Group Captain Gilbert Ware Murlis Green, (24 January 1895 – 26 August 1958) was a

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

career officer credited with eight aerial victories. He was a pioneer among fighter aces, and his victories were scored in a variety of theatres and flying environments. He was successful on both the Western Front, in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

, and on his home soil. He also commanded two of the original night fighter squadrons.

First World War

On 9 September 1914, just after the First World War broke out, Green was promoted from rifleman to temporary second lieutenant in the 16th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Queen's Westminster Rifles). By 22 November 1915, he was a flying officer observer. He was assigned to No. 5 Squadron on the Western Front. Manning the guns in a two-seater aircraft piloted by

Frederick Powell Frederick James Powell, (13 August 1895 – May 1992) was a British flying ace of the First World War, credited with six confirmed and nine unconfirmed aerial victories. He remained in the Royal Air Force post-war, serving until 1927, then ret ...

, Green brought down a DFW two-seater on 29 February 1916. He was then transferred from Flying Officer Observer to the Royal Flying Corps's General List on 19 June 1916 and sent for pilot training. On 13 December 1916 he scored his second victory, destroying another DFW while flying a

Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 was a British single-seat aeroplane of The First World War designed at the Royal Aircraft Factory. It was essentially a single-seat version of the B.E.2. Intended for use as a long-range reconnaissance and bom ...

with 17 Squadron in

Salonika Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...

, Greece. On 4 January 1917, Green captured 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 ...

fighter despite being overmatched; the German craft was faster, more agile, and had two guns instead of one. Ten days later, he would repeat the feat, although his victim this time was an Albatros two-seater reconnaissance plane, and Green had help from fellow ace Franklin Saunders. On 18 February 1917, Green battled German ace

Rudolf von Eschwege Leutnant Rudolf von Eschwege was a German World War I flying ace who was a fighter pilot operating on the Macedonian front. He was credited with twenty confirmed and six unconfirmed victories.The Aerodrome website's page on EschwegRetrieved 3 Marc ...

in a dogfight during which Green's gun jammed, and wingman J. C. F. Owen was shot down. Green returned to form on 18 and 19 March, destroying a

Friedrichshafen G The Friedrichshafen G.III (factory designation FF.45) was a heavy bomber designed and manufactured by ''Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen''. They were used by the German Imperial Air Service during World War I for tactical and limited strategic bombi ...

seaplane and driving another down out of control on the 18th, and setting fire to an Albatros reconnaissance aircraft on the 19th. Green thus became the only pilot to become an ace flying the B.E. 12. These three successes earned him the Distinguished Service Order.Shores & Rolfe (2001), p.72. For his next victory, Green borrowed a Spad fighter; he brought down an Albatros two-seater in flames with it on 13 July 1917. He was then rotated home to England to command a Home Defence unit, 44 Squadron, which operated

Sopwith Camel The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the ...

s as night fighters. Here Green ended the year by shooting down a

Gotha G.IV The Gotha G.IV was a heavy bomber used by the (Imperial German Air Service) during World War I. It was the first mass-produced large airplane. Development Experience with the earlier G.III showed that the rear gunner could not efficientl ...

bomber piloted by German Oberleutnant Gerhard Von Stachelsky on 18 December 1917. It was the first German aeroplane to be shot down at night over Britain. In June 1918, Green took command of 151 Squadron and led it to France, where it engaged the Germans in night fighter operations. Later in the war, he moved on to command 70 Squadron in daylight combat.

Postwar career

Green continued serving in the

after the war. On 1 July 1928, he was promoted from

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 ...

wing commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...

. On 1 July 1934, he was promoted again, from wing commander to group captain. He was retired from the RAF at his own request on 24 March 1942.

Honours and awards

;Distinguished Service Order :Temporary Second Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) Gilbert Ware M. Green, MC, RFC. ::For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has set a magnificent example by his gallant conduct in attacking the enemy's aeroplanes when in superior numbers. He brought down three enemy machines within twenty-four hours. ;Bar to the Distinguished Service Order :Temporary Captain Gilbert Ware Murles Green, DSO, MC., General List, Royal Flying Corps. ::In recognition of gallantry and distinguished service in connection with Anti-Aircraft services in the United Kingdom. ;Military Cross :Temporary Second Lieutenant (Temporary Lieutenant) Gilbert Ware M. Green, RFC. ::Awarded, 1 January 1917. ;First bar to Military Cross :Second Lieutenant (Temporary Lieutenant) Gilbert Ware Murlis Green, MC, General List and RFC. ::For conspicuous gallantry in action. He brought down two enemy machines on successive days under adverse circumstances. He has displayed great dash and courage at every opportunity.Addington (2006), p. 90. ;Second bar to Military Cross :Temporary Second Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) Gilbert Ware Murlis Green, DSO, MC., General List and RFC. ::While flying at night on patrol duty he encountered an enemy aeroplane, which he attacked with great determination and skill, and although there was very little light he succeeded in hitting one of the engines of the machine, which, by reason of the damage, was forced to come down in the sea off a South Coast port, where two of the occupants of the machine ware made prisoners. * Mentioned in Despatches: 6 December 1916, 28 November 1917 and 20 December 1917. * French Croix de Guerre, awarded 2 June 1917. * Serbian Order of the White Eagle 4th Class, with Swords, awarded 3 October 1917. * Croix de Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, awarded 21 September 1918. * Belgian Croix de Guerre, awarded 15 July 1919.

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Gilbert 1895 births 1958 deaths British Army personnel of World War I Military personnel from London Queen Victoria's Rifles soldiers Queen Victoria's Rifles officers Royal Flying Corps officers Royal Air Force personnel of World War I British World War I flying aces Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Recipients of the Military Cross Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium) Knights of the Legion of Honour Territorial Force officers Territorial Force soldiers