Clement G. Boothroyd

Clement Graham Boothroyd
Born	(1899-08-25)25 August 1899 Halifax, Yorkshire, England
Died	6 February 1952(1952-02-06) (aged 52) Jesmond, Newcastle on Tyne, England
Allegiance	England
Branch	Aviation
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	No. 20 Squadron RAF
Awards	Distinguished Flying Cross, Mentioned in dispatches

Lieutenant Clement Graham Boothroyd DFC became an ace during the First World War. He flew as an observer/gunner in a Bristol F.2 Fighter, and in conjunction with his pilots, was credited with 12 confirmed aerial victories. ^[1]

First World War service

Boothroyd's initial aerial success with 20 Squadron came on 2 July 1918, when he destroyed a Fokker D.VII near Geluwe. On 11 August, he destroyed a kite balloon south of Heule. Then, on 20 September, he began a streak of ten victories that took him through double wins on 23 and 30 October; for this latter pair of double triumphs, he was piloted by fellow ace Capt.Horace Percy Lale. His final tally was: one balloon busted, one Fokker D.VII set afire in mid-air, nine others destroyed in flight, and one sent down out of control. ^[1]

Post-war

Boothroyd remained in the service post-war. On 1 August 1920, Observer Officer Clement Graham Boothroyd was mentioned in despatches by General C. C. Monro for exemplary service in Waziristan. ^[2] On 12 December 1922, Boothroyd transferred to the Class A Reserve. ^[3] Exactly four years later, he surrendered his commission. ^[4]

Honors and awards

The citation for his Distinguished Flying Cross reads as follows:

2nd Lieut. Clement Graham Boothroyd. (FRANCE) An officer of high courage. On 23 October, after attacking with bombs a railway station the formation with which this officer was flying was engaged with about fifteen enemy scouts; of these, he destroyed one and his pilot accounted for a second. In all he has to his credit eight enemy aircraft and one kite balloon. ^[5]

References

1. Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell; Alegi, Gregory (25 August 2008). Above the War Fronts: The British Two-seater Bomber Pilot and Observer Aces, the British Two-seater Fighter Observer Aces, and the Belgian, Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Fighter Aces, 1914-1918. Grub Street. p. 6. ISBN   978-1898697565.
2. "No. 32353". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 June 1921. pp. 4697, 4699.
3. "No. 32776". The London Gazette . 12 December 1922. p. 8799.
4. "No. 33229". The London Gazette . 14 December 1926. p. 8187.
5. "No. 31170". The London Gazette . 8 February 1919. p. 2035.