| William Eric Bottrill | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 September 1892 Burton on Trent, England |
| Died | 6 October 1971 (aged 79) Dundas, Ontario, Canada |
| Allegiance | Canada United Kingdom |
| Service/ | Canadian Expeditionary Force Royal Air Force |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Unit | |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross |
Second Lieutenant William Eric Bottrill DFC was a Canadian World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. [1]
The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers, and since 1993 to other ranks, of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy".
World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars", it led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history. It is also one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide.
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more.
Bottrill was born in Burton on Trent, England, but was living in Hamilton, Ontario, working as a stockhelper (shipping clerk) on the outbreak of the First World War. He served in the 91st Regiment Canadian Highlanders, part of Canada's Non-Permanent Active Militia, until he enlisted into the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 20 April 1915, [2] and was posted to the 36th Battalion. When the battalion embarked aboard the SS Corsican at Montreal on 19 June 1915 to sail for Europe, he held the rank of sergeant. [3]
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. An industrialized city in the Golden Horseshoe at the west end of Lake Ontario, Hamilton has a population of 536,917, and a metropolitan population of 747,545. The city is located about 60 km southwest of Toronto, with which the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) is formed.
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada , or A & SH of C, is a Primary Reserve Highland infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces, based at John W. Foote VC Armoury in Hamilton, Ontario.
The Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) was the name of Canada's part-time volunteer military force from the time of Confederation to 1940. The NPAM was composed of several dozen infantry battalions and cavalry regiments. With the withdrawal of the British forces in Canada after the turn of the 20th century, supporting corps were created in Canada as part of both the PAM and the NPAM.
On 12 March 1918 Bottrill, now a member of the 1st Central Ontario Regiment, was seconded for duty with the Royal Air Force, with the rank of temporary lieutenant. [4] He served as an observer/gunner in No. 104 Squadron RAF flying the Airco DH.9, where between August and October 1918, with pilots Lieutenant D. P. Pogson and Captain E. J. Garland, he shot down five enemy aircraft. [1] On 12 January 1919 his secondment to the RAF ended, [5] and on 10 October 1919 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. [6]
No. 104 Squadron RAF is a former squadron of the British Royal Air Force.
The Airco DH.9 – also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 – was a British single-engined biplane bomber developed and deployed during the First World War.
