Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

William Edward Green (20 October 1898 – 23 May 1940) began his military career as a World War I

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 ...

. He was credited with nine aerial victories while flying the

Airco DH.4 The Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited (Airco) was an early British aircraft manufacturer. Established during 1912, it grew rapidly during the First World War, referring to itself as the largest aircraft company in the world by 1918. Air ...

, making him one of the few World War I aces who were bomber pilots. After World War I, he transferred from the Royal Air Force to the Territorial Army, serving until his death in action on 23 May 1940.

Early life

William Edward Green was born in

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...

, Suffolk, England on 20 October 1898 the son of Henry Douglas and Caroline Green. He joined the

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

in June 1917.

World War I

"Bill" Green was commissioned a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in August 1917. He completed training and was posted to 57 Squadron on 29 September 1917. He scored his first aerial victory on 6 January 1918. On 2 July 1918, Green was promoted to temporary captain (customarily accompanied by appointment as Flight Commander). On a bombing run that 20 July, the eve of the

Second Battle of Bapaume The Second Battle of Bapaume was a battle of the First World War that took place at Bapaume in France, from 21 August 1918 to 3 September 1918. It was a continuation of the Battle of Albert and is also referred to as the second phase of that ba ...

, his flight encountered the combination of blinding rain and Pfalz D.III scouts. He afterwards wrote to Dr. Joseph Kirkland, the father of Lieut. James Tweeddale Kirkland:

... About Kirkland and Riley, what happened was this: They were on a bomb raid which I was leading. The weather was very bad, and we had been followed around by Pfalz scouts. Just as we got to the objective and had dropped our bombs, a thunder storm burst right on top of us. The rain which followed absolutely blinded every one of us, with the result that the formation got split up. I eventually collected a few of them, and having seen them across the lines, I waited for about ten or fifteen minutes, but seeing nothing I came home to find that Kirkland had not arrived. Later on we got a report through from the line that he had been seen going down over Hunland with the Huns following. Probably his engine was hit, or something like that. We are extremely sorry as he was such a topping fellow and awfully stout, and Riley no less so.

On 29 August 1918, Green scored his eighth win, only to be seriously shot about by a

Fokker Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names. It was founded in 1912 in Berlin, Germany, and became famous for its fighter aircraft in World War I. In 1919 ...

biplane; however, both he and his observer escaped unscathed. He scored his final win on 19 September 1918, having scored his nine victories incidental to his duties as an

pilot. His Distinguished Flying Cross was gazetted after the armistice ended World War I, on 3 December 1918. The citation makes no mention of his acedom.

A skilful, courageous pilot and a brilliant leader, conspicuous for his sound judgment. No difficulties daunt him, and he has never failed to carry out any task that he may have been set. He sets a splendid example to the whole squadron.

List of aerial victories

Post World War I

On 3 February 1920 Green went on the unemployed list and surrendered his commission in the Royal Air Force upon appointment into the British

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry i ...

. On 9 April 1921, he was promoted temporary captain in

5th (Huntingdonshire) Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment The Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion was a bicycle infantry battalion of the British Army. Formed in the Territorial Force in February 1914, it remained in the United Kingdom throughout the First World War. After the war, in 1920, it was convert ...

. However, shortly thereafter, on 17 July 1921, he relinquished his commission, retaining rank as captain. He obviously returned to duty, as on 10 November 1928 he was promoted to major. On 10 November 1934, he was promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

. On 24 June 1938 Green was still a lieutenant colonel in the 5th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. On 10 November 1938 he was promoted to colonel of battalion. Green died on 23 May 1940 in the days before the evacuation from Dunkirk, his battalion was withdrawing across Flanders in a fighting retreat following the German advances in the Low Countries. He is buried at White House Cemetery near Ypres in Belgium. His uniform, medals and sword are held by the Norris Museum in St. Ives.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, William Edward British World War I flying aces Military personnel from Ipswich 1898 births 1940 deaths Royal Air Force officers Northamptonshire Regiment officers British Army personnel killed in World War II Royal Flying Corps officers Royal Air Force personnel of World War I Burials at White House Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)