Captain William Lewis Wells MC & Bar (1895 – 6 May 1918) was a British World War I flying ace credited with ten aerial victories. His exceptional valour twice won him the Military Cross.[1]
William Lewis Wells | |
---|---|
Born | 1895 Hounslow, Middlesex, England |
Died | 6 May 1918 (aged 22–23) |
Buried | St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France 49°24′34″N 1°03′54″E / 49.40944°N 1.06500°E |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | British Army Royal Air Force |
Years of service | 1914–1918 |
Rank | Captain |
Unit | London Regiment Middlesex Regiment No. 22 Squadron RFC No. 48 Squadron RFC |
Awards | Military Cross & bar |
Wells was born in Hounslow, Middlesex, England.[1] He was appointed a Temporary Boy Clerk in the General Post Office on 8 March 1911.[2]
Wells served as a private in the 8th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Post Office Rifles), until commissioned a second lieutenant in the Middlesex Regiment on 25 March 1915.[3]
On 22 September 1916 he was appointed a flying officer, seconded to the Royal Flying Corps.[4][5] He was promoted to lieutenant in the RFC on 1 February 1917,[6] but had to wait until 23 June before receiving the same step up in his regiment.[7]
By early 1918, he had been posted to No. 22 Squadron to fly a Bristol F.2 Fighter two-seater. He scored his first aerial victory on 25 January 1918. By 16 March, he had run his score to six.[1] On 19 March 1918 he was appointed a flight commander with the temporary rank of captain[8] in No. 48 Squadron, and he scored his seventh victory with them on 21 March 1918. Two days later, he rounded out his score list with a triple triumph.[1]
His exploits twice won him the Military Cross. On 13 May 1918, his first MC was gazetted:
His second award came as a Bar to his MC, and was gazetted 22 June 1918. Note that it was not granted solely for his air-to-air combat:
However, Wells never got to read the praise for his gallantry as he died from wounds sustained in action one week before his first award, on 6 May 1918. He was buried in the officers section, plot B. 4. 25, St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France.[11]
No. | Date/Time | Aircraft/ Serial No. |
Opponent | Result | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 22 Squadron RFC | ||||||
1 | 25 January 1918 @ 1340 hours |
Bristol F.2 Fighter (A2736) |
Albatros D.III fighter | Driven down out of control | Southwest of Lille, France | Observer/gunner: Hugh Fitzgerald Moore |
2 | 18 February 1918 @ 1400 hours |
Bristol F.2 Fighter (A7251) |
German reconnaissance aircraft | Driven down out of control | Seclin, France | Observer/gunner: Hugh Fitzgerald Moore |
3 | 13 March 1918 @ 1630 hours |
Bristol F.2 Fighter (A7286) |
Albatros D.V fighter | Destroyed | West of Emmerin, France | Observer/gunner: Edward George Herbert Caradoc Williams |
4 | 16 March 1918 @ 1045–1115 hours |
Bristol F.2 Fighter (C4808) |
Pfalz D.III fighter | Driven down out of control | Oignies, France | Observer/gunner: George S. L. Hayward |
5 | Pfalz D.III fighter | Driven down out of control | Oignies, France | |||
6 | Pfalz D.III fighter | Destroyed | Beaumont, France | |||
No. 48 Squadron RFC | ||||||
7 | 21 March 1918 @ 1420 hours |
Bristol F.2 Fighter (C4707) |
Pfalz D.III fighter | Destroyed | Southwest of Honnecourt | Observer/gunner: Walter Beales |
8 | 23 March 1918 @ 1124 hours |
Bristol F.2 Fighter (C4707) |
LVG reconnaissance aircraft | Destroyed | Northwest of Hem, France | Observer/gunner: Walter Beales. Shared with Lieutenant Andrew Cowper. |
9 | 23 March 1918 @ 1625 hours |
Bristol F.2 Fighter (C4707) |
LVG reconnaissance aircraft | Destroyed | Matigny, France | Observer/gunner: Walter Beales |
10 | Pfalz D.III fighter | Destroyed |