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evangilder said:Isn't today the Queen's birthday?
Which was this?the lancaster kicks ass said:yes it is the queen's birthday today, although she has two, a real one and an officail one...........
Wildcat said:Robert Little was Australia's leading ace of WWI. When war broke out he couldn't wait to join up so he sailed over to Britain (because there was a long waiting list for flying school at Point Cook). Paid 100 pound for his flying certificate which he gained on Oct 27, 1915. Little immediately enlisted in the RNAS where he was sent to Dunkirk flying Sopwith 1 and a half strutters flying several bombing missions.
On 26 Oct 1916 he was posted to 8 Naval Sqaudron flying Sopwith Pups where he claimed his first kills over the Western front. By March he had claimed 4 kills and was awarded a DSC. His unit then converted to Sopwith Triplanes were he claimed a further 24 victories. He then converted to fly Camels were he brought his score up to 38. He recieved a DSO and Bar to his DSC in August and was followed by a Bar to his DSO in September.
In March 1918 he joined 3(N) Squadron as a flight commander were he shot down a further 9 aircraft. On 27 May 1918, while trying to intercept a Gotha bomber at night he was caught up in a search light beam where he was shot though both thighs. Little crash landed near Noeux, but by the time his plane was found he had bled to death. No one knows whether the bullet came from the Gotha or from ground fire, which would be an unfortunate way for this great flyer to go, being killed by friendly fire.
Wildcat said:Thanks for the list FB It's a shame he didn't live to see the end of the war. Little was not only the highest scoring Aussie ace of WWI but is the top scoring Australian ace period.
pbfoot said:I do think the American media made Rickenbacker a better pilot then he was
Lothar von Richthofen. He scored 40 victories; exactly half as many as Manfred. He survived the war, but was killed in a civilian plane crash in 1922.HealzDevo said:I think the Red Baron definitely. There was Manfred and what was the other Richtoffen?
Wildcat said:Robert Little was Australia's leading ace of WWI. When war broke out he couldn't wait to join up so he sailed over to Britain (because there was a long waiting list for flying school at Point Cook). Paid 100 pound for his flying certificate which he gained on Oct 27, 1915. Little immediately enlisted in the RNAS where he was sent to Dunkirk flying Sopwith 1 and a half strutters flying several bombing missions.
On 26 Oct 1916 he was posted to 8 Naval Sqaudron flying Sopwith Pups where he claimed his first kills over the Western front. By March he had claimed 4 kills and was awarded a DSC. His unit then converted to Sopwith Triplanes were he claimed a further 24 victories. He then converted to fly Camels were he brought his score up to 38. He recieved a DSO and Bar to his DSC in August and was followed by a Bar to his DSO in September.
In March 1918 he joined 3(N) Squadron as a flight commander were he shot down a further 9 aircraft. On 27 May 1918, while trying to intercept a Gotha bomber at night he was caught up in a search light beam where he was shot though both thighs. Little crash landed near Noeux, but by the time his plane was found he had bled to death. No one knows whether the bullet came from the Gotha or from ground fire, which would be an unfortunate way for this great flyer to go, being killed by friendly fire.