Hilbert Leigh Bair

Hilbert Leigh Bair

Hilbert Leigh Bair, 1918
Born 15 November 1894
New York City, New York, United States
Died 24 November 1985
Hawaii, USA
Buried Section CT2-D, Row 400, Site 423, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch Royal Air Force (United Kingdom)
Air Service, United States Army
Rank Lieutenant
Unit

Royal Air Force

Air Service, United States Army

Battles/wars  
World War I
World War II
Awards American Distinguished Service Cross, British Distinguished Flying Cross
Other work Returned to service for World War II

Lieutenant (later Lieutenant Colonel) Hilbert Leigh Bair began his service career as a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.[1]

Bair joined the U.S. Army Air Service on 18 July 1917. He was forwarded to the Royal Air Force for seasoning, and was assigned to 24 Squadron on 5 July 1918. On 22 August, he shared his first win with fellow ace William Lambert and a couple of other pilots, driving a Fokker D.VII down out of control. Bair also shared one of his two 29 August victories with another pilot. The next day, Bair and Horace Barton cooperated in the destruction of an Albatros reconnaissance plane. Bair singlehandedly destroyed a Fokker D.VII on 8 September. A week later, for his last triumph, he again teamed with Barton in the destruction of a Hannover recon plane. In October, Bair transferred back to an American unit, the 25th Aero Squadron.[2]

In World War II, Hilbert Bair returned to service in the U.S. Army Air Force as a lieutenant colonel.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/usa/bair.php Retrieved on 11 February 2010.
  2. ↑ Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. p. 56.
  3. ↑ Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. p. 56.

Bibliography

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, ISBN 978-0-948817-19-9.

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