| Leslie Hamilton | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | The Flying Gypsy |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | On or after 31 August 1927 Mid Atlantic Ocean |
| Allegiance | England |
| Service/branch | Engineers; aviation |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Royal Engineers, No. 17 Squadron RAF, No. 150 Squadron RAF |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross |
| Other work | Disappeared in attempt to fly Atlantic Ocean from east to west. |
Lieutenant Leslie Hamilton was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories. After a postwar spell of stunt flying as "The Flying Gypsy", he attempted the first nonstop east-west flight across the Atlantic Ocean. His Fokker Jupiter plane, dubbed Saint Raphael, was last seen in mid-Atlantic by USS Josiah Macy, a Standard Oil ship.[1]
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Hamilton made his mark in Greece, flying a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a. His first victory, scored while he was in 17 Squadron stationed in Salonika, was on 21 April 1918 and was shared with fellow ace Acheson Goulding. After 17 Squadron was consolidated with 47 Squadron, Hamilton scored five more wins for the resulting new squadron, No. 150. The four triumphs he notched between 4 May and 4 September were shared with other aces, such as Gerald Gibbs, Frederick Travers, and Gerald Gordon Bell. Hamilton's sixth and last win, on 18 September 1918, was a solo one.[2]
Hamilton resigned his commission on 28 November 1919. He barnstormed a bit as "The Flying Gypsy". In 1927, he became involved in an attempt to set an aviation record by flying the Atlantic Ocean from east to west, from England to Canada. Princess Anne of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg financed the attempt and was a passenger on the Fokker F.VII chosen for the attempt. Colonel Frederick F. Minchin and Hamilton were the other participants. The Fokker, dubbed Saint Raphael, headed west from the coast of Ireland and was last seen, flying west over the mid-Atlantic, by the crew of the USS Josiah Macy.[3]
Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. Christopher F. Shores, Norman L. R. Franks, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1990. ISBN 0-948817-19-4, 9780948817199.