Captain Harold Robert Buckley (4 April 1896 – 13 June 1958) 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.

World War I service

Buckley was one of the American pilots who came to aviation via an ambulance service. Once in France, he joined the

U.S. Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial warf ...

in Paris. He found himself assigned to the 95th Aero Squadron in March 1918. Between 30 May and 27 September 1918, he downed four enemy airplanes and an observation balloon.

Post World War I

When the war ended, Buckley stayed in Paris. He wrote an unofficial history of the 95th Aero called ''Squadron 95'' in 1933; fellow squadron member Lansing Holden illustrated it. The book has been in publication as recently as 1972.

Honors and awards

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) *Distinguished Service Cross (U ...

(DSC) The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Harold Robert Buckley, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Perle, France, August 10, 1918. Lieutenant Buckley was on a patrol protecting a French biplane observation machine, when they were suddenly set upon by six enemy planes. Lieutenant Buckley attacked and destroyed the nearest, and the remainder fled into their own territory. He then carried on with his mission until he had escorted the allied plane safely to its own aerodrome.(General Orders No. 138, W.D., 1919) http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/usa/buckley.php Retrieved on 24 June 2010. Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)

Oak Leaf Cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a speci ...

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Harold Robert Buckley, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Neville, France, and Boureuilles, France, September 16–27, 1918. Lieutenant Buckley dived through a violent and heavy antiaircraft and machine-gun fire and set on fire an enemy balloon that was being lowered to its nest. On the next day, while leading a patrol, he met and sent down in flames an enemy plane while it was engaged in reglage work.

Writing career

Buckley wrote a variety of short stories and screenplays,

References

External links

Bibliography

* ''Squadron 95''.

Obelisk Press Obelisk Press was an English-language press based in Paris, founded by British publisher Jack Kahane in 1929. Manchester-born novelist Kahane began the Obelisk Press after his publisher, Grant Richards, went bankrupt. Going into partnership with ...

, Paris 1933. Repr.: Arno Press, 1972. , 9780405037542. * ''American Aces of World War I.'' Norman Franks, Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2001. , . {{DEFAULTSORT:Buckley, Harold 1896 births 1958 deaths Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) American World War I flying aces