| Thomas Carlyon Luke | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Sammy |
| Born | 21 July 1891 Plymouth, England |
| Died | 1935 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Aviation |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Royal Engineers, No. 66 Squadron RFC, No. 209 Squadron RAF |
| Awards | Military Cross, Air Force Cross |
Captain Thomas Carlyon Luke was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.[1]
Luke transferred into the Royal Flying Corps in early 1917. After pilot's training, he was assigned to 66 Squadron. He piloted a Sopwith Pup to four victories between 23 May and 28 July 1917. On the latter date, he was shot down and wounded.[2]
In the summer of 1918, he was posted to 209 Squadron as a flight commander. There he had a Sopwith Camel at his disposal. On 8 August 1918, he used it to team with fellow aces Cedric Edwards and Robert Foster, as well as two other pilots, to send a Halberstadt reconnaissance plane down in flames. On 25 August, Luke scored his final win, destroying a Fokker D.VII. His final tally showed that he had burnt two enemy planes, destroyed two others, and driven a pair down out of control.[3]
Luke remained in the Royal Air Force postwar. He was Squadron Commander of 18 Squadron in 1934, and was awarded the Air Force Cross in 1935.[4]
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.