Captain Owen John Frederick Scholte (22 June 1896 – 30 July 1918) was a British
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 ...
of the First World War, credited with
eight aerial victories before his death in an automobile accident.
Early life and background
Scholte was born in
St. John's Wood, London, the second son of Dutch-born
Savile Row tailor Frederick Petrus Scholte, and his wife Emma (née Lewellen).
He attended
Mill Hill School
Mill Hill School is a 13–18 mixed independent, day and boarding school in Mill Hill, London, England that was established in 1807. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.
History
A committee of Nonconformist me ...
, London, from 1909 to 1912.
Military service
Scholte was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant in the infantry on 20 March 1915, and served in the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion,
Bedfordshire Regiment
The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of a Line infantry, line infantry regiment of the British Army that was originally formed in 1688. After centuries of service in many conflicts and wars, including both the World War ...
. He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 June 1916, and was transferred to the General List when seconded to the
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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and appointed a flying officer on 5 June.
Scholte first served in No. 18 and No. 51 Squadrons,
before transferring to No. 48 Squadron to fly the
Bristol F.2
The Bristol F.2 Fighter is a British First World War two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft developed by Frank Barnwell at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter, ''"Brisfit"'' or ''"Biff"'' ...
two-seater fighter. His first aerial victories came on 2 May 1917, when he and observer/gunner
Air Mechanic 2nd Class F. W. Dame, accounted for two
Albatros D.III
The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service ('' Luftstreitkräfte'') during World War I. A modified licence model was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service ( ''Luftfahrtruppen''). ...
s over
Biache-
Vitry. His next two victories were gained with observer/gunner Second Lieutenant Alexander Merchant, driving down an Albatros D.III over
Brebières on 29 June, and destroying 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 ...
east of
Cambrai
Cambrai (, ; pcd, Kimbré; nl, Kamerijk), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department and in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, regio ...
on 6 July. On 13 July he and Lieutenant Alan Light drove down an Albatros D.V over Slype, and on 5 September, with Second Lieutenant G. R. Horsfall, he drove down another D.V over
Mariakerke.
Scholte's award of 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 ...
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 ...
on 14 September 1917. His citation read:
:Temporary Second Lieutenant (Temporary Lieutenant) Owen John Frederick Scholte, General List and Royal Flying Corps.
::"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on many occasions whilst carrying out reconnaissances and especially whilst protecting machines returning from patrols. He has continually distinguished himself by discovering hostile aircraft whilst observing from high altitudes, and attacking them with great determination and success at close range. His vigilance, combined with his fine offensive spirit, have many times proved invaluable in frustrating hostile reconnaissances and driving their machines down out of control."
On 1 April 1918, the Army's Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service were merged to form the Royal Air Force. Soon after Scholte transferred to No. 60 Squadron to fly the
S.E.5a single-seat fighter.
He was appointed a
flight commander with the rank of acting-captain on 4 May 1918, and soon after gained his final two victories, sending enemy reconnaissance aircraft down in flames on 15 and 19 May.
Death
On 30 July 1918 Scholte was a passenger in an automobile returning from a party in
Dieppe
Dieppe (; Norman: ''Dgieppe'') is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France.
Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newha ...
, driven by his old Mill Hill schoolmate Major
Cyril Crowe
Wing Commander Cyril Marconi Crowe (6 January 1894 – 31 May 1974) was a World War I flying ace credited with 15 victories.
Early life
Crowe was the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Crowe of Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Yorkshire, He was educated at ...
. The automobile collided with a tree in Abbeville, and Scholte and another passenger Major Cyril E. Foggin were killed. Scholte is buried in
Saint-Riquier
Saint-Riquier () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
The commune is situated northeast of Abbeville, on the D925 and D32 crossroads.
Abbey
Saint-Riquier (originally ''Centula'' or ''Centulum' ...
British Cemetery, Somme, France,
and is commemorated in
Hampstead Cemetery
Hampstead Cemetery is a historic cemetery in West Hampstead, London, located at the upper extremity of the NW6 district. Despite the name, the cemetery is three-quarters of a mile from Hampstead Village, and bears a different postcode. It is j ...
alongside his brother Frederick Lewellen Scholte.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scholte, Owen
1896 births
1918 deaths
English people of Dutch descent
People from St John's Wood
People educated at Mill Hill School
Royal Flying Corps officers
Royal Air Force personnel of World War I
British World War I flying aces
Recipients of the Military Cross
Road incident deaths in France
British Army personnel of World War I
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment officers