William Melville Alexander

Captain William Melville Alexander DSC (8 November 1897 – 4 October 1988) was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 22 aerial victories.[2]

William Melville Alexander
Nickname(s)Mel
Born(1897-11-08)8 November 1897
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died4 October 1988(1988-10-04) (aged 90)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
AllegianceUnited Kingdom[note 1]
Service/branchRoyal Naval Air Service
Royal Air Force
Years of service1916–1919
RankCaptain
UnitNo. 3 (Naval) Wing RNAS
No. 10 (Naval) Squadron RNAS
No. 210 Squadron RAF
Battles/warsFirst World War
  Western Front
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross

World War I service

Having turned 18 in late 1915 Alexander was keen to learn to fly, but both the Curtis and Wright Brothers flying schools were at full capacity, so he travelled to San Antonio, Texas, to enter the Stinson Flying School on 6 February 1916. He received just 3½ hours instruction in a Wright Model B before passing his flying test[2] and was awarded Aero Club of America Certificate No. 447. He then returned to Ottawa where on 23 March 1916 he was appointed a flight sub-lieutenant (on probation) in the Royal Naval Air Service.[3] He received further training, travelled to England, and his period of probation came to an end on 9 November 1916.[4]

On 3 December 1916 Alexander was posted to No. 3 (Naval) Wing in France,[3] to fly the Sopwith 1½ Strutter two-seater. However, after only four months No. 3 Wing was disbanded, and on 26 April 1917 Alexander was posted to the newly formed No. 10 (Naval) Squadron, to fly the Sopwith Triplane single-seat fighter[5] as a part of Canadian ace Raymond Collishaw's "B" ('Black') Flight".[5]

His first aerial victory came on 2 June 1917, shared with Flight Lieutenant Collishaw and Flight Sub-Lieutenants Ellis Reid and Gerald Nash. He gained seven more solo victories by the end of July,[2] also being promoted flight lieutenant on 30 June.[6]

In August 1917 No. 10 (Naval) began to receive the Sopwith Camel fighter, and Alexander gained his first victory in this type on 16 August, but next two victories in August were gained in the Triplane.[2] On 27 August he was appointed an acting flight commander, with seniority from 3 August.[7]

His award of the Distinguished Service Cross was gazetted on 14 September 1917. His citation read:

Flight Lieutenant (Acting Flight Commander) William Melville Alexander, RNAS.
"On 16 August 1917, he attacked at about 3,000 feet two hostile scouts, one of which, after a short combat, fell completely out of control. On 20 August 1917, while returning from patrol, he observed three enemy scouts. These he pursued until they turned to fight. One of the scouts he shot down completely out of control, and the remaining two dived away. On 21 August 1917 while on an offensive patrol, he attacked and drove down completely out of control an enemy scout, which was attacking another member of his patrol. Flight Lieutenant Alexander has at all times shown the greatest bravery and determination."[8]

Alexander gained one more victory in a Camel on 23 September,[2] then returned to Canada on leave from mid-October to December 1917,[3] before returning to the front with his acting rank made substantive on 28 December.[9] Between 23 January and 27 May Alexander gained ten more aerial victories.[2] On 1 April 1918, the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was merged with the Army's Royal Flying Corps (RFC) to form the Royal Air Force and No. 10 (Naval) Squadron RNAS was renamed No. 210 Squadron RAF. On 17 April 1918 the Commanding Officer of No. 210 Squadron recommended Alexander for a second Distinguished Service Cross, but this was not forthcoming.[3] Alexander completed four hundred and sixty-five hours of war-time flying before he was returned to the Home Establishment in May 1918. He became Flight Commander of the Fighter Defence Flight at RAF Walmer His war time tally consisted of five aircraft destroyed, and 17 'out of control' victories, one shared.[5]

On 23 August 1918, Alexander, then commanding a Camel flight based at Walmer, was recommended for promotion to major (a squadron commander's rank), but again was turned down.[3] He was finally transferred to the RAF's unemployed list on 29 September 1919.[10]

List of aerial victories

Combat record[2]
No. Date/Time Aircraft/
Serial No.
Opponent Result Location Notes
No. 10 (Naval) Squadron RNAS
12 June 1917
@ 0700–0900
Sopwith Triplane
(N5487)
COut of controlSt. JulienShared with Flight Lieutenant Raymond Collishaw
and Flight Sub-Lieutenants Ellis Reid & Gerald Nash.
24 June 1917
@ 0850
Sopwith Triplane
(N5487)
Albatros D.IIIOut of controlNorth-east of Ypres
36 June 1917
@ 1150
Sopwith Triplane
(N5487)
Albatros D.IIIOut of controlPolygon Wood
46 July 1917
@ 1100
Sopwith Triplane
(N5487)
Albatros D.IIIOut of controlDeûlémont
5Albatros D.IIIOut of control
611 July 1917
@ 2045
Sopwith Triplane
(N5487)
Albatros D.VOut of controlPolygon Wood
720 July 1917
@ 0805
Sopwith Triplane
(N5487)
Albatros D.VDestroyedMeninMessines
828 July 1917
@ 1950
Sopwith Triplane
(N5487)
Albatros D.VOut of controlDadizeele
916 August 1917
@ 0850
Sopwith Camel
(N6368)
Albatros D.VOut of controlWervicq
1020 August 1917
@ 1530
Sopwith Triplane
(N6302)
Albatros D.VOut of controlRoubaix
1121 August 1917
@ 1830
Sopwith Triplane
(N6302)
Albatros D.VOut of controlEast of Menin
1223 September 1917
@ 1125
Sopwith Camel
(B3910)
Albatros D.VOut of controlHouthoulst
1323 January 1918
@ 1450
Sopwith Camel
(B6289)
Albatros D.VOut of controlStaden
146 March 1918
@ 0830
Sopwith Camel
(B7215)
Albatros D.VOut of controlSouth-east of Diksmuide
1510 March 1918
@ 1545
Sopwith Camel
(B7215)
CDestroyedRoulers
1624 March 1918
@ 0920
Sopwith Camel
(B7215)
Albatros D.VOut of controlMenin—Roulers
17Albatros D.VOut of control
No. 210 Squadron RAF
183 April 1918
@ 1130
Sopwith Camel
(B7215)
CDestroyedRoulers
1911 April 1918
@ 1515
Sopwith Camel
(B7215)
COut of controlEast of Estaires
2011 May 1918
@ 1925
Sopwith Camel
(D3348)
Albatros D.VDestroyedArmentières
2118 May 1918
@ 2005
Sopwith Camel
(D3348)
Pfalz D.IIIDestroyedBac St. Maur
2227 May 1918
@ 0820
Sopwith Camel
(D3348)
Pfalz D.IIIOut of controlBailleul

Notes

  1. Canadian airmen were required to complete an Attestation Paper in which they declared an oath of allegiance to King George the Fifth and agreed to serve in any arm of the service for the duration of the war between Great Britain and Germany.[1]

References

Notes
  1. "Canadian Attestation Papers". The Aerodrome. 2016.
  2. "William Melville Alexander". The Aerodrome. 2016.
  3. Halliday, H. A. (2015). "First World War Honours and Awards to Canadians in British Flying Services". RCAF Association.
  4. "No. 29822". The London Gazette. 14 November 1916. p. 10966.
  5. Shores, Franks & Guest (1990), p. 50.
  6. "No. 30156". The London Gazette. 29 June 1917. p. 6415.
  7. "Royal Naval Air Service: Appointments". Flight. IX (453): 899. 30 August 1917.
  8. "No. 30285". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 September 1917. p. 9537.
  9. "No. 30451". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1917. p. 88.
  10. "No. 31628". The London Gazette. 4 November 1919. pp. 13423–13424.
Bibliography
  • 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.
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