Anthony Wall (RAF officer)

Squadron Leader Anthony Herbert William Wall OBE MC* (17 June 1888 – December 1989) was a British World War I flying ace credited with sixteen aerial victories.[1] He returned to serve in the Royal Air Force in World War II.

Anthony Herbert William Wall
Born(1888-06-17)17 June 1888
London, England
DiedDecember 1989 (aged 101)
Newton Abbot, Devon, England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Royal Air Force
Years of servicec.1914–1919
1940–1945
RankSquadron Leader
UnitMiddlesex Regiment
No. 48 Squadron RFC
Battles/warsWorld War I
 • Western Front
World War II
AwardsMilitary Cross & Bar
Order of the British Empire

World War I

Wall first served in the 17th Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps to serve in No. 48 Squadron as an observer/gunner in a Bristol F.2 Fighter.[1]

Paired with Australian ace Lieutenant Fred Holliday as pilot, Wall gained his first victory on 6 April 1917, and then scored twice on 23 and 24 April to become an ace. On 9 May, he destroyed a German LVG reconnaissance aircraft, and later drove down three Albatros D.III fighters. He accounted for two more fighters on 11 May, and four more in June, finally closing out his tally with his 16th victory on 3 July 1917.[1]

On 18 July 1917 he was awarded the Military Cross. His citation read:

Temporary Captain Anthony Herbert William Wall, Middlesex Regiment and Royal Flying Corps.
"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. As an observer he has on several occasions assisted to bring down hostile machines. His coolness and accurate shooting have helped very largely in aerial combats."[2]

Wall received a bar to his Military Cross on 25 August 1917.

Temporary Captain Anthony Herbert William Wall, MC, Middlesex Regiment and Royal Flying Corps.
"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. By his initiative and skilful manoeuvring he led six hostile machines to an encounter with our own formation, during which five out of the six hostile machines were destroyed and driven down. He had been equally successful the day before in misleading hostile aircraft, and his originality and fearless example were of the greatest value to his squadron."[3]

Wall was elected to membership of the Royal Aero Club on 18 April 1918.[4] On 30 September 1918 he was appointed to the acting rank of major in the Royal Air Force's Administrative Branch.[5] He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1919 New Year Honours, "in recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the War."[6] Wall was finally transferred to the RAF unemployed list on 18 October 1919.[7]

List of aerial victories
Combat record[1]
No. Date/Time Aircraft/
Serial No.		 Opponent Result Location Notes
16 April 1917Bristol F.2aEnemy aircraftOut of controlNorth-east of Arras
223 April 1917Bristol F.2aAlbatros D.IIIDestroyedVimy
3Albatros D.IIIOut of controlShared with Lieutenants William Winkler, Roger Hay & Maurice Benjamin, and Second Lieutenants Ernest Moore & William Price.
424 April 1917Bristol F.2aTwo-seaterDestroyedSouth-east of Arras
5Albatros D.IIIOut of controlCagnicourtShared with Lieutenants William Winkler & Roger Hay, and Second Lieutenant Ernest Moore.
69 May 1917
@ 0820		Bristol F.2b
(A7108)		LVG CDestroyedVitry – NoyellesShared with Second Lieutenants William Price & Ernest Moore.
79 May 1917
@ 1725–1735		Bristol F.2b
(A7108)		Albatros D.IIIOut of controlEast of Vitry
8Albatros D.IIIOut of control
9Albatros D.IIIOut of control
1011 May 1917
@ 1605		Bristol F.2b
(A7108)		Albatros D.IIIDestroyedFresnes
11Albatros D.IIIOut of controlSouth-west of Izel-lès-Équerchin
123 June 1917
@ 1920		Bristol F.2b
(A7108)		Albatros D.IIIDestroyedPlouvain
1314 June 1917
@ 2015–2020		Bristol F.2b
(A7108)		Albatros D.IIIDestroyedArleux
14Albatros D.IIIOut of control
1515 June 1917
@ 1945		Bristol F.2b
(A7108)		Albatros D.IIIOut of controlÉtaing
163 July 1917
@ 1840		Bristol F.2b
(A7108)		Albatros D.VOut of controlHaucourt

World War II

Wall returned to military service during the Second World War being appointed a pilot officer on probation in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 3 March 1940.[8] He was promoted to flying officer on 28 October 1940,[9] and to flight lieutenant on 19 June 1943.[10] Wall remained on the RAFVR Emergency List post-war until finally relinquishing his commission on 10 February 1954, and was permitted to retain the rank of squadron leader.[11]

References
  1. "Anthony Herbert William Wall". The Aerodrome. 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  2. "No. 30188". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 July 1917. p. 7248.
  3. "No. 30251". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 August 1917. p. 8805.
  4. "Royal Aero Club". Flight. X (29 March 2016): 422. 18 April 1918. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  5. "No. 30973". The London Gazette. 25 October 1918. p. 12619.
  6. "No. 31098". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1918. p. 94.
  7. "No. 31624". The London Gazette. 31 October 1919. pp. 13276–13277.
  8. "No. 34817". The London Gazette. 26 March 1940. pp. 1781–1782.
  9. "No. 35042". The London Gazette. 14 January 1941. p. 290.
  10. "No. 36140". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 August 1943. p. 3740.
  11. "No. 40271". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 September 1954. p. 5139.

Bibliography
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