Sergeant Ernest Arthur Deighton (28 May 1889 – 5 December 1957) was an English World War I observer/gunner flying ace credited with 15 confirmed aerial victories; all but one of them was against enemy fighters.

Military career

World War I

Deighton enlisted in the

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

on 15 March 1917 as a transport driver. As a corporal mechanic, he volunteered to fly as an observer/gunner in the rear seat of No. 20 Squadron's Bristol F.2 Fighters.Franks ''et.al.'' (1997), p. 13. Deighton flew as an observer/gunner for four pilot aces: Captain

Wilfred Beaver Captain Wilfred Beaver (10 May 1897 – 19 August 1986) was a World War I flying ace credited with 19 aerial victories. Early life and Army service After passing his childhood in his native England, Beaver sailed for Canada. His parents separate ...

, Lieutenants David Weston, Leslie Capel, and

Ernest Lindup Lieutenant Ernest Lindup Shores, et al (1990). ''Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces, 1915–1920.'' p. 240. was a South African World War I flying ace credited with five aerial vi ...

. Deighton scored his first victory on 11 April 1918 and closed out his string on 23 June 1918. In total, he was credited with destroying ten enemy fighters and an observation plane, and with four other German fighters claimed 'out of control'. Deighton was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal on 7 June 1918. He and Beaver were forced down by a German

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 ...

on 13 June 1918, but were uninjured. However, Deighton was subsequently injured on 15 July 1918 and returned to Britain. Deighton's Distinguished Conduct Medal was gazetted to him on 1 October 1918. The award citation read: :67051 Corporal (Acting-Serjeant) E. A. Deighton, Royal Air Force. (Cheltenham). :For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. In little more than a fortnight he has shot down five enemy aircraft. He has shown remarkable marksmanship and coolness in action, and is a valuable asset in his squadron. Unusually, the original award recommendations still exist. One of them was written on 27 May 1918; Captain Beaver followed up with a second one two days later. Both give more detailed accounts of Deighton's exploits than the award citation, mainly enumerating his aerial victories.

World War II

Deighton apparently returned to service during World War II, being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Warwickshire Army Cadet Force on 25 November 1942. He finally resigned his commission on 12 May 1945. Nothing more is known of him until his death in

Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...

, England on 5 December 1957.

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Deighton, Ernest 1889 births 1957 deaths People from Masham Royal Flying Corps soldiers Recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal British World War I flying aces Military personnel from North Yorkshire British Army personnel of World War I