Captain Herbert James Hamilton (30 April 1895 – 13 June 1918) 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 seven aerial victories.

Early life

Hamilton was born on 30 April 1895 in Hornsey, Middlesex, the second son of Arthur Ernest and Florence Jane Hamilton. He was educated at the

Stationers' Company's School The Stationers' Company's School was a former boys' grammar school, then a comprehensive school in Hornsey, north London. History The school started as the Stationers' Company's Foundation School. The Master from 1858 to 1882 was Alexander Kenne ...

and entered the wholesale silk trade.De Ruvigny (1922), p. 74.

World War I

Hamilton enlisted into the 28th (County of London) Battalion of The London Regiment ( Artists Rifles) as a private on 30 September 1913, serving in France and Flanders from October 1914 as part of the British Expeditionary Force. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in

The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1959. The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, by the merger of the 32nd (Cornwall Light ...

on 29 August 1915. In February 1916 he was seconded to the

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

as an observer. Posted to No. 20 Squadron, flying the F.E.2b, on 21 July 1916 Hamilton and pilot Captain Reginald Maxwell shot down a Rumpler C reconnaissance aircraft west of

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...

. After six months Hamilton was sent to Montrose in Scotland to train as a pilot, being appointed a flying officer on 27 November 1916. He remained at Montrose for nine months as an instructor before returning to France in August 1917. Posted to No. 1 Squadron, flying the

Nieuport 27 The Nieuport 27 (or Nieuport XXVII C.1 in contemporary sources) was a World War I French sesquiplane fighter aircraft designed by Gustave Delage. The 27 was the last of the line of Nieuport "V-strut" single seat fighters that began with the Ni ...

, he was promoted to lieutenant on 1 October, and gained his second victory by driving down a DFW C reconnaissance aircraft over Comines the next day. He was appointed a flight commander with the rank of acting-captain on 23 November, and joined No. 29 Squadron. In his Nieuport 27 he drove down two more enemy aircraft on 5 December 1917 and 16 February 1918. Hamilton returned to No. 1 Squadron in March, and flying the S.E.5a destroyed a balloon on the 9th, and two aircraft on the 11th and 13th. Hamilton was forced down by a

Fokker Triplane The Fokker Dr.I (''Dreidecker'', "triplane" in German), often known simply as the Fokker Triplane, was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The Dr.I saw widespread service in the spring of 1918. It became famous as the ...

on 26 March and injured. He was sent back to England in April to recuperate, and then became a flight instructor in the 68th Training Squadron at

Tadcaster Tadcaster is a market town and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England, east of the Great North Road, north-east of Leeds, and south-west of York. Its historical importance from Roman times onward was largely as the ...

Aerodrome in Yorkshire.

Death

Hamilton died aged 23 in a flying accident at Tadcaster on 13 June 1918, when his aircraft, which was a Sopwith Camel, shed a wing. He is buried in Islington Cemetery, London.

Honours and awards

Hamilton was awarded the Military Cross, which was

gazetted A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...

posthumously on 26 July 1918. His citation read: :Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) Herbert James Hamilton, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, attached Royal Air Force. ::"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has on many occasions displayed the utmost dash and fearlessness in engaging enemy aircraft at close range, and has succeeded in destroying a considerable number. He also attacked with machine-gun fire and from low altitudes enemy formations on the ground and dropped bombs on points of importance behind the hostile lines. He has invariably shown great determination and a fine offensive spirit."

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Herbert 1895 births 1918 deaths People from Hornsey People educated at the Stationers' Company's School Artists' Rifles soldiers Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry officers Royal Flying Corps officers British World War I flying aces Recipients of the Military Cross Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in England English aviators British military personnel killed in World War I Military personnel from Middlesex Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1918