flight commander with the temporary rank of captain on 16 August 1916. He returned to combat in March 1917 with No. 48 Squadron, flying the new

Bristol F.2 Fighter The Bristol F.2 Fighter is a British First World War two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft developed by Frank Barnwell at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter, ''"Brisfit"'' or ''"Bif ...

. In four days fighting, between 8 and 11 April, he was part of various formations that won victories over four more aircraft. On 11 April 1917, after the destruction of two

Albatros D.III The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service ('' Luftstreitkräfte'') during World War I. A modified licence model was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service ( ''Luftfahrtruppen''). ...

s, Tidmarsh was shot down by ''Leutnant'' Kurt Wolff of ''

Jasta 11 Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 11 ("No 11 Fighter Squadron"; commonly abbreviated to Jasta 11) was founded on 28 September 1916 from elements of 4 Armee's “Kampfeinsitzer” or KEKs) 1, 2 and 3 and mobilized on 11 October as part of the Germ ...

'', and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war. He was repatriated to the United Kingdom, arriving at Hull on 30 December 1918. He was placed on the RAF unemployed list on 28 October 1919, and relinquished his army commission on 1 April 1920.

List of aerial victories

World War II

With the outbreak of World War II imminent, he was recommissioned as a flying officer in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 31 August 1939. He was promoted to temporary squadron leader on 1 September 1942, and relinquished his commission due to ill-health on 20 January 1944. He died in a Dublin nursing home on 27 November 1944, just 18 days after his brother Gerard, who was serving as a major in the British Army.

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tidmarsh, David 1892 births 1944 deaths British Army personnel of World War I Military personnel from Limerick (city) Royal Irish Regiment (1684–1922) officers Royal Flying Corps officers Recipients of the Military Cross Irish World War I flying aces World War I prisoners of war held by Germany British World War I prisoners of war Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II Royal Air Force squadron leaders