How many planes did Albert Ball shoot down?
43 enemy planes
He shot down 43 enemy planes and one balloon. He also contributed greatly to British air supremacy at the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
What did Albert ball fly?
His singularity in dress extended to his habit of flying without a helmet and goggles, and he wore his thick black hair longer than regulations generally permitted. While flying a Bristol Scout on 16 May 1916, Ball scored his first aerial victory, driving down a German reconnaissance aircraft.
Where is Albert Ball buried?
Cimetiere d’Annœullin, Annœullin, FranceAlbert Ball / Place of burial
What was an ace?
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually considered to be five or more.
Who was the best known German ace?
Erich Alfred Hartmann (19 April 1922 – 20 September 1993) was a German fighter pilot during World War II and the most successful fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. He flew 1,404 combat missions and participated in aerial combat on 825 separate occasions.
Who was the last person to receive the Victoria Cross?
The most recent was awarded to Lance Corporal Joshua Leakey of 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment, whose VC was gazetted in February 2015, following an action in Afghanistan on 22 August 2013.
What was an ace in ww1?
The term ‘ace’ is generally taken to mean any fighter pilot credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft. Lone aerial combat provided an outlet for acts of personal bravery. The aces were seen as chivalrous heroes engaged in honest and impressive one-to-one fighting.
Who was the last flying ace?
Steve Ritchie. Given the nature of modern warfare, Gen. Ritchie may well be the last fighter-pilot ace. In World War I there were 119 such aces, World War II produced 1,285 and the Korean War yielded 43.
How do you become a flying ace?
Who is Albert Ball?
Albert Ball, VC, DSO & Two Bars, MC (14 August 1896 – 7 May 1917) was a British fighter pilot during the First World War. At the time of his death he was the United Kingdom’s leading flying ace, with 44 victories, and remained its fourth-highest scorer behind Edward Mannock, James McCudden, and George McElroy.
Was Albert Ball the best English Flying Man?
The famous German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, remarked upon hearing of Ball’s death that he was “by far the best English flying man”. Albert Ball was born on 14 August 1896 at a house on Lenton Boulevard in Lenton, Nottingham. After a series of moves throughout the area, his family settled at Sedgley in Lenton Road.
What are the Albert Ball Memorial Homes?
In further remembrance of his son, Albert Ball, Sr. commissioned the building of the Albert Ball Memorial Homes in Lenton to house the families of local servicemen killed in action. The Lenton War Memorial, located in front of the homes, includes Ball’s name and was also paid for by the Ball family.
Who was Harry Ball in WW1?
Born and raised in Nottingham, Ball joined the Sherwood Foresters at the outbreak of the First World War and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in October 1914. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) the following year, and gained his pilot’s wings on 26 January 1916.