D'Arcy Fowlis Hilton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

D'Arcy Fowlis Hilton
Born17 October 1889
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
DiedOctober 1973 (aged 83-84)
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
AllegianceGeorge V of the British Empire
Service/branchAviation
Years of service1917 - ca. 1918
RankLieutenant
UnitNo. 29 Squadron RAF
AwardsMilitary Cross, Air Force Cross

Lieutenant D'Arcy Fowlis Hilton was a Canadian-born American World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.[1]

Early life[]

D'Arcy Fowlis Hilton was the son of Francis Alfred and Isabel Grace Milligan Hilton.[2] Though born in Canada, he called Michigan home; he also lived in Youngstown, New York.[3]

On 28 January 1914, he married Gladys Caroline Woodruff in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada.[2][4] They separated in 1916, after a son was born, and he went to England and joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in November. He was commissioned a second lieutenant on 21 November 1916.[2]

World War I service[]

See also: Aerial victory standards of World War I
Hilton flew a Nieuport 17 for all his victories.

Hilton earned his Royal Aero Club Certificate No. 4717 on 17 May 1917. He was then assigned to fly a Nieuport 17 with No. 29 Squadron RFC. On 31 July 1917, he destroyed an Albatros D.V fighter and an observation balloon. Over the next three and a half months, he proceeded to drive down out of control five more Albatros D.Vs and an observation plane, with the last victory coming on 13 November 1917.[1] He was gazetted the Military Cross on 17 December 1917.[5][6] Following his tour of combat, Fowler became a flight instructor in both England and Canada, and earned the Air Force Cross in the process.[7]

Post war[]

Gladys Caroline Woodruff sued him for divorce via act of legislature in 1922.[8] He was then estranged from his family until early in World War II when his son was killed in aerial combat.[1]

D'Arcy Fowlis Hilton died in October 1973 in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.[2]

Honors and awards[]

Military Cross (MC)

2nd/Lt. D'Arcy Fowlis Hilton, R.F.C., Spec. Res.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in attacking enemy aircraft and engaging troops on the ground. While on patrol he attacked single-handed six two-seater machines, forcing one down and driving the rest back. He has driven down five other machines.[1][9]

Endnotes[]

  1. ^ a b c d Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914-1918. p. 44.
  2. ^ a b c d The Aerodrome website [1]. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  3. ^ American Aces of World War 1. p. 42.
  4. ^ The mesmerizing history of Port Stanley, [2] Archived 15 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  5. ^ Supplement to the London Gazette, 17 December 1917, p. 13181. [3]. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  6. ^ Supplement to the London Gazette, 17 December 1917, p. 13182. [4]. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  7. ^ Nieuport Aces of World War 1. p. 22.
  8. ^ Journals of the Senate of Canada [5]. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  9. ^ Supplement to the London Gazette, 23 April 1918, p. 4871. [6]. Retrieved 22 February 2010.

References[]

  • Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. Shores, Christopher F.; Franks, Norman & Guest, Russell F. Grub Street, 1990. ISBN 978-0-948817-19-9.
  • American Aces of World War 1 Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84176-375-6, ISBN 978-1-84176-375-0.
  • Nieuport Aces of World War 1. Norman Franks. Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1-85532-961-1, ISBN 978-1-85532-961-4.
  • Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914-1918 Norman L. R. Franks, Frank W. Bailey. Grub Street, 1992. ISBN 0-948817-54-2, ISBN 978-0-948817-54-0.
Retrieved from ""