Captain Ernest James Salter was a Canadian 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 nine aerial victories. He returned to service during World War II.
Early life
Ernest James Salter was born in Greenbank, Ontario, Canada on 9 November 1897. He was the son of Mary Helen Coultis and Theophilus L. Salter.
Ernest was living in
Mimico
Mimico is a neighbourhood (and a former municipality) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, being located in the south-west area of Toronto on Lake Ontario. It is in the south-east corner of the former Township (and later, City) of Etobicoke, and was an in ...
when he enlisted in the
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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on 3 June 1917.
World War I
Salter trained as a pilot and was awarded
Royal Aero Club Pilot's Certificate No. 7211 on 27 August 1917.
[http://airforce.ca/uploads/airforce/2009/07/gong-8s-t.html Retrieved 9 September 2011.] He was commissioned as a probationary temporary
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 13 October 1917. He then sailed from Canada on 29 October 1917. He was appointed a
Flying Officer on 26 February 1918, and arrived in France on 15 March 1918. He joined 54 Squadron from 19 March to 12 April 1918, when he was hospitalized. He rejoined the squadron on 19 May 1918. He was promoted to captain on 9 August 1918; such promotions were given to those appointed as
Flight Commander. On 2 September 1918, Salter was
wounded in action. He was invalided back to England on 7 September 1918.
Although he won no British awards, Salter was honoured by the French with the ''Legion d'Honneur'' on 30 November 1918 as well as the ''Croix de guerre avec Palme''.
List of aerial victories
Post World War I
Salter was repatriated on 29 March 1919. He reputedly flew as a
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 ...
for three years afterwards. He returned to duty in World War II, serving as a bombing instructor.
Ernest James Salter died in Oakville, Ontario, Canada on 26 March 1959.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salter, Ernest James
1897 births
1959 deaths
People from Scugog
Canadian World War I flying aces