Captain Ian Henry David Henderson (2 October 1896 – 21 June 1918) 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 seven aerial victories.

Biography

He was the only son of Lieutenant-General Sir David Henderson, who served as Director-General of Military Aeronautics 1914–17, and as General Officer Commanding, Royal Flying Corps 1914–15, and his wife Dame Henrietta Caroline (née Dundas). Henderson graduated from the

Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC), founded in 1801 and established in 1802 at Great Marlow and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England, but moved in October 1812 to Sandhurst, Berkshire, was a British Army military academy for training infantry a ...

, on 13 January 1915, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the

Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) , colors = , colors_label = , march = "The 8th Hussars" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles ...

regiment. He was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps, and was appointed a flying officer on 21 August 1915. He was promoted to lieutenant in his regiment on 21 January 1916, but had to wait until 1 June before receiving the same from the RFC. On 1 July he was appointed a flight commander with the acting rank of captain. Henderson was assigned to No. 19 Squadron, flying the

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 bomb ...

, gaining his first two victories in August, and was subsequently 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 ...

, which was gazetted in October 1916. His citation read: :2nd Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) Ian Henry David Henderson, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. ::For conspicuous gallantry and skill on several occasions. He drove down a machine out of control, and two days later dispersed six enemy machines which were attacking his formation. A few days later again he brought down an enemy biplane, the observer being apparently killed. A week after this he attacked and drove down another machine which had wounded his leader. He has also carried out several excellent contact patrols and attacked retiring artillery and a kite balloon. Henderson had to wait until November for his third victory, gained while flying a

SPAD S.VII The SPAD S.VII was the first of a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and rug ...

. In 1917 he was posted to No. 56 Squadron, flying the S.E.5a, where in July, he shot down four

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 ...

s. He was appointed to the General Staff as a 3rd Grade Officer, remaining there until March 1918, when he was re-appointed a flight commander with the acting rank of captain. However, on 21 June 1918, he and

Harold Redler Lieutenant Harold Bolton Redler (27 January 1897 – 21 June 1918) was a British World War I flying ace credited with ten aerial victories. His most notable triumph was over a leading German ace, Adolf von Tutschek, whom he killed in action. ...

were killed in a flying accident, when their

Airco DH.9 The Airco DH.9 (from de Havilland 9) – also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 – was a British single-engined biplane bomber developed and deployed during the First World War. The DH.9 was a development of Airco's earlier successful ...

crashed at Turnberry. He is buried at Doune Cemetery,

Girvan Girvan ( gd, Inbhir Gharbhain, "mouth of the River Girvan") is a burgh and harbour town in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Girvan is situated on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde, with a population of about 6,450. It lies south of Ayr, ...

Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...

References

External links

Ian Henderson at The Aerodrome
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, Ian 1896 births 1918 deaths Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders officers Royal Flying Corps officers Royal Air Force personnel of World War I British World War I flying aces Scottish flying aces Recipients of the Military Cross Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Scotland Scottish airmen Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1918 British military personnel killed in World War I