Captain Harry Alexander Rigby (2 November 1896 – 4 November 1972) was a

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 six aerial victories. Rigby was commissioned in the

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

on 22 May 1916. He joined 40 Squadron on 1 August, but left a month later due to illness. Subsequently, he joined 1 Squadron on 2 February 1918, being promoted to captain shortly thereafter. Piloting a Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5A, he scored his first victory on 13 March 1918, sharing it with fellow aces

Percy Jack Clayson Percy Jack Clayson (born 7 June 1896) was a British flying ace in the First World War credited with 29 victories. Biography Early life and education Clayson was born in Deptford, London on 7 June 1896. In the 1910 Census of Watford, he is liste ...

Herbert Hamilton Captain Herbert James Hamilton (30 April 1895 – 13 June 1918) was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. Early life Hamilton was born on 30 April 1895 in Hornsey, Middlesex, the second son of Arthur Ernest and Florenc ...

, William Patrick, Guy Borthwick Moore, and four other pilots. In the next two months, Rigby would singlehandedly rack up five more triumphs, the last being 11 May 1918. His final tally was one

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 ...

set afire, two enemy planes destroyed, and three enemy fighters sent down out of control. On 17 May, illness once again removed Rigby from duty.

Honors and awards

Military Cross (MC) Lt. Harry Alexander Rigby, R.F.C., Spec. Res. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has carried out many low-flying bombing raids, obtaining direct hits on enemy troops, hutments and camps. On one occasion, after attacking a large column of enemy infantry on a road with machine-gun fire, he attacked and shot down in flames a hostile scout. His work has always been carried out with the utmost keenness and determination.''The London Gazette'', 21 June 1918
Retrieved 19 February 2010.

Notes

References

* 1896 births Australian World War I flying aces 1972 deaths {{australia-mil-bio-stub