Charles Allen (RAF officer)

Charles Philip Allen
Born(1899-04-03)3 April 1899
Died6 January 1974(1974-01-06) (aged 74)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
BranchRoyal Air Force
RankCaptain
UnitNo. 204 Squadron RAF
ConflictsWorld War I
AwardsBelgian Order of the Crown
Belgian Croix de Guerre

Captain Charles Philip Allen (born 3 April 1899 – 6 January 1974) was a British World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.[1]

Born in Liverpool, Allen joined the Royal Flying Corps as an officer cadet, and was commissioned as a Temporary Second Lieutenant on 26 September 1917.[2]

He was posted to 204 Squadron RAF on 5 April 1918, and shot down seven Fokker D.VIIs between June and November, while flying the Sopwith Camel.[1]

Allen received two awards from Belgium, being gazetted a Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Couronne ("Knight of the Order of the Crown") on 8 February 1919,[3] and being awarded the Croix de Guerre by His Majesty the King of the Belgians on 15 July 1919.[4]

After the war ended, Allen commanded an artillery battery, before going to medical school. He graduated from Liverpool University in 1925, and joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. He eventually became a surgeon, and served as a lieutenant-colonel in the RAMC for West Africa during the second World War.[5]

List of aerial victories

All victories gained while flying with No. 204 Squadron RAF.[6]

No. Date/time Aircraft Foe Result Location
1 29 June 1918
@ 1445 hours
Sopwith Camel
No. D3332
Fokker DVII Driven down out of control South of Ghistelles
2 15 August 1918
@ 1905 hours
Sopwith Camel
No. D8222
Fokker DVII Driven down out of control Menen
3 24 September 1918
@ 1850 hours
Fokker DVII Driven down out of control Pervyse
4 27 October 1918
@ 0910 hours
Sopwith Camel
No. D9600
Fokker DVII Destroyed South of Ghent
5 27 October 1918
@ 0910 hours
Fokker DVII Driven down out of control
6 30 October 1918
@ 1315 hours
Sopwith Camel
No. B7860
Fokker DVII Destroyed on fire Nazareth
7 4 November 1918
@ 0845 hours
Sopwith Camel
No. F6037
Fokker DVII Driven down out of control Melle

References

  1. ^ a b "Charles Philip Allen". theaerodrome.com. 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  2. ^ "No. 30320". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 October 1917. p. 10244.
  3. ^ "World War I Military Medals and Decorations – Belgium – Order of the Crown". theaerodrome.com. 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  4. ^ "No. 31457". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 July 1919. p. 8987.
  5. ^ D., H. (23 February 1974). "Obituary Notices". BMJ. 1 (5903): 333–334. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.5903.333. PMC 1633365.
  6. ^ Shores, Christopher F.; Franks, Norman L. R.; Guest, Russell (1990). Above the trenches: a complete record of the fighter aces and units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. London: Grub Street. p. 50. ISBN 0948817194.