Roderic Dallas

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Roderic Dallas
30 July 1891 – June 1, 1918 (aged 26)

Maj. Roderic "Stan" Dallas in 1918. He is wearing one of the thick fur coats used by WW1 aviators, to address the severe cold experienced in planes with open cockpits.
Nickname Stan
Place of birth Mount Stanley, Queensland
Place of death France
Allegiance Australian Army
Royal Naval Air Service
Years of service 1913–1918
Rank Major
Commands held No. 40 Squadron RAF
No. 1 Squadron RNAS
Battles/wars World War I
Awards Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Cross & Bar
Mentioned in Despatches
Croix de Guerre (France)

Roderic Stanley "Stan" Dallas DSO, DSC & Bar (30 July 1891 - 1 June 1918) is probably the highest-scoring Australian air ace of World War I and all subsequent wars. Dallas flew with British units, rather than the nascent Australian Flying Corps (AFC). Estimates of the number of his kills range from the official tally of 39, to 50 credited to him by some researchers.[1] Another Australian, Robert Little, is credited with 47 kills. (The highest scoring ace in the AFC was Harry Cobby, with 29 kills.)

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[edit] Early Life

Dallas was born on 30 July 1891, in Mount Stanley, Queensland. His family moved to Tenterfield, New South Wales, and later back to Queensland, at Mount Morgan, in 1898. He attended the local school, and in July, 1907 joined the assay office of the Mount Morgan Gold Mining Co. He studied chemistry and technical drawing at the technical college, during the night.[2]

[edit] Service History

He joined the Australian Army as a career soldier in 1913, and was an infantry officer when the war began. He applied to join the British Royal Flying Corps, but was rejected. Dallas was accepted by the Royal Naval Air Service, topping the entrance examination over eighty-four students, and began flying combat missions in France at the end of 1915. By the end of 1916 he was among the earliest RNAS aces with six victories.

Dallas was one of the best known pilots of Sopwith Triplanes, with No. 1 Squadron RNAS. He had brought his score to 20 by August 1917. He commanded the unit from June 1917 to March 1918.

Following the amalgamation of the RFC and RNAS, to form the Royal Air Force, on April 1, 1918, Dallas assumed command of No. 40 Squadron RAF, flying SE5s. He scored nine more victories in March and April but disappeared on a solo mission on June 1. It was later learned that he had been killed during combat with Fokker Triplanes from Jagdstaffel 14.

Dallas is buried at the Pernes British Cemetery, France. [3]

[edit] Decorations

[edit] References

  1. ^ Australian Flying Corps - Aces
  2. ^ Australian Dictionary of Biography
  3. ^ Commonwealth War Graves Commission (Roderick Stanley Dallas)
  4. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30654, page 5059, 23 April 1918
  5. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29736, page 8768, 5 September 1916
  6. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30147, page 6256, 22 June 1917

Christopher Shores, Norman Franks & Russell Guest, 1990, Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. Grub Street, London.

[edit] External links