Captain George Arthur Hyde MC (31 July 1893 – ?) was a British

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

Having served as a cadet in the Officers' Training Corps, Hyde was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 16 November 1914. He served in France in the 10th (Service) Battalion,

King's Royal Rifle Corps The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...

, where in May 1916 he 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 i ...

. His citation read: :Temporary Second Lieutenant George Arthur Hyde, 10th Bn., KRRC. ::"For conspicuous gallantry. While creeping up to attack an enemy working party he met an enemy patrol, which he opened fire on at very close range. Finally his own party came under heavy fire and suffered casualties. He brought in one wounded man, and then at once organised a relief party which brought in the remainder." In late 1916 Hyde transferred to the

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

, underwent pilot's training, and was promoted to lieutenant on 1 January 1917. On 6 January he was transferred to the General List and appointed a flying officer. He was posted to No. 54 Squadron in February 1917 to fly the

Sopwith Pup The Sopwith Pup is a British single-seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristi ...

. He scored his first win the next month, on 17 March.Shores ''et.al.'' (1990), pp. 206–207. He was appointed flight commander of "A" Flight on 3 October with the acting rank of captain. On 18 October, he racked up his fifth triumph; with Second Lieutenant Michael Gonne, he shot 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 ...

, to be credited with the only destruction of an enemy craft on his record. His other four victories were driven down out of control. He left the RAF after the war, being transferred to the unemployed list on 8 January 1919. Hyde was also an amateur artist. One of his paintings, entitled "Dogfight, 1917", is on display at the World War History & Art Museum in

Alliance, Ohio Alliance is a city in eastern Stark County, Ohio, United States. With a small district lying in adjacent Mahoning County, the city is approximately northeast of Canton, southwest of Youngstown and southeast of Cleveland. The population was 21 ...

. Hyde became a reverend after the war. In 1925, he married Mollie De Little.''

1939 England and Wales Register The National Registration Act 1939 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. The initial National Registration Bill was introduced to Parliament as an emergency measure at the start of the World War II, Second World War. The Act provided ...

''''York, Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages, 1754–1936''''England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966, 1973-1995''

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hyde, George 1893 births Year of death missing People from Easingwold King's Royal Rifle Corps officers Recipients of the Military Cross Royal Flying Corps officers British World War I flying aces Royal Air Force personnel of World War I British Army personnel of World War I Military personnel from North Yorkshire