| Kenneth Bowman Watson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 June 1897 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 5 March 1960 (aged 62) |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Service/branch | Aviation |
| Years of service | 1917–1919 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | No. 70 Squadron RAF |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross |
Lieutenant Kenneth Bowman Watson was a Canadian World War I flying ace. He was credited with nine aerial victories. On 9 October 1918, he achieved the extraordinary feat of capturing two enemy airplanes during a dogfight.
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Kenneth Bowman Watson was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on 5 June 1897. He died on 5 March 1960.[1] Watson is buried in Bethesda Lutheran Cemetery, Markham, Ontario, Canada. His wife, Hilda V. Darby Watson, is buried there with him.[2]
Watson underwent his aviation training while still in Canada. He was posted overseas to France in 1917.[3] On 13 August 1917, Watson was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps.[4] He trained as a fighter pilot and was initially assigned to 28 Squadron in Italy. However, Watson would not achieve his first aerial success until after his transfer to 70 Squadron in France. After becoming an ace on 8 October, he scored two victories the following day. In an extraordinary feat, he singlehandedly drove down a Fokker D.VII and its German pilot into captivity and simultaneously cooperated with four other British pilots in a second capture of a D.VII and pilot.[5] Watson earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his valor, though not for the twin captivities. The DFC would not be promulgated until after war's end.
See also Aerial victory standards of World War I
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 May 1918 @ 1750 hours | Sopwith Camel serial number C8218 | Albatros D.V | Destroyed | Southeast of Bapaume | |
| 2 | 29 June 1918 @ 0920 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n C8218 | Albatros D.V | Driven down out of control | Iries | |
| 3 | 4 September 1918 @ 1815 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n E7173 | Fokker D.VII | Set afire; destroyed | Escaillon | |
| 4 | 29 September 1918 @ 1140 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n E7173 | Fokker D.VII | Destroyed | Oostnieuwkerke | |
| 5 | 8 October 1918 @ 1750 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n E7173 | German reconnaissance plane | Destroyed | East of Menen | |
| 6 | 9 October 1918 @ 0945 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n E7173 | Fokker D.VII | Captured | South of Roulers | |
| 7 | 9 October 1918 @ 0945 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n E7173 | Fokker D.VII | Captured | West of Mayerneine | Victory shared with Oscar Heron, three other pilots |
| 8 | 28 October 1918 @ 1145 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n E7173 | Fokker D.VII | Destroyed | Bois du Biez | |
| 9 | 4 November 1918 @ 1145 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n E7173 | Fokker D.VII | Destroyed | Southwest of Renaix | No. 70 Squadron's final victory for the war[6][7] |
Watson's Distinguished Flying Cross was gazetted on 8 February 1919:
"On 28th October, when on offensive patrol, this officer took part in an engagement between six of our machines and twenty-two Fokkers. In the combat that ensued four of the latter were destroyed, Lieut. Watson accounting for one. In addition to the foregoing he has four other machines to his credit."[8]
On 12 July 1919 Kenneth Bowman Watson transferred to the unemployed list of the Royal Air Force[9] and vanished into obscurity for the remainder of his life.
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