Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Frank Billinge, (19 December 1894 – 28 September 1928) was a

World War I 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 ...

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 five aerial victories.

Military service

Billinge was commissioned as a probationary second lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion,

Manchester Regiment The Manchester Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1958. The regiment was created during the 1881 Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 63rd (West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot and the 96th ...

, from the Officers' Training Corps on 15 August 1914, being confirmed in the rank in March 1915, and promoted to Lieutenant in April 1915. Billinge was a founding member of No. 20 Squadron, in September 1915, flying as an observer/gunner in the front seat of a FE.2b. He scored his first victory there, on 13 February 1916. He was transferred back to

Home Establishment A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...

in England for pilot training on 31 August 1916. His first posting as a pilot was to No. 32 Squadron, on 24 November 1916, to fly a DH 2. For his next two kills, of two-seater observation planes, he set his opponents on fire, on 23 and 27 January 1917. He was promoted to Flight Commander on 12 March 1917, and served in that capacity until 1 June 1917. He was then withdrawn from combat until he was assigned to No. 56 Squadron on 16 February 1918. Once again a Flight Commander, flying a

Royal Aircraft Factory 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, he drove down another observation plane on 19 February, and 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 ...

on 22 March 1918. Billinge was promoted to captain in the 3rd Manchesters on 1 July 1921, with seniority from 31 March 1919.

Honours and awards

;Distinguished Flying Cross :Captain Frank Billinge (Manchester Regiment). :A gallant officer who displays determination and judgment. When on a night reconnaissance his engine suddenly failed and he was compelled to head for home. At this moment he was attacked by an enemy aeroplane. Owing to engine trouble he was forced to avoid an engagement, and only escaped by the exercise of marked skill and resource. With great difficulty he managed to cross our trenches at a height of 200 feet, crashing into the reserve trenches behind. Although considerably shaken and bruised he and his observer proceeded to the nearest signal station and sent in their reconnaissance report.

Personal life

In August 1919 Billinge married Millicent Constance Grosvenor, daughter of Lord Henry George Grosvenor and Dora Mina Erskine-Wemyss. He died on 28 September 1928.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Billinge, Frank 1894 births 1928 deaths Manchester Regiment officers Royal Flying Corps officers British World War I flying aces Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)