Chester Ellis Wright

Chester Ellis Wright
Chester Ellis Wright
	Lieutenant Chester Ellis Wright, 93d Aero Squadron, Foucaucourt Aerodrome, France, 1918
Born	1 September 1897; Readville, Massachusetts, USA
Died	1933; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	Air Service, United States Army
Years of service	1917–1919
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	19th Aero Squadron USAAS, 93d Aero Squadron
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross

Last updated February 15, 2024

Lieutenant Chester Ellis Wright was an American World War I flying ace credited with nine confirmed aerial victories.^[1] He was the top scoring ace for his squadron.^[2]

Early life

Chester Ellis Wright was born on 1 September 1897 in Readville, Massachusetts. His primary education was at Hyde Park School.^[3]

World War I service

Wright finished three years at Harvard before joining the U.S. Army Air Service in March 1917. He continued his education, but at MIT. Later in 1917, he was appointed adjutant to the 19th Aero Squadron while it was still at Garden City, New York. He transferred overseas in November, sailing on the 23rd as a supply officer for the 15th Foreign Detachment. He completed his pilot's training and was assigned to ferry planes to France. On 29 July 1918, he was posted to the 93d Aero Squadron. The new squadron began combat operations the following month with Wright serving as a Flight Commander.^[2] Between 18 September and 23 October 1918, Wright shot down a German observation balloon, an unidentified enemy airplane, a Rumpler, and six Fokker D.VIIs, including one shared with Leslie Rummell.^[1] In the process, he won two Distinguished Service Crosses.^[2]^[3]

Wright returned home in March 1919.^[2] He was discharged the following month.^[3]

Honors and awards

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)

For extraordinary heroism in action near Beffu, France, 10 October 1918. Lt. Wright attacked an enemy observation balloon protected by four enemy planes; despite numerical superiority, he forced the planes to withdraw and destroyed the enemy balloon.^[1]^[3]

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) Oak Leaf Cluster

For extraordinary heroism in action near Bantheville, France, 23 October 1918. Lt. Wright, accompanied by one other machine, took on and sent down in flames an enemy plane (Fokker type) that was attacking an Allied plane. He was in turn attacked by three enemy planes. His companion was forced to withdraw on account of motor trouble. Lt. Wright continued the combat and succeeded in bringing down one of the enemy planes and forced the remaining two into their own territory.^[1]^[3]

Related Research Articles

Captain Field Eugene Kindley was an American aviator and World War I flying ace credited with twelve confirmed aerial victories.

Joseph Frank Wehner, also known as Fritz Wehner, was an American fighter pilot and wingman to Frank Luke.

Lieutenant Remington D. B. Vernam was an American pilot who had enlisted in the French air service during World War I, and was transferred to the United States Army Air Service after American entry into the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Augustus Vaughn Jr.</span> American flying ace

George Augustus Vaughn Jr. was an American fighter ace in World War I and Distinguished Service Cross, Britain's Distinguished Flying Cross, and Silver Star recipient. Vaughn was America's second-ranking Air Service ace to survive the war.

Captain Harold Robert Buckley was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.

Lieutenant George Willard Furlow (1893–1959) was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.

Lieutenant Orville Alfred Ralston was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. He returned to service for World War II, only to die in a B-17 crash.

Howard Clayton Knotts was a prominent American aviation lawyer who served in World War I as a flying ace credited with six aerial victories.

Lieutenant Jesse Orin Creech was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He shot down the final victory of the war for his squadron.

Lieutenant Lansing Colton Holden, Jr. was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He was an architect, illustrator, and American film director.

Captain Gorman DeFreest Larner was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.

Lieutenant Leslie Jacob Rummell (1895-1919) was an American World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.

Lieutenant Clinton Leonard Jones, Jr. was an American World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.

First Lieutenant Lloyd Andrews Hamilton was a World War I flying ace credited with ten aerial victories. During five months of 1918 he became an ace with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and then again with the United States Air Service (USAS). Hamilton Air Force Base is named after him.

Lieutenant Jacques Michael Swaab was an American World War I flying ace with the 22nd Aero Squadron who was credited with ten victories. He later worked in the Hollywood film industry.

Colonel Reed Gresham Landis was an American military aviator who served in the air services of the United States Army during World War I and World War II, and was credited as a flying ace during the former, with twelve aerial victories.

Lieutenant Howard Burdick DSC DFC was an American World War I flying ace credited with eight confirmed aerial victories. He and his son, Clinton D. Burdick, are the only known pair of father-son flying aces.

Captain Henry Robinson Clay, Jr. was a World War I flying ace credited with eight confirmed aerial victories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Frank Baer</span>

Paul Frank Baer was an American fighter pilot for the United States Army Air Service in World War I. He was credited with nine confirmed victories and seven unconfirmed victory claims, making him the first flying ace in American military aviation history.

Captain Thomas Gantz Cassady was an American fighter pilot who served in both World Wars, and became a businessman during peacetime.

References

1 2 3 4 "Chester Wright". theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
1 2 3 4 American Aces of World War I. p. 79.
1 2 3 4 5 Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920, p. 82.

Bibliography

Shores, Christopher F.; Franks, Norman & Guest, Russell F. (1990). Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-19-9.
American Aces of World War I. Norman Franks, Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84176-375-6, ISBN 978-1-84176-375-0.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[aerodrome-1] 1 2 3 4 "Chester Wright". theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 27 June 2010.

[aa-2] 1 2 3 4 American Aces of World War I. p. 79.

[otf-3] 1 2 3 4 5 Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920, p. 82.

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Aviation in World War I
People and aircraft	Commanders Aces Aircraft of the Entente Powers Aircraft of the Central Powers Zeppelins
Campaigns and battles	Strategic bombing German Cuxhaven Bombing of cities Aerial reconnaissance Fokker Scourge Flight over Vienna Bloody April Battles
Entente Powers air services	British air services Royal Flying Corps Royal Naval Air Service Royal Air Force Australian Flying Corps Canadian Air Force (1918–1920) French Air Service Imperial Russian Air Service Royal Italian Air Corps Romanian Air Corps United States Army Air Service Greek air services Army Air Service Naval Air Service
Central Powers air services	Imperial German Air Service Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops Ottoman Aviation Squadrons Bulgarian Army Aeroplane Section