Introduction James Archibald Findlay MacLachlan DSO, DFC & Two Bars (01 April 1919 to 31 July 1943) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War. MacLachlan was credited with 16 German and Italian aircraft shot down in approximately 250 missions – 7 were at night of which… Read More
Introduction Aleksey Petrovich Maresyev (Russian: Алексей Петрович Маресьев; 20 May 1916 to 18 May 2001) was a Soviet and Russian military pilot who became a Soviet fighter ace during World War II despite becoming a double amputee. Biography Before joining the army in 1937 Maresyev worked as a turner and then participated in the construction… Read More
Introduction Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader, CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, DL, FRAeS (21 February 1910 to 05 September 1982) was a Royal Air Force flying ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 22 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft… Read More
Introduction The Eagle Squadrons were three fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force (RAF) formed with volunteer pilots from the United States during the early days of World War II (circa 1940), prior to America’s entry into the war in December 1941. With the United States still neutral, many Americans simply crossed the border and… Read More
Introduction A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually considered to be five or more. The concept of the “ace” emerged… Read More
Introduction Max Immelmann (21 September 1890 to 18 June 1916) PLM was the first German World War I flying ace. He was a pioneer in fighter aviation and is often mistakenly credited with the first aerial victory using a synchronised gun, which was in fact achieved on 01 July 1915 by the German ace Kurt… Read More
Introduction Oswald Boelcke (19 May 1891 to 28 October 1916) was a German flying ace of the First World War credited with 40 victories; he was one of the most influential patrol leaders and tacticians of the early years of air combat. Boelcke is honoured as the father of the German fighter air force, as… Read More
Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute 