William Benson Craig

Lieutenant William Benson Craig DFC (2 August 1896 – 26 September 1918) was a Canadian flying ace during World War I. He was credited with eight aerial victories over German fighter planes.

William Benson Craig
Born(1896-08-02)2 August 1896
Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada
Died26 September 1918(1918-09-26) (aged 22)
off Blankenberge, Belgium
Buried
Blankenberge Town Cemetery, Blankenberge, Belgium
AllegianceGeorge V of the British Empire
Service/branchArtillery; aviation
Years of service1917–1918
RankLieutenant
Unit4 Naval Squadron RNAS/No. 204 Squadron RAF
AwardsDistinguished Flying Cross

Early life

William Craig Benson was born in Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada on 2 August 1896; his father was Richard Craig. He was working as a clerk when he enlisted in the 73rd Field Artillery Battery of the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 21 May 1917. He was five feet four inches tall, with black hair, brown eyes, and a swarthy complexion.[1][2]

World War I

Craig transferred to the Royal Naval Air Service and was posted to 4 Naval Squadron as a Sopwith Camel pilot in May 1918. He scored his first aerial victories over German fighter planes on 15 August 1918, and in just over a month, ran his total to eight, all against fighters. On 26 September 1918, two days after his final victory, he was killed in action off-shore of Blankenberge, Belgium. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 5 October 1918,[3] though it would not be gazetted until 1 November 1918, ten days before war's end:[4]

Whilst acting temporarily as flight leader on one day last month he personally destroyed three enemy machines, and the remainder of his flight accounted for three more. Lt. Craig has been engaged in numerous air battles, and always displays fine spirit, ability and determination in carrying out his duties. He has personally brought down two enemy machines completely out of control, in addition to those referred to above.[4]

William Benson Craig was buried in Plot B.3, Blankenberge Communal Cemetery, Blankenberge, Belgium.[2]

List of aerial victories
See also: Aerial victory standards of World War I
No. Date/time Aircraft Foe Result Location
1 15 August 1918 @ 0825 hours Sopwith Camel serial number D9268 Fokker D.VII fighter Set afire in midair; destroyed East of Ypres
2 15 August 1918 @ 0825 hours Sopwith Camel s/n D9268 Fokker D.VII fighter Destroyed East of Ypres
3 16 September 1918 @ 1905 hours Sopwith Camel s/n D3374 Fokker D.VII fighter Destroyed Blankenberge
4 16 September 1918 @ 1907 hours Sopwith Camel s/n D3374 Fokker D.VII fighter Driven down out of control Blankenberge
5 16 September 1918 @ 1910 hours Sopwith Camel s/n D3374 Fokker D.VII fighter Driven down out of control Blankenberge
6 20 September 1918 @ 1025 hours Sopwith Camel s/n D3374 Fokker D.VII fighter Driven down out of control Northeast of Diksmuide
7 20 September 1918 @ 1030 hours Sopwith Camel s/n D3374 Fokker D.VII fighter Driven down out of control Southwest of Ostend
8 24 September 1918 @ 1845 hours Sopwith Camel s/n D3374 Fokker Triplane Set afire in midair; destroyed Diksmuide[3]

References
  1. "William Benson Craig's Attestation Paper". www.theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  2. "Lieutenant William Benson Craig". Canadian Great War Project. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  3. Shores, Christopher; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell (1990). Above the Trenches : A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces, 1915-1920. Grub Street. p. 124. ISBN 978-0919195110.
  4. "No. 30989". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 November 1918. pp. 12961, 12964.
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