William Durrand Jr.

Lieutenant William Durrand Jr. (4 May 1885 – 12 October 1939) was a Canadian flying ace from World War I. He was credited with eight aerial victories.[1]

William Durrand Jr.
Born(1885-05-04)4 May 1885
Wick, Caithness, Scotland
Died12 October 1939(1939-10-12) (aged 54)
Kenmore, New York, U.S.
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchAviation
Years of service1916–1919
RankLieutenant
UnitNo. 20 Squadron RFC
AwardsMilitary Cross

Infantry service

Durrand enlisted in the Canadian military on 11 March 1916.[1] On 30 August 1916, Sergeant William Durrand of the 66th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force was commissioned a Temporary Second Lieutenant with the Royal Flying Corps.[2]

Aerial service
See also: Aerial victory standards of World War I

On 1 March 1917 appointed flying officer while still temporary second lieutenant.[3] He was then assigned to No. 20 Squadron RFC to pilot a Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d. He scored his first victory on 8 June 1917, with Edward Sayers manning the observer's guns. Durrand scored three more wins while flying a FE.2, with number four coming on 21 September. He then upgraded to another two-seater fighter, the Bristol F.2, and scored again almost immediately, on the 27th, with observer William Benger as his gunner.[1] His next victory came on the first day he flew as Temporary Captain and Flight Commander on 17 October 1917.[4] Durrand scored twice more with the Bristol, ending his victory string on 8 November 1917. His final tally was two enemy planes driven down out of control, and six destroyed (including one shared with Reginald Makepeace).[1][5]

Postwar

He was transferred to the Royal Air Force unemployed list on 18 May 1919.[6]

Awards

Awarded the Military Cross on 17 December 1917.[7]

Notes
  1. "William Durand". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  2. "No. 29741". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 September 1916. p. 8878.
  3. "No. 29994". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 March 1917. p. 2828.
  4. "No. 30361". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 November 1916. p. 11277.
  5. Bristol F 2 Fighter Aces of World War I, p. 146.
  6. "No. 31458". The London Gazette. 15 July 1919. pp. 9003–4.
  7. "No. 30431". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 December 1916. pp. 13181–2.

References
  • Shores, Christopher F.; Franks, Norman & Guest, Russell F. (1990). Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-19-9.
  • Guttman, Jon (2007). Bristol F 2 Fighter Aces of World War I. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-201-1.
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