LieutenantReginald Milburn MakepeaceMC (27 December 1890 – 28 May 1918) was a British World War Iflying ace credited with 17 aerial victories.[1]
Reginald Milburn Makepeace | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1890-12-27)27 December 1890 Darlington,County Durham, England |
| Died | 28 May 1918(1918-05-28) (aged 27) Turnberry,Ayrshire, Scotland |
| Buried | 53°26′20″N2°57′30″W / 53.43889°N 2.95833°W /53.43889; -2.95833 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1916–1918 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | No. 22 Squadron RFC No. 11 Squadron RFC |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Military Cross |
Early life and background
editMakepeace was born inDarlington,County Durham,[2] the son of John P. Makepeace, a printer and compositor, and Mary A. Makepeace (née Milburn). The family emigrated to Canada in 1905, eventually settling inMontreal where Makepeace worked for theCanadian Pacific Railway.[3]
World War I flying service
editMakepeace was commissioned as a second lieutenant (on probation) in the Royal Flying Corps on 17 November 1916,[4] and was assigned to No. 20 Squadron as a pilot flying aRoyal Aircraft Factory FE.2d on 8 June 1917.[5]
He scored his first victory on 29 June 1917, with LieutenantMelville Waddington as his observer gunner, and gained his second on 6 July,[1] before his period of probation was over, as he was not confirmed in his rank until 12 July.[6] Makepeace triumphed six more times in the FE.2d, including a triple victory on the evening of 27 July, with his eighth win coming on 17 August 1917. His squadron was then re-equipped with theBristol F.2 Fighter, and he and Waddington were the first to score with the new aircraft when they shot down anAlbatros D.V in flames on 3 September. He would score seven more times flying the Bristol, gaining his sixteenth win on 4 January 1918. For his seventeenth and final victory on 28 January 1918 he flew as observer/gunner for pilot Second LieutenantJohn Stanley Chick ofNo. 11 Squadron.[1]
Makepeace was awarded theMilitary Cross on 26 September 1917,[7] which wasgazetted on 9 January 1918. His citation read:
- Second Lieutenant Reginald Milburn Makepeace, Royal Flying Corps, Special Reserve.
- "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty whilst on an offensive patrol. He and his gunner shot down three enemy aircraft in quick succession, having attacked a large hostile formation, about twenty in number, with great dash and determination."[8]
Makepeace was serving as an instructor at the No. 1 School of Aerial Fighting and Gunnery, based atTurnberry Aerodrome, on 28 May 1918[5] when the wings of his Bristol F2b fighter folded up in flight, and Makepeace and his crewman Second Lieutenant Thomas Albert McClure were both killed.[9] He is buried atAnfield Cemetery,Liverpool.[10][11]
Combat record
edit| No. | Date Time | Aircraft Serial No. | Opponent | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 June 1917 @ 1330 | F.E.2d (A6498) | Albatros D.III | Driven down 'out of control' | Houthem | Observer: LieutenantMelville Waddington |
| 2 | 6 July 1917 @ 1830 | F.E.2d (A6457) | Albatros D.III | Driven down 'out of control' | Comines | Observer: Second Lieutenant W. D. Kennard |
| 3 | 27 July 1917 @ 1945-2040 | F.E.2d (A6458) | Albatros D.III | Destroyed (in flames) | Menen | Observer: Private S. Pilbrow |
| 4 | Albatros D.III | Driven down 'out of control' | Polygon Wood | |||
| 5 | Albatros D.III | Driven down 'out of control' | South of Polygon Wood | |||
| 6 | 28 July 1917 @ 0920 | F.E.2d (A1956) | Albatros D.III | Driven down 'out of control' | Kezelberg | Observer: Private S. Pilbrow |
| 7 | 16 August 1917 @ 0905 | F.E.2d (A3) | Albatros D.V | Driven down 'out of control' | Zonnebeke | Observer: Lieutenant Melville Waddington. Shared with Second LieutenantsWilliam Durrand Jr. & J. P. Flynn. |
| 8 | 17 August 1917 @ 2000 | F.E.2d (B1897) | Albatros D.V | Driven down 'out of control' | East of Polygon Wood | Observer: Gunner J. McMechan |
| 9 | 3 September 1917 @ 1010 | Bristol F.2b (B7214) | Albatros D.V | Destroyed (in flames) | Menen-Wervik | Observer: Lieutenant Melville Waddington |
| 10 | 5 September 1917 @ 1117 | Bristol F.2b (B7203) | Albatros D.V | Driven down 'out of control' | West ofLille | Observer: Lieutenant Melville Waddington |
| 11 | 11 September 1917 @ 1400 | Bristol F.2b (B7214) | Albatros D.V | Driven down 'out of control' | East of Menen | Observer: Lieutenant Melville Waddington |
| 12 | 17 October 1917 @ 0840-0905 | Bristol F.2b (B7255) | Albatros D.V | Driven down 'out of control' | Zonnebeke | Observer: Lieutenant Melville Waddington |
| 13 | Albatros D.V | Driven down 'out of control' | North-East of Zonnebeke | |||
| 14 | 15 November 1917 @ 1500 | Bristol F.2b (B7193) | Albatros D.V | Driven down 'out of control' | Moorslede | Observer: Second Lieutenant W. T. V. Harmer |
| 15 | 22 December 1917 @ 1415 | Bristol F.2b (B7255) | Albatros D.V | Destroyed | Moorslede | Observer: Lieutenant George Brooke |
| 16 | 4 January 1918 @ 1200 | Bristol F.2b (B7255) | Albatros D.V | Driven down 'out of control' | Menen | Observer: CaptainJohn H. Hedley |
| 17 | 28 January 1918 @ 1715 | Bristol F.2b | DFW C | Driven down 'out of control' | North ofBourlon Wood | Pilot: Second LieutenantJohn S. Chick |
References
edit- ^abcd"Reginald Milburn Makepeace".The Aerodrome. 2015. Retrieved26 May 2015.
- ^"Reginald Milburn Makepeace".Liverpool & South West Lancs Genealogy. 2015. Archived fromthe original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved26 May 2015.
- ^"Makepeace and Hedley, RFC, 1918".The Great War Forum. 2015. Archived fromthe original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved26 May 2015.
- ^"No. 29848".The London Gazette. 5 December 1916. p. 11848.
- ^abGuttman & Dempsey (2009), p. 89.
- ^"No. 30179".The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 July 1917. p. 6975.
- ^"No. 30308".The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 September 1917. p. 9977.
- ^"No. 30466".The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 January 1918. p. 626.
- ^Barrass, M. B. (2015)."Casualties May 1918".Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved26 May 2015.
- ^"Casualty Details: Makepeace, Reginald Milburn".Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 2015. Retrieved26 May 2015.
- ^"Makepeace, Reginald Milburn".The War Graves Photographic Project. 2015. Retrieved26 May 2015.
Bibliography
edit- Guttman, Jon & Dempsey, Harry (2009).Pusher Aces of World War I. Osprey Publishing.ISBN 978-1-84603-417-6.