Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Thomas Frederick Le Mesurier
DSC DSC may refer to:
Academia
* Doctor of Science (D.Sc.)
* District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India
* Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine
Educational institutions
* Dalton State Col ...
& Two Bars (6 February 1897 – 26 May 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
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 seven aerial victories. Le Mesurier was awarded the
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) and Two Bars for his conspicuous service in bombing operations.
Early life
Thomas Le Mesurier was born on 6 February 1897, in Shepherd's Bush, London to Ernest Cecil Le Mesurier and his wife Gertrude Arabella Swain. He was educated at St. John's College, Hurstpierpoint,
Sussex
Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
.
Military career
Le Mesurier was commissioned as a
sub-lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces.
In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...
in the
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original Ro ...
in March 1915, and was confirmed in his rank of flight sub-lieutenant in 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 ...
on 23 July 1915. His records show that as he passed flying training at the Central Flying School at Upavon, and was granted Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate No. 2753 on 17 March 1916. He was then posted to No. 5 Squadron RNAS, flying the Airco DH.4 two-seater day bomber. Le Mesurier was promoted to
flight lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...
on 31 December 1916.
Le Mesurier's first aerial victory came on 3 June 1917 when, with observer Flight Sub-Lieutenant R.G. St. John, he drove down out of control an Albatros D.III west of
Bruges
Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...
. His next came on 5 June when he destroyed and drove down two more D.IIIs over
Snellegem
Snellegem is a town in Jabbeke, Belgium.
It is located between Jabbeke and Zedelgem. It is about 8 km from the city of Bruges.
See also
*West Flanders
)
, settlement_type = Province of Belgium
, image_flag = Flag o ...
and
Diksmuide
(; french: Dixmude, ; vls, Diksmude) is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of proper and the former communes of Beerst, Esen, Kaaskerke, Keiem, Lampernisse, Leke, N ...
, with observer Aerial Gun Layer H.S. Jackson.
Le Mesurier was promoted to flight commander on 30 June 1917. He would share all his subsequent victories with ASL Jackson, all over
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, and occurring on 19 August, 11 September, and 15 and 21 October.
On 1 April 1918 the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and the Army's Royal Flying Corps (RFC) were merged to form the Royal Air Force, and Le Mesurier's rank of flight commander was converted to the RAF equivalent of captain. He was also transferred to No. 211 Squadron RAF (formerly No. 11 (Naval) Squadron) at some point after 10 March 1918.
Death
On the morning of 26 May 1918, Le Mesurier and his observer, Second Lieutenant R. Lardner, were flying an
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 ...
(number D1693) on a test flight when they were engaged by German Marine Flak near Schoorbakke and suffered severe damage to the aircraft. Le Mesurier managed to pilot the stricken aircraft back towards his own lines, but crashed after the port wing folded up crossing over the trenches at near Pervijze. The aircraft was completely wrecked, but salvaged on 27 May and taken to No. 8 Air Park. Lardner was killed instantly, and Le Mesurier died later.
Le Mesurier is buried in the Town Cemetery in
Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.
Awards and honours
;Distinguished Service Cross
:Flight-Lieutenant Thomas Frederick Le Mesurier, RNAS. (12 May 1917).
::"For conspicuous work as a pilot of a bombing machine. Has taken part in fourteen raids and numerous fighter patrols."
;Bar to the Distinguished Service Cross
:Flight Commander Thomas Frederick Le Mesurier, DSC, RNAS. (29 August 1917).
::"For consistent skill and courage in leading his flight on bombing raids, particularly on the 28th July, 1917."
;Mentioned in Despatches
:Flight Commander Thomas Frederick Le Mesurier, DSC, RNAS. (14 September 1917).
;Second Bar to the Distinguished Service Cross
:Lieutenant (temporary Captain) Thomas Frederick Le Mesurier, DSC, RAF. (21 June 1918).
::"For gallantry and consistent good work. He has at all times displayed the utmost gallantry in action, and by his determination and skill has set a very fine example to the pilots of his squadron. On the 23rd April, 1918, in spite of bad weather conditions, he successfully dropped bombs on the Ostend Docks from a height of 800 feet amidst very intense anti-aircraft and machine-gun fire. He also made valuable observations. He has taken part in many bomb raids, and has destroyed or driven down out of control several enemy machines."