Clive Franklyn Collett
Clive Franklyn Collett MC (born August 28, 1886 in Spring Creek , New Zealand , † December 23, 1917 in the Firth of Forth , Scotland ) was a New Zealand flying ace of World War I and the first pilot on the Commonwealth's side to use a parachute .
Life
Collett was the son of a British officer and a New Zealander. Before the war he worked as an electrical engineer in England.
Collett joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1915 and flew a. a. a Vickers FB5 . He was used as a test pilot and parachuted from a Royal Aircraft Factory BE2 in January 1917 during such a test flight . This was the first time a parachute was used on the British side. As the pilot of a Sopwith Camel of the No. 70 Squadron , however, he quickly gained the reputation of an aggressive fighter pilot. On July 27, 1917, he achieved his first aerial victory by shooting down an Albatros DV near Ypres . On September 9th, he won three dogfights. In total, he shot down 11, according to other sources 12, enemy aircraft. He was eventually awarded the Military Cross and was dispatched from the front lines to serve again as a test pilot with the rank of captain .
On December 23, 1917, he crashed on a test flight with a captured German Albatross machine in the Firth of Forth. Collett was buried in Comely Bank Cemetery, Edinburgh .
Awards
- Military Cross
- British War Medal
- 1914-15 star
- Victory Medal
literature
- Christopher F. Shores: Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920 . 1990.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Collett at Tauranga Memories
- ↑ Collett at Tauranga Memories
- ↑ Entry on The Aerodrome
- ^ Collett at the Auckland War Memorial Museum
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Collett, Clive Franklyn |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | New Zealand pilot |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 28, 1886 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Spring Creek , New Zealand |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 23, 1917 |
| Place of death | Firth of Forth , Scotland |