| James Henry Forman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 February 1896 Kirkfield, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 4 October 1972 (aged 76) Santa Barbara, California, USA |
| Allegiance | King George V of the British Empire |
| Service/branch | Aviation |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | No. 6 Naval Squadron RNAS No. 1 Naval Squadron RNAS/No. 201 Squadron RAF No. 70 Squadron RAF |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross |
James Henry Forman was born in Kirkfield, Ontario, Canada on 1 February 1896. When he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 29 June 1916, he gave his profession as minister and listed his mother Mary as his next of kin. He had three months prior military experience. He was six feet tall, with medium complexion, gray eyes, and black hair. A scar on his right foot served as a distinguishing mark.[1] He was assigned Regimental Number 490828 and posted to the 3rd Training Brigade of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.[2]
Contents |
Forman transferred into the Royal Naval Air Service and underwent pilot's training. His initial assignment was to 6 Naval Squadron, where he scored his first aerial victory on 27 July 1917. He was wounded in action the following day, then transferred into 1 Naval Squadron and remained with it during its transition into 201 Squadron Royal Air Force, scoring seven wins along the way. On 21 May 1918 Lieutenant J. H. Forman promoted to temporary captain.[3]
On 2 July 1918, Forman was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by his king.[4] On 7 August 1918, the DFC was officially gazetted:
"A skilful patrol leader, who has displayed on all occasions a high standard of courage, endurance, and skill. In a period of ten months he has been engaged on seventy-seven offensive patrols, and has brought down three enemy aeroplanes in flames and five out of control."[5]
Forman was reassigned to 70 Squadron as a Flight Commander. He scored one victory while leading a flight for his new unit. Then, on 4 September 1918, Forman was flying one of a dozen Sopwith Camels that engaged German fliers from Jagdgruppe III. The German opponents included aces Bruno Loerzer and Otto Fruhner. Forman was one of eight pilots downed by the Germans in the largest single loss of Camels during the war.[6]
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 July 1917 @ 1710 hours | Sopwith Camel serial number N6358 | Albatros D.V | Set afire; destroyed | Northeast of Nieuwpoort, Belgium | |
| 2 | 18 October 1917 @ 1030 hours | Sopwith Triplane s/n N5479 | DFW reconnaissance plane | Driven down out of control | East of Poelcappelle | Victory shared with Samuel Kinkead |
| 3 | 12 November 1917 @ 1545 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B5651 | Pfalz D.III | Set afire; destroyed | Dixmude | Victory shared with Samuel Kinkead |
| 4 | 29 November 1917 @ 1415 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B6409 | Albatros D.V | Driven down out of control | Middelkerke | |
| 5 | 12 April 1918 @ 1500 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B7280 | Fokker Triplane | Driven down out of control | Southeast of Albert | |
| 6 | 9 May 1918 @ 1315 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B7280 | Albatros D.V | Driven down out of control | Bapaume | |
| 7 | 15 May 1918 @ 0645 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n D3393 | Albatros D.V | Destroyed | Bapaume | Victory shared with Charles Dawson Booker, Samuel Kinkead, Robert McLaughlin, Hazel Wallace, Reginald Brading, Maxwell Findlay, two other pilots |
| 8 | 16 May 1918 @ 1920 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n D3392 | Fokker Triplane | Set afire; destroyed | South of Albert | |
| 9 | 10 August 1918 @ 2045 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n E1472 | LVG reconnaissance plane | Driven down out of control | La Creche-Bailleul | [7] |
Forman survived the war. Nothing more is known of him except that he died in Santa Barbara, California, USA on 4 October 1972.[8]
|
||||||||||||||