Percy Jack Clayson (born 7 June 1896) 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 ...

in the

First World War 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 ...

credited with 29 victories.

Biography

Early life and education

Clayson was born in

Deptford Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home to Deptford Dock ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on 7 June 1896. In the 1910 Census of Watford, he is listed as a 14-year-old pupil at the

Royal Masonic School for Boys The Royal Masonic School for Boys was an English independent school for boys at Bushey in Hertfordshire. History The origins of the school lie in the charities established in the late 18th century to clothe and educate the sons of Freemasons nea ...

at Bushey.

First World War

Clayson joined the

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...

at the outbreak of war and served in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

from December 1914. He then transferred to the

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

, being appointed a probationary temporary second lieutenant on the General List on 19 July 1917, and was confirmed in the rank on 28 September. On 30 September 1917 he was awarded his Royal Aero Club Aviators License (No. 5617) after flying a Curtiss Biplane at the Military School at Beverley. He joined No. 1 Squadron on 31 October 1917.Shores ''et.al.'' (1997), p. 107. Clayson gained his first victory on 16 February 1918. He was 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 ...

on 9 April, and on 8 May was appointed a flight commander with the rank of acting captain. On 12 June 1918, he was cited for the Distinguished Flying Cross and by 14 July had achieved a total of 29 credited victories; 1 shared destroyed balloon, 1 (and 1 shared) aircraft captured, 9 (and 9 shared) aircraft destroyed, and 5 (and 3 shared) aircraft 'out of control'. He was invested with his DFC on 24 July 1919 by The King at Buckingham Palace. Clayson was posted to Home Establishment on 3 August 1918, ending his involvement in direct engagement with the enemy.

Later military service

On 24 October 1919 he was granted a short service commission in the Royal Air Force with the rank of flying officer. He served during the 1920s with Nos. 6 and 70 Squadrons. On 1 July 1925 he was promoted to flight lieutenant, and on 9 July was posted to No. 23 Squadron at

RAF Henlow RAF Henlow is a Royal Air Force station in Bedfordshire, England, equidistant from Bedford, Luton and Stevenage. It houses the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine, the Joint Arms Control Implementation Group (JACIG), elements of Defence Equipment an ...

. On 21 September 1926 he was posted to the Aircraft Depot, Iraq, finally returning to the UK to serve at the RAF Depot at

RAF Uxbridge RAF Uxbridge was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station in Uxbridge, within the London Borough of Hillingdon, occupying a site that originally belonged to the Hillingdon House estate. The British Government purchased the estate in 1915, three years ...

from 14 November 1928. He was placed on the retired list due to ill health on 16 April 1929. On 7 September 1929, at Our Lady of Victories Church,

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

, he married Kathleen Thornton of Kelvingrove, Glasgow. In 1936 Clayson was the Chief Ground Instructor at the Civil Training Flying School operated by the

Bristol Aeroplane Company The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aircraft engines. Notable a ...

Yatesbury Yatesbury is a village in Wiltshire, England. It is next to Cherhill, north of the A4 road (England), A4 road between Calne and Marlborough, Wiltshire, Marlborough. Yatesbury was an ancient parish and in the 19th century became a Civil parishe ...

. During World War II Clayson returned to active service in the

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF ...

being appointed a flying officer in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch on 20 December 1941. He was promoted to flight lieutenant on 1 January 1944. Clayson remained in the Air Force Reserve of Officers until finally relinquishing his commission on 10 February 1954.

Honours and awards

* Temporary 2nd Lieutenant Percy Jack Clayson, General List and RFC, is awarded the

: * Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) Percy Jack Clayson, MC, is awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross:

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Clayson, Percy Jack 1896 births Year of death missing People from Deptford Military personnel from London People educated at the Royal Masonic School for Boys English aviators Royal Naval Air Service aviators Royal Flying Corps officers Royal Air Force officers British World War I flying aces Recipients of the Military Cross Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Naval Air Service personnel of World War I Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II British Army personnel of World War I